The Bare Bones: Honest Fiction about Weight and Eating Disorders
Beyond The Best Little Girl in the World
Maybe you’ve read The Best Little Girl in the World and was wondering if there were more novels out there about anorexia or other eating disorders. Or maybe, like me, you’re just fascinated by this psychological disease that strikes so many teenage girls. Novels about eating disorders are rarely just about the disorder itself. Usually, these novels also explore the complex relationships between friends and family of the bulimic or anorexic and try to help the reader understand the factors that lead to these devastating diseases. You may be reading these books to try and understand why girls your age, (or maybe even you) are starving or purging. Or perhaps, you’re just interested in this strange, psychological topic. I’ll admit, I am! Whatever your reason, I hope you enjoy the books selected here. Some have sad endings, some happy, but they all send powerful messages about the body and image pressures surrounding teen girls today.
Anonymous said,
August 26, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
I agree that it’s really a fascinating topic, eating disorders. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen is a great one (I think her best book, topped only by Dreamland, which might work for your stoned section) where her sister has an eating disorder that takes all of her familys’ attention away from her own personal crisis. Also, Perfect by Natasha Friend isn’t particularly well-written (not nearly as good as her other book Lush, I think) but it shows an interesting take on bullimia. Any thing by Sarah Dessen is usually really poigant about loss.
Jen Hubert said,
September 1, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
Yes, I love Dessen. Her work is all over this website, Just Listen is under Rriot Grrl and Dreamland is in Virgin Run, but they could definitely go on other lists as well.