Wintergirls By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 278
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publishing Year: 2009
Geared Towards: Older teens

"'You're not dead, but you're not alive, either. You're a wintergirl, Lia-Lia, caught in between the worlds. You're a ghost with a beating heart. Soon you'll cross the border and be with [Cassie]'"

Summary: (From front flap) Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head kees telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way-thin, thinner, thinnist-maybe she'll disapper altogether.

Wdebo's Review: I read this book and was disturbed, but on the other hand (ok this is going to sound weird but I can't seem to find a good word for what I am feeling) touched (not the right word, but you get the point..hopefully) that there are people like Laurie Halse Anderson who can write with such strong emotion and create this horrifying worlds that are creepy but beautiful all at the same time.

I think Wintergirls is one of her best books yet, even better then Speak (And that's saying a lot cuz I LOVED Speak). Lia was a raw and very creepy narrator who totally craves food but is denying it to her body. (?) I never understood how anorexic people could do that. (Or that maybe I am a growing girl and could never stand to be far away from my food AND I am too lazy to participate in starving myself).

I think this quote is really deep (and part of it is on the front flap)...

"'Dead girl walking,' the boys say in the halls.
'Tell us your secret,' the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the library aide who hides in Fantasy.
I am the circus freak encased in beeswax.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
When I get close, they step back. The cameras in their eyeholes record the
zit on my chin, the rain in my eyes, the blue water on my skin. They pick up
every sound on their collar microphones. They want to pull me inside of
them, but they're afraid.
I am contagious."

Also, (I'm sorry I quoting this but I totally can't remember who said it) this book did scare the crap out of me..literally. (well not literally but you get the idea). It's one thing when the writer writes "I cut myself, then I fell and saw the celling, my bright blue celling." (Or something like tat), it's an entierally diff thing when they go into GREAT detail about the feeling of the cut, the way the blood rolled down, etc. etc. like Laurie does.

Now for the things I hate to talk about, the cons. I really loved Elijah but then he totally turned around and stabbed Lia in the back (maybe he was doing it for her own good, I don't know). Also, Lia just bothered me a lot, obviously, she is hungry and craves food, yet her whole family and her loved ones are there saying "No! EAT NOW!" I just don't understand that....

Favorite character: Emma-Lia's younger step sister, who is a little over weight, but I love her for her naiiveness and just how much she loves Lia it is amazingly sweet and she is Lia's strength.

All in all, if you are a Laurie Halse Anderson fan you will not be disapointed. Also, if you crave deep books and not fluffy-lovey dovey books then Wintergirls is PEFECT for YOU!

Grade: A

Wdebo :)