"I am that girl.I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the library aid who hides in Fantasy.
I am the circus freak encased in beeswax.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame"
- Wintergirls, page 19 (ARC)
This is Lia, who defines herself by the numbers on the scale and the voice in her head that repeats stupiduglyfatbitch over and over. Her best friend died alone in a hotel room and she cannot help but blame herself. The only thing that alleviates the pain is when she feels empty enough to float away.
Beautiful, poetic, and raw, Wintergirls tells the story of a real girl1—Lia—who is more person than problem. Though her struggles with anorexia and the death of her best friend are the central conflicts of the story, they are not the only thing going on. Anderson does an excellent job of conveying the gravity of Lia's situation, without towering over her (and the reader). It is not a sermon, and Anderson isn't preaching. Rather, she's telling us a story; a sad, troubling, beautiful story. Perhaps the thing that I love most about this book is that it strays into the realm of magical realism, a genre that I am truly unable to resist.
Now, I'm usually not so into books about teenagers with ISSUES. I mean, sure. We do have issues. But I'm talking about ISSUES—like, "I'm a bulimic, sexually abused, promiscuous cutter who has multiple personality disorder and a propensity for writing awkward poetry in funny shapes" (more commonly known as Identical by Ellen Hopkins). They're just a little ridiculous. It's as though issues are the only way some authors feel like they can break that really tough barrier between the angsty teenaged portion of the population and themselves. All that being said, I loved Wintergirls, which does fall under the "issue book" umbrella.
Top of the pile.
Yours,
I don't know when I first read Laurie Halse Anderson's bestselling novel Speak, but I remember that I was blown away. For those of you looking for another Speak, Wintergirls is not it. But that's kind of like comparing Casablanca to Live Free or Die Hard—the fact that one is amazing doesn't mean the other isn't good.2 And Wintergirls is good—great, even. It offered a new look into anorexia, characterizing it not as a superficial-yet-extreme desire to be thin-and-therefore-beautiful, but as the serious illness that it is.
Also, you might not like this book if you're squeamish—there is a lot of talk of internal organs and such.
Top of the pile.
Wanting you to go see Casablanca if you haven't, and to read Speak if you haven't and also, as always, yours,
1"Real girl" in the sense of "well-imagined and realistic". Not as in "human being who is a female and exists outside of the narrative reality." Just so we're clear.
2The "amazing" in this particular analogy is Casablanca. But I hope you knew that. Also, if you think that Live Free or Die Hard isn't good, then you weren't paying attention to the part where Bruce Willis drives a truck up a broken freeway WITH THE POWER OF HIS MIND. Or the part where he DESTROYS A HELICOPTER BY THROWING A CAR AT IT.
Wintergirls comes out on March 19th, a day also known as "today". Go buy it! From your local independent bookstore! Because that's where you get all of your books, right? Right?
3 comments:
""I'm a bulimic, sexually abused, promiscuous cutter who has multiple personality disorder and a propensity for writing awkward poetry in funny shapes" (more commonly known as Identical by Ellen Hopkins)."
HA. I do love you, Rae.
On the subject of the, like, book, that sounds good. I can usually take or leave Laurie Halse Anderson, but this seems like a definite take.
I have been hovering over the counters of our local indie bookstore for months, waiting for an arc to rear its pretty head. Didn't happen. But now its all general release and such. Huzzah!
-Aella
I *love* Speak. And I can't wait to read Wintergirls. Love what you had to say about it.
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