Saturday, December 02, 2006

Diary of an Anorexic Girl, by Morgan Menzie

Based on the diaries of the author, this book reproduces the journals of a girl struggling with anorexia. At first, her weight loss gives her greater health, but quickly it plunges her intoweakness and lack of self-confidence. In near textbook fashion, she reveals the symptoms of the disease, obsessing over caloric intake, becoming less sociable, and battling depression , as she falls in further and further.

There's a maddening quality to the character who is so anti-social that it is hard to feel much sympathy for her, but that's also the realistic element to it. The story has a strong Fundamentalist Christian bent to it (and is published by a Christian publisher) , but the story is actually surprisingly ecumenical (there are frequent Bible quotations but they fit the story) and her struggle with faith actually adds a bit to the character. I wouldn't say that this is the best story of its type (Leaving Jetty Road -- which I just reviewed -- probably does a better job) but this is accessible and revealing.

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