Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
The New York Times bestselling story of a friendship frozen between life and death
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss-her life-and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all: hope.
Synopsis
“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 bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend's restless spirit.
In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.
The Washington Post - Nora Krug
Anderson…isn't a scaremonger or a schoolmarm. "I never set out to send messages," she has said. "I set out to tell a good story." In Wintergirls, she has done just that. Lia's tale is both painful to read and riveting. Unfortunately, many young women will relate to her despair, and if the novel helps them find solace or hope, all the better. Same goes for their parents.
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Cassie and Lia are best friends and have been since elementary school. As they grow up, they both develop serious eating disorders and eventually become competitive over who can get the thinnest. Their diseases spiral out of control, causing their friendship to end badly with Cassie judging Lia harshly. One night, months later, Lia receives thirty-three phone calls from Cassie— but she doesn't answer because of lingering resentment. The next day, Lia learns that Cassie was found dead in a motel room. From there, the story outlines Lia's emotional battle with guilt and how she attempts to deal with it. Anderson's unique use of language gives the reader an insight into Lia's thoughts and feelings; her torment is demonstrated through cross-outs, italics, and blank spaces. The first-person narrative allows the reader to identify personally with Lia, which is appropriate for a young adult audience and helpful in understanding her character. The dangers and severity of eating disorders are portrayed in a dark yet enlightening way. Overall, this book is a moving account of a teenager's life and struggle to find herself after losing a friend. Reviewer: Julia OltmannNora Krug
Anderson…isn't a scaremonger or a schoolmarm. "I never set out to send messages," she has said. "I set out to tell a good story." In Wintergirls, she has done just that. Lia's tale is both painful to read and riveting. Unfortunately, many young women will relate to her despair, and if the novel helps them find solace or hope, all the better. Same goes for their parents.—The Washington Post
Barbara Feinberg
Anderson, the author of Speak and other award-winning novels for teenagers, has written a fearless, riveting account of a young woman in the grip of a deadly illness.—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Acute anorexia, self-mutilation, dysfunctional families and the death of a childhood friend-returning to psychological minefields akin to those explored in Speak, Anderson delivers a harrowing story overlaid with a trace of mysticism. The book begins as Lia learns that her estranged best friend, Cassie, has been found dead in a motel room; Lia tells no one that, after six months of silence, Cassie called her 33 times just two days earlier, and that Lia didn't pick up even once. With Lia as narrator, Anderson shows readers how anorexia comes to dominate the lives of those who suffer from it (here, both Lia and Cassie), even to the point of fueling intense competition between sufferers. The author sets up Lia's history convincingly and with enviable economy-her driven mother is "Mom Dr. Marrigan," while her stepmother's values are summed up with a précis of her stepsister's agenda: "Third grade is not too young for enrichment, you know." This sturdy foundation supports riskier elements: subtle references to the myth of Persephone and a crucial plot line involving Cassie's ghost and its appearances to Lia. As difficult as reading this novel can be, it is more difficult to put down. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.