Skinny

I've seen reviews that this title was too simple and straightforward, but I would have to disagree. I feel this is a book that should be read by all teenagers. Having a 14 year old myself (and her having a friend that faced these issues at only 12), I feel this is an excellent introduction for teens to understand the severity of eating disorders, and allow them to see a glimpse of what someone with this illness goes through every day. Granted, there was no in-depth resolution, but I don't feel that was the intent. The author skimmed the surface, leaving hints here & there and by the end of the book, I could no longer see where exactly the changes had originally begun. This was one of those titles that stayed with me, and opened up further communication on the subject for my daughter and I. It's a quick read, and something I would pass on and suggest to others.

This book is so inspirational...it took about 2 seconds to get into. If you are a teenager it explains about how easy it is to get into trouble with eating disorders and it decribes how long and hard it is to get out of. For parents it reminds them that kids aren't perfect and you need to help them sometimes. If they are too overwhelmed you have to make sure that they are taking care of their basic needs such as eating. I am 14 yrs. old and my mom bought this book for me. I highly recommend it for girls my age and older and for parents of girls my age.

Melissa is just your typical teenage girl who likes hanging out with her friends, hoping to catch the new guy's eye, and trying out for the dance squad. However behind her happy facade likes a dark secret that she's hidden from everyone else. Melissa has an eating disorder which she denies to even herself. She's doing everything to stay thin, even to the point of justifying that the Bible preaches that God doesn't want her to eat. She thinks she'll be able to control it but soon finds out that being too skinny just isn't worth it. It's frustrating to read about girls who have eating disorders. You want to tell them, you don't need to lose weight, you're fine just the way you are. It pains you to see someone hurt themselves. However as uncomfortable as this topic can be, it's a serious issue that needs to be brought into the open. This book perfectly captures the life of a teenage girl with an eating disorder. Melissa is your average teenage girl who just wants to fit in during her high school years. I liked how the author made her likable and modern without being too trendy. The dialogue between the teens was realistic and perfectly captured what life is like for the average teen girl (complete with those mean girls!!). However as the story progresses, the reader soon learns that Melissa is facing a battle with herself and her body. What I thought was most interesting about Melissa's situation is that she doesn't try to lose weight because of a boy. While she does have a relationship with a guy throughout the book, he's not really a factor in her decisions to not eat. Her real reasons were more with trying to maintain control in her life, and this was the only way that she could. Side effects of eating disorders are shown to be very painful and unpleasant so hopefully girls who read this book will get the impression that extreme dieting is not the way to go. My only qualm with the book is that I felt Melissa's recovery happened much too quickly. She goes from barely eating anything to being able to choke down a whole piece of pizza. First off, why in the world her parents would buy a fully loaded pizza and expect her to eat this, after she's been diagnosed with an eating disorder is beyond me. From reading other accounts of recovering anorexics and bulimics, it would have taken her a long time to adjust to eating food again and keeping everything down. I don't have a problem with her getting well and having treatment, I just felt that it seemed a little rushed and not that realistic. However the book is a really great read. I, myself, couldn't put it down. The writing is engaging, entertaining, and realistic. It may be a short read but it packs quite a punch. Any teen girl who's even thought about considering that not eating would be a good idea, needs to read this book.

I couldn't put this book down. While its target audience is young teens, I, a grandfather, found it particularly moving. Many youngsters have to deal with the constant pressure of peers and trying to fit in with "the crowd". The main character, Melissa, is faced with being accepted by her girl friends, her boy friend, succeeding in school and on dance team. So many youth find it difficult to cope with all of these pressures and resort to desperate measures to conform. This often leads to compulsive behavior and spins out of control. I find the same to be true for many adults. Trying to find our place in this world often leads us to do things that only lead to defeat and disappointment. Ms. Smith weaves this tale expertly and with sensitivity. The extra measure of spirituality she includes makes us aware that it is difficult to survive on our own. Thank you Laura for your message, not only to the teens you set out to reach, but to all of us who need to come to grips with the destructiveness of self-centered behaviors.

"Skinny" was a great real-life example of how this disease can take over a high-school age child. I thought the book would be very relatable for someone in this age group-- Very well-written.