Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I am a huge fan of pretty much everything Anderson has ever written. She has the ability to truly the capture the voice of every protagonist, and every story she tells is different. This book didn't let me down, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a tense, dramatic read.

In Anderson's newest book, she tackles the topic of eating disorders. I often find that authors write about this topic in a trite, formulaic manner that is far from the experience that many actually have. Luckily, Anderson spent a lot of time doing her research, and it shows.

We meet our protagonist Lia just after she learns of the death of her friend Cassie. Cassie was found dead in a hotel room, and the details surrounding her death unfold throughout the book. Lia & Cassie had been best friends since childhood, but the relationship took a competitive and disturbing twist as the girls entered puberty. Both girls developed eating disorders, and encouraged one another in the pursuit of being thin.

At one point, the friendship broke off, and each girl is left to deal on her own. While Lia took steps towards recovery, Cassie continued her demise. Regardless, Cassie still obviously held Lia dear to her heart, as we learn she attempted to call her 33 times on the night she died. As the story unfolds, we discover the events surrounding and ultimate cause of Cassie's death. The main storyline follows Lia as the guilt of not being able to save her friend triggers a relapse. We watch helplessly as she begins taking herself, not unknowingly, down the same dangerous path her friend traveled, and it's not clear until the final pages whether or not her story will end differently.

This story pulled me in emotionally from the beginning. Although it is not "uplifting", there are definite lessons to be learned. The text can become complicated, especially since it becomes increasingly difficult to discover what is reality, and what is a figment of Lia's deteriorating mental state. I really, really recommend this book!