Favorite Friday

This is going to be another one of those fun little things like my Top Three Tuesdays that I do. For Favorite Fridays, I will going to talk about one of my favorite things about books, or even related to books. For example, I could talk about my favorite cover, plot, title, relationships, characters, series, movie adaptation, fan fiction, fan art, et cetera. Pretty much anything to do with a book. I'll post one every Friday! 

Today's favorite: writing style from Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls

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.

This book is sometimes a really hard read, which doesn't surprise me. It's triggering, honestly. But it definitely has something about this book that makes me always want to reread it, and it's because of the writing style. 

The main character Lia struggles with anorexia, and you can see how bad she is actually struggling with it because of how Halse Anderson writes in it. Here's an excerpt:

***

"'Why don't you have one of the muffins? I bought oranges yesterday, or you could have toast or frozen waffles.'

Because I can't let myself want them because I don't need a muffin (410), I don't want an orange (75) or toast (87), and waffles (180) make me gag."

***

I think the way that she strikes through just adds a lot to the story. It's Lia's real thoughts, but she can't be thinking those thoughts as long as she doesn't want to go back to hell on the hill New Seasons, the mental institution she has stayed at twice. She'll add the calorie intake in the parentheses, and the'll right align some text when it talks about how Cassie was found dead, and it'll repeat the news report. When she cuts herself, the text is centered and she calls herself names like stupid, ugly, fat, et cetera. Everything is just so well written, original, and just great, honestly. It brings you through Lia's mind perfectly. It is seriously the best, most well written book I've ever read, which is why it gets the first spot of my Favorite Friday.

Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published: March 19, 2009 by Viking
Pages: 278
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Carey


"Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls. “Tell us your secrets,” 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 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 keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way – thin, thinner, thinnest – maybe she’ll disappear altogether.
In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the National Book Award finalist Speak, bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores one girl’s chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia." 

***

As you will [soon] learn, Laurie Halse Anderson is one of my top five favorite authors. I've read everything of her YA books, from Speak to Wintergirls over the past few years. And I really can't tell you how much I honestly love every little thing about this book! 

My top favorite thing about this book is the way that it's written. It's in first person, meaning that you get to read the main character's mind. Lia, the main character, is struggling with anorexia. I really like how Halse Anderson will cross out stuff that Lia is thinking. It's like Lia wants to get better, or at least knows in the back of her mind that she needs to get better. But she can't because she wants to be like Cassie, her best friend.

I have a friend who is anorexic. Sometimes she'll let me into her mind and tell me what it's like. How she'll constantly want to work out, or how she's always counting calories. Hiding the fact that she's really losing weight. How she truly thinks. The way that Halse Anderson described how Lia was feeling was spot on. My friend, who has read Wintergirls, said the same thing.

There is only one thing I dislike about it: the fact that it could be triggering. (It doesn't just deal with anorexia.) And I'm not going to lie; it was almost triggering towards me. The main thing is, is that you should just be careful when you read Wintergirls, because you better read it.

Overall, Wintergirls perfectly and realistically brings you through a teenage girl's horrifying secret as it takes over her once and for all. Wintergirls is [definitely] my favorite YA novel written by Halse Anderson. Five stars.