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rashmi's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
liralen's review
3.0
Not bad, although I think the book takes a rather simplistic view of the characters' problems. I wish the author had delved deeper - not that I want the characters to suffer more, per se, but I felt that she didn't do more than scratch the surface.
melbsreads's review
2.0
Trigger warnings: eating disorder, mental health, anxiety, slut shaming.
This was highly recommended by an English teacher at work last year (who has since left the school, I should add) to the point where she put it on a recommended reading list for her students. And so we ordered a copy of it and I figured I should read it and wow I wish I hadn't because this was a mess.
Nat and Sofia's stories were, like, fine, I guess? Lise's story was...yeah. No. A mess. Let's start with the fact that at the beginning of the story she's referred to as "curvy", "big-hipped" and "chunky". We're also told that she's an Australian size 12. Oh and also she weighs FIFTY FIVE KILOS???? (121lbs) Her anorexia starts, as was the case with my cousin as a teenager, with vegetarianism and then veganism. She starts running every morning. People compliment her on how good she looks now that she's not a chunky 55kg. She's thrilled when she gets to 45kg (100lbs) because she finally weighs less than Sofia, who's super hot and all the boys love her. And yet NO ONE - including her doctor father - has been like "Uhhhhhhhh girl".
By the time my cousin reached 45kg, she had been hospitalised MULTIPLE times. And she definitely wasn't "chunky" when she started out. She was cox of her school rowing team. So it just felt like everyone in Lise's life just kind of didn't give a shit about her. And then in the end, her recovery is all very simple and easy and I call bullshit.
Look, I liked that this was set in Adelaide because there are very few books set in South Australia. But this honestly felt like it was trying to be Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life and instead it was just aggressively not good.
This was highly recommended by an English teacher at work last year (who has since left the school, I should add) to the point where she put it on a recommended reading list for her students. And so we ordered a copy of it and I figured I should read it and wow I wish I hadn't because this was a mess.
Nat and Sofia's stories were, like, fine, I guess? Lise's story was...yeah. No. A mess. Let's start with the fact that at the beginning of the story she's referred to as "curvy", "big-hipped" and "chunky". We're also told that she's an Australian size 12. Oh and also she weighs FIFTY FIVE KILOS???? (121lbs) Her anorexia starts, as was the case with my cousin as a teenager, with vegetarianism and then veganism. She starts running every morning. People compliment her on how good she looks now that she's not a chunky 55kg. She's thrilled when she gets to 45kg (100lbs) because she finally weighs less than Sofia, who's super hot and all the boys love her. And yet NO ONE - including her doctor father - has been like "Uhhhhhhhh girl".
By the time my cousin reached 45kg, she had been hospitalised MULTIPLE times. And she definitely wasn't "chunky" when she started out. She was cox of her school rowing team. So it just felt like everyone in Lise's life just kind of didn't give a shit about her. And then in the end, her recovery is all very simple and easy and I call bullshit.
Look, I liked that this was set in Adelaide because there are very few books set in South Australia. But this honestly felt like it was trying to be Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life and instead it was just aggressively not good.
thisgrrlreads's review
3.0
Lise, Nat and Sofia are three girls in high school in Australia who make a New Year's resolution to become vegetarian. Lise takes it too far and becomes anorexic. The other girls go about their somewhat normal lives. It's told from Nat and Lise's perspectives in alternating sections. The book works because you see Lise both from Nat's perspective but you get the added benefit of being inside her head once in awhile. Though I didn't love the book, it's still a good portrayal of a frighteningly common disease.
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