"Sethie" (Sarah Beth) decides that being thin is more important than attending yearbook meetings at school. Her best friend Janey helps her buy skinny jeans with a waist size one inch larger than Janey's. Sethie sleeps with Shaw, a boy who always makes her feel cold, rather than college kid Ben, whose hand feels warm on her skin.
Sethie drinks copious amounts of water to prevent weight gain. She begins vomiting up her meals, thanks to Janey's coaching. Janey advises her not to vomit "too often." Sethie loves the feel of her hip bones jutting out into the floor, proof that she is thin. It doesn't help that her mother, Rebecca, is thin and petite and seems to eat all that she desires.
Sethie contemplates the number of calories in pretzels, low-fat granola bars, Crispix cereal and apples. At 111 pounds, she hates the feel of fat on her arms. Minuscule deposits of fat on her body cloud her vision. Cocaine, pot and drinking also help to mask her pain. Pain about what? Losing Shaw and not being perfect? She sees fat where it is not.
The Stone Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel, 2012
This book is a stellar example of a fictionalized account of a girl's struggle with anorexia and bulimia because it is so realistic.
- Books on eating disorders
- Books about substance abuse
- National Eating Disorders Association
- Books by Alyssa Sheinmel