I had put this book down about a quarter of the way through, because I just wasn't feeling it, and had other books that called to me louder. I picked it back up today, and finished it. The portrayal of Elizabeth's eating disorder is so well done. Amazingly it starts with her entrance into a treatment center. We get back story throughout as she talks with other residents and counselors. This time around I was rooting for Elizabeth to make progress and fully vested in her story. I'd like to put her mother into treatment--she needs it. I think she wins the worst mother award for the year.

This book could be triggering for those who have had eating disorders, but the hopeful tone should help. ( )

We first meet 16-year-old Elizabeth as she is being admitted to a facility to deal with her eating disorders. She is filled with rage and other negative feelings as her disease is what is controlling her thought patterns. However, changes occur as she meets others who have similar issues and as she goes through therapy, allowing her to deal with the issues that led to her ED, including a mother who very likely has an ED herself. This book is very insightful concerning eating disorders, the what people who suffer from them think, and what treatment involves, as well as an understanding of how many people never recover, or even survive, their eating disorders. ( )

"Wanting to get better, whole important, isn't enough. You have to work to get better."

I really liked that this story brings a look into eating disorders, as I have not really read many other stories around this issue. I wanted to give this more stars in my rating system, but for me I use the Goodreads system. Two stars is it was an ok read, and that is all this was for me. I felt some of the information was a little too repetitive and slow moving. I just could not really get into it, and found myself skimming to the end. ( )

Not just an important book but one that is well-written and accurately describes eating disorders as well! Highly recommend this YA book - and not just to young adults; parents, friends, and spouses can benefit from it as well!

Teenager Elizabeth is so underweight that her parents see no they choice but to send her to a special clinic for eating disorders. While Elizabeth first hates being treated for something she worked so hard for and that made her feel good and in control, she also knows she has a problem and needs help. While slowly getting used to the different treatments at Wallingfield as well as the rigorous eating plan, the young woman soon makes friends with other girls who understand her way of thinking. Together with Lexi, Margot, Wallis, Jean, and her therapist Mary, Elizabeth learns how to talk back to the evil voice in her head that tells her to starve herself to death. And it is then that her she sees that more people than she thought have the same issues as her. Some even in her own family.

Wonderful read that stays with you even after you turned the last page! ( )

Literary Merit: Very Good
Characterization: Excellent
Recommendation: Recommended
Grades: 9-12

Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth finds herself at the Wallingfield Psychiatric Facility's Residential Treatment Center after losing 40 pounds in a short amount of time. Food has become her enemy and a size 0 the coveted prize for her months of near-starvation. Elizabeth has lost more than weight, though. She has lost her boyfriend, her integrity, and her peace of mind. So begins Elizabeth's transformative journey to understand and overcome the voice of anorexia that shadows her thoughts and takes over her behavior.

In the beginning, Elizabeth is angry about being sent to Wallingfield by her concerned parents. She is paired up with a repeat-resident, Lexi, whose severe struggle with and denial of her anorexia shocks even Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth and Lexi soon become friends along with the other girls who are in their cohort. Through compelling first-person narration, readers see each girl's struggle through Elizabeth's eyes, as well as the revelations produced by these observations. We get to sit in on Elizabeth's meetings with her therapist, Mary, and see her learn and grow through Mary's insights and encouragement.

There is a romantic sub-plot which teen readers will enjoy. Elizabeth begins receiving mysterious, romantic gifts at mail-call, and wonders if these are from her ex-boyfriend, Charlie. Eventually, the gift-giver is revealed, creating another layer of complexity to Elizabeth's emotional roller-coaster.

This book does an exceptionally good job of exploring the difficult family dynamics that are at the root of Elizabeth's anorexia. However, it stops short of "blaming the parents" and shows the reader that that is just one of many layers to a very complex disease. Alexandra Ballard explores the family with compassion and understanding. It would be all too easy to place blame, but in the end, all that is left is a compassion for the struggle.

This is a very realistic, compelling portrayal of a complex disease process. By getting to experience Elizabeth's struggle first-hand, readers gain a better understanding of anorexia and realize that this is not a disease that is simply about eating and food and that the battle to overcome it is one that will last a lifetime. Alexandra Ballard's writing is warm, authentic, and hard to put down. This is an important read for anyone who wants to gain better insight into this complicated disease. ( )