Honest Scrap Award!

I would like to thank Bobbie at 'Til We Read Again for giving me this "Honest Scrap" Award.

I humbly accept it.  There are so many noteworthy blogs out there and I am honored that someone would place mine among them!

So, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!

Hump-day Hodge Podge... Review of Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Where to begin?  I read this book in about 4 hours.  I could not put it down.  I could not turn the pages fast enough.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson is a young adult novel dealing with anorexia.  The loss, the hurt, the betrayal, the lies, the anger... it is all felt by the each and every character in this book.

Lia is an eighteen year-old girl struggling with anorexia and all of its pitfalls.  In addition to the disorder, she must also deal with the death of her best friend Cassandra, who also suffered with the disease.  Throughout the book, Lia must learn to confront her fears, her sorrows, and most of all, her ghosts.

This novel is absolutely stunning.  It is beautiful, poetic, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, terrifying, and totally believable.  The author's words just flow like liquid onto the pages.  There is a lyrical quality to the way she writes; it's almost hypnotizing.  There is so much emotion here.  I don't know how else to put my feelings into words.  When I came to the last page and read the last line, I felt relieved.  I felt bereft.  I felt like I needed to be alone with my feelings (good thing it was almost 2 in the morning - I was alone!).

Laurie Halse Anderson has written four other books for young adults.  If they are anything like Wintergirls, I will be a very happy reader indeed.

my gut reaction - I loved everything about Wintergirls.  And I mean everything!

my under-eye bags meter - if I could give more than 5, I would, but we all know that "5" is the industry standard for "it doesn't get any better than this!".  You will read this book in one sitting.  Do not start it at 9 o'clock at night - you will be up way into the wee hours!

Seriously, check it out.  This one is definitely going on my keeper shelf.