Perfect by Natasha Friend(Milkweed, Paperback)
Rating:
Isabelle Lee has a problem. Her little sister has ratted her out and now she has to go to group therapy for her eating disorder. Isabelle thinks that she needs to lose weight and so what if she throws up after she eats? There are bigger problems in her house, such as the death of her father and the fact that her mother cries all the time. Group therapy is going to be torture, until the most popular girl in school joins the group.
We all handle grief differently and Isabelle handles it by becoming bulimic. Throwing up makes her forget the pain of losing her father. Beautifully written and heart wrenching, Perfect tells the story of a girl who desperately needs a role model. Ashleigh, the most popular girl in school, becomes that role model when she joins Isabelle's Eating Disorder and Body Image Therapy Group. But Ashleigh has her own problems and her friendship is more destructive than Isabelle could have predicted. I was rooting for Isabelle from the first chapter and she didn't disappoint. Natasha Friend has created a thoroughly likable and real heroine who shows that sometimes we need to stand up to our friends and to the ones we love.
Note: This is the first book that I've read by Milkweed Editions, an independent non-profit literary publisher. Perfect won their Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature and I'll definitely be checking out their other award winners.
Posts
Anorexia is an issue that many young women face, so it's nice to hear that there's a quality book that addresses this eating disorder in a real and relatable way. I certainly hope Isabelle overcomes it in the end! Thanks for the review - I'll have to check this book out.
ReplyDeleteI liked the review, and I'll keep my eyes open for this one ;)
ReplyDeleteI just saw this book in Borders yesterday. I should have picked it up. Oh well. Great review!
ReplyDeletei dont mean to be like all weird correcting you but it wasnt anorexia it was bulimia.
ReplyDeletebut that was a great review!
i loved that book
sorry i corrected you(:
it was meant with all respect thankyou!
Hello there, just letting you know that I tagged you for the favorite authors meme if you're interested. :)
ReplyDeleteI've nearly always seen this at the book store and passed it up. Now I'll have to add it to my reading list :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for correcting me, anonymous! I just edited the post so that is says bulimia and not anorexia.
ReplyDeleteI so, so want to read this!
ReplyDeleteperfect is the best book
ReplyDeletehey i own this book and it is wonderful i have read it like 5 times and i am a 13 year old girl this really helped me understand what happens and what the consequences are when you are bulimic(i think that's how you spell it)=] it is really hard figuring out the symbols, setting, and plot of this story because it doesn't give much detail of when and where but it does help many girls out i give it an A++
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