Thinandbeautiful.com by Liane ShawRelease: Sept 28, 2009
Stand alone book
Link goes to and description go to Goodreads.com
"Seventeen-year-old Maddie has always felt a hole in her life, but she has finally found a way to fill it with her quest to mold her body into her ideal, thinnest shape. When she comes across the world of Pro Ana websites, where young people encourage each other in their mission to lose ever more weight, she realizes she is no longer alone. Finally, she has found a place where she is understood. Maddie quickly becomes addicted to the support and camaraderie she finds on thinandbeautiful.com. Now in a rehab facility where they are trying to "fix" a problem she doesn't think she has, Maddie is forced to keep a diary tracing how she arrived at this point. Angry that she is barred from accessing her online friends, Maddie resists therapy. Only when a tragedy befalls one of her comrades in arms is she shocked into admitting that she does need help."
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My Review:
This is a book that really gets you inside the head of someone with an eating disorder. The thoughts seem authentic and Shaw uses her own experience with EDs as a basis. Maddie isn't always likable, but she is relatable.
It is not an easy read, we travel with her as she pushes her friends and family away, see through the lens of distorted body image, and begin on the difficult road of recovery.
I understand why all of the flashbacks where there
This is a really tough issue to write about without glorifying the disease but Shaw did a great job, and I would recommend to anyone who wants to see what the struggle is like, and to see hope at the end of the tunnel.
I would love to hear what you think!
