Winter Girls and high school experience

Yesterday I finished Wintergirls and I have to say I loved it. I mean really, really loved it. I had heard from several classmates it was extremely depressing, and I suppose it was. I could see my high school self being so in to this book, though. There were many things in it that I could relate to, from my own experiences and those of friends and family. Someone who didn't like the book as much as I did might see some of these things as being cliche. I'm not sure if anyone will take that stance in our discussion tonight, but I can see how one could feel that way.

I could identify with Lia, as I'm sure many women can. Those of us who spent high school trying not to eat and trading tips for self-denial certainly can relate to the obsession that plagues her. And there is some hope in the end, at least in Lia's resolution to use her treatment to save herself. Something that could be slightly worrying is that a y.a. reader with an eating disorder might treat Lia as a heroine, using the book as validation for their own anorexic behavior. I can totally see my friends in high school trading this book around and mimicking her tricks. However, people will find validation on the pro-Ana type websites mentioned in the book and among their own peers. There are detailed descriptions of the physical and emotional anguish Lia suffers from, so I don't think this book would cause anyone to develop these habits.

I'm going to do my book talk on this tonight. Hopefully I can do it without completely forgetting what I want to say... This is the first book we've read in class that I really identified with, and that reminded me of my own high school experience in some ways. I would definitely recommend it to certain teen readers. Even if you can't relate to the eating disorder thing, the strained relationships with the parents, the imperfect family life, and the fall-out between friends are things that teens see in their own lives.