Before WINTERGIRLS came out, I was dying to read this book. I even won an advance review copy in an online contest, but after waiting a month for it to arrive, I learned it was lost in the mail. After a long groan, I succumbed to the urge to buy my own hardcover copy when it came out in stores. Note that I very rarely shell out money for new books when I could just as easily put the book on hold at my library and wait for a while. But for WINTERGIRLS, I couldn’t wait.
Why? First of all, I’d read some of Anderson’s previous books, and I greatly admire her eloquently raw, realistic writing. Also, the premise behind WINTERGIRLS intrigued me, as my college studies at the time led me to examine body image and eating disorders in girls and women. I hoped WINTERGIRLS would help me understand the mindset of those people I had glimpsed on pro-anorexia and “thinspiration” websites.
After having read the book, I think it did. Anderson unflinchingly plunges readers into the mind of Lia, forcing us to vicariously count calories with her, punish our bodies for eating too much, cut ourselves to feel control. I won’t lie and say it wasn’t disturbing, almost scary. Every time I picked WINTERGIRLS up, I read through as much as I could before I had to put it aside, and when I did, I kept thinking of Lia and hoping she would see what she was doing to herself.
I wouldn’t say Lia is a likable character, but I definitely don’t think that’s necessary for the creation of an intriguing protagonist deserving empathy. Anderson did a masterful job of making me feel angry, sad, and hopeful for Lia. Particularly through Lia’s relationship with her little step-sister Emma, one of the people Lia can still show love for. Most of all, Anderson made me feel like I understood Lia.
I can’t say more about WINTERGIRLS without giving too much away, but I can urge you to read the book yourself. Anderson is a powerful voice in today’s young adult literature, and this novel will, at the very least, keep you thinking long after you read the last page.
