The reason I decided to read this book was that practically every girl in my class was reading it. Based on what the girls were saying about the book, it pulled me in.Characters:The relationship between Lia and her mom had changed dramatically since her first "incident". After being sent to New Seasons, Lia decided that it would be best for her to move in with her dad and his girlfriend. Lia totally isolates Chloe (her mom) and thinks of her dad and his girlfriend as being too gullible to actually weigh her exactly as told. But as the story progresses we see that Lia's relationship with her mom is going in a downhill spiral. As well as Lia's weight dropping dramatically in the few months she spent with Jennifer and Emma (step-mother and step-sister). But we see this aurora in a dark sky; Lia and Chloe actually talking instead of taking action. "She smoothes my cheek with the back of her hand and leans forward but doesn't kiss me. She sniffs my head once, twice, three times. 'What are you doing?' I ask. She sits next to me. 'In med school we read about a study in which mothers could identify their babies by smell a day after they were born. I thought it was baloney.' 'It's true?' 'I knew you by your smell within hours. It comforted me, like a drug, almost. I loved the smell of my daughter. I used to sniff your head all the time when you were a baby.' … … '… Is that weird, too?' Neither one of us dares breathe, because we are both here in the same space and at the same time, Mommy and Lia, no phones or scalpels or burning words. Neither one of us wants to break the spell. If I tell her about my ugliness now, this fragile bridge will crumble under the weight of it. 'No,' I say. 'It's not weird, it's sweet.'" pg.236-238 Their relationship had taken a turn for the best since the "incident". The first time I'd heard about this novel was a few years ago when I was taking a Young Adult Literature course. A classmate of mine had read this book for an assignment, and all I really remember her saying about it was that "A girl's throat exploded!" From that lovely (and inaccurate) description I decided I didn't need to read it.Two days ago I came across "Wintergirls" while shelving some books in my library's young adult section. I didn't remember that it was the same book as mentioned above, so I took the book off the shelf and read the inside cover. I immediately realized what novel is was, but I thought to myself that I loved reading "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson so give this a try!I do not regret this decision. This novel was moving, intense, and just...everything I thought it would be and more. Anderson writes Lia's story as if it is her own. Lia's sadness, self-hatred, and desperation climbs out of the pages at you. I always struggle with books like these, because I get so into the story that my mood often matches that of the main character. You can see why this might be frightening. My only real issue with this book was Cassie. I didn't really like that it was implied that she was truly haunting her friend. Lia is an unreliable main character, so I couldn't really tell in the end if she was (and has been for years) mentally ill or not. Was Laurie Halse Anderson suggesting that ghosts are real? I couldn't tell. I'd hoped that this novel would be great for teens struggling with anorexia or bulimia, but I'm not sure how much it will help if they're not willing to accept it. I only say this, because when I was looked for reviews of "Wintergirls" I was linked to a blog written by a young teenage girl who'd read Anderson's book and was reviewing it. She'd said that Cassie had scared her, but she would never be like Lia. She had it under control. She didn't hate herself like Lia did (most days). She loved herself (or she tried to). She just needed to be a bit skinnier. It wasn't a problem like it was with Lia, for her it was a lifestyle. Thinner is the winner. That review had been written in 2012, but her "Ana" blog only went for a little more than a year after that. I can only hope that she'd recognized her illness and gotten help. The alternative is an ending much like Cassie's.
What do You think about Frío (2010)?
Loved it. Definitely want to read more of her books!
—drvosanova
