Review: Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot

Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot

The story of a teen girl's struggle with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and how love helps her on the road to recovery.Sixteen-year-old Pea looks normal, but she has a secret: she has Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). It is like having a monster inside of her, one that not only dictates what she can eat, but also causes anxiety, depression, and thoughts that she doesn’t want to have. When she falls crazy-mad in love with Ben, she hides her disorder from him, pretending that she’s fine. At first, everything really does feel like it’s getting better with him around, so she stops taking her anxiety and depression medication. And that's when the monster really takes over her life. Just as everything seems lost and hopeless, Pea finds in her family, and in Ben, the support and strength she needs to learn that her eating disorder doesn’t have to control her.

Publishes in US: February 28th 2017 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: ya contemp
Source: earc via netgalley from macmillan
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not affected by the book being free.
Series? no

Buy it: Amazon

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    I wanted to read Sad Perfect because I am drawn to books about eating issues as well as depression, and I liked the sound of the main character and the romance. 

   I'd never heard of her issue with foods, and it was interesting to get a new perspective on a type of eating disorder. But it wasn't so much her choice, more an issue of taste, texture, and not craving foods, and certain ones, or even watching people eat certain things making her gag or feel nauseous. 

   Family is present in this one, and you can tell that her mom wants the best for her, but there are still some issues. Her and her brother don't connect the best. 

   I liked how her best friend was so understanding and still there for her through her issues. 

   I felt for her feeling nervous about a new relationship, enjoying the feelings, enjoying being kissed and taken out, but also still hiding her issues with food. She had a previous relationship that fell apart in part because of food issues, which makes it even harder for her. 

   My biggest issue with the book was the perspective. It was 2nd person (I think--its where it says for example you are floating down the river and you are hot.) Sometimes I can't handle this, but I was able to get over it because it still had voice of the main character and I was intrigued by premise. 

Bottom Line:

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Are there any foods you just can't eat?