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horfhorfhorf's review
4.0
Really glad I read this book after seeing the documentary. Really fleshes out the stories of the women/girls in the film.
bookishblond's review
4.0
The most triggering book I have ever read. I was up intil 4 in the morning last night reading and re-reading this book, flipping through the pages looking at the pictures, and planning how I was going to be just like these girls. Sick, isn't it?
I was frightened a bit by some of the older women. They seemed so pathetic. That could be my future, I guess, but I was less afraid of such a grim future than I was inspired by these beautiful, thin girls.
I really want to see the film now. If the book was so triggering, I can hardly imagine what the film must be like. I'm going to order it on amazon today.
I was frightened a bit by some of the older women. They seemed so pathetic. That could be my future, I guess, but I was less afraid of such a grim future than I was inspired by these beautiful, thin girls.
I really want to see the film now. If the book was so triggering, I can hardly imagine what the film must be like. I'm going to order it on amazon today.
ewg109's review
4.0
I kept meaning to look at this book, but lets face it, eating disorders aren't exactly the kind fo think you want to read about just for kicks.
But wow. This is really well done. Its personal without seeming exploitive and scaring without losing hope.
I was shocked at how many of the girl's relapsed testifying to strangle hold of the disease.
But wow. This is really well done. Its personal without seeming exploitive and scaring without losing hope.
I was shocked at how many of the girl's relapsed testifying to strangle hold of the disease.
annebennett1957's review
3.0
(Catching up on old reviews from pre-blogging and pre-Goodreads days. Written on 7/23/21 but the book was read years ago.)
A companion book to the HBO series on anorexia and bulimia. I didn't find it especially enlightening though I did gain a new appreciation for what girls go through to be thin.
A companion book to the HBO series on anorexia and bulimia. I didn't find it especially enlightening though I did gain a new appreciation for what girls go through to be thin.
andreiaoh's review
emotional
sad
I don't feel right rating this, so I won't m, but I did really like this book. So many of the testimonies included hit deep, with really profound things to say coming from the older women in particular.
The construction of the book itself was very deliberate, with stories from the young teens being juxtaposed against the lives of the much much older women, at times old enough to be their grandmothers.
The way this book ended for me also hit very deep. It felt incredibly realistic to the nature of this disorder and how complicated it truly is.
The construction of the book itself was very deliberate, with stories from the young teens being juxtaposed against the lives of the much much older women, at times old enough to be their grandmothers.
The way this book ended for me also hit very deep. It felt incredibly realistic to the nature of this disorder and how complicated it truly is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
majkf's review
A beautiful and startling look into the lives of patients at an eating disorder rehabilitation center. The firsthand accounts from all the women were fascinating, especially the stories of the older patients. Greenfield's photographs mesh beautifully with patients' own journal entries and interviews.
michelefortie's review
4.0
Really powerful and devastating book that explores Eating Disorders and the girls suffering from them. It follows four main girls, but also tells the stories of many, many other women being treated at Renfrew, an inpatient treatment centre for people with eating disorders. It's a tough book that doesn't gloss over any of the horrors of suffering from an eating disorder, but it has heart and really explains the mindset of someone suffering from an ED. The photographs were amazing and the personal stories powerful. I think the thing I found most upsetting was that so many of the women were forced to leave treatment before they were ready because insurance wouldn't cover their expenses, and the cost for treatment was around $1,200 a day (according the book). It breaks my heart, knowing that these women want and need the help but cannot get it because they can't afford it. It's tragic.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review
dark
slow-paced
2.0
This book is a photojournalism account of people who are receiving treatment for eating disorders. This book can be very triggering/graphic for people who are dealing with this issue. I would strongly suggest considering that before picking up this book (or watching the documentary on HBO). People find themselves struggling with eating disorders for a variety of reasons, and it is all tragic. This is about more than eating healthy foods. It is about healthy eating habits and a healthy relationship with food. I think the photographs in this book are very stark and haunting, but the message is important. Compassion is something we need more of, and that goes hand in hand with understanding, which we also need more of.
I have a serious issue with places like this, no matter if they are treatment facilities for addiction/mental illness or one of those facilities for problematic kids. They advertise these amazing state of the art facilities, with all of these amenities like they are five star hotel resorts in the Bahamas. It's a lie, unless it is a celebrity treatment center. There are more and more stories coming out about people who went to places like this and what they went through there, and I cannot imagine that a lot of this "treatment" is actually beneficial. The fact that it costs so much is a whole other issue. These places put me in mind of privately owned for profit prisons- the services are needed, but who is lining pockets with the costs?
At any rate, I think that the book is an important contribution to the understanding of eating disorders and the human body. Listening to the reasons and events that caused people to begin using unhealthy habits and coping tools can help them and others in the future. When we take time to learn about things we do not know about, it makes us better equipped to handle situations that we may confront in the future. For that reason alone, I appreciated this book.
I have a serious issue with places like this, no matter if they are treatment facilities for addiction/mental illness or one of those facilities for problematic kids. They advertise these amazing state of the art facilities, with all of these amenities like they are five star hotel resorts in the Bahamas. It's a lie, unless it is a celebrity treatment center. There are more and more stories coming out about people who went to places like this and what they went through there, and I cannot imagine that a lot of this "treatment" is actually beneficial. The fact that it costs so much is a whole other issue. These places put me in mind of privately owned for profit prisons- the services are needed, but who is lining pockets with the costs?
At any rate, I think that the book is an important contribution to the understanding of eating disorders and the human body. Listening to the reasons and events that caused people to begin using unhealthy habits and coping tools can help them and others in the future. When we take time to learn about things we do not know about, it makes us better equipped to handle situations that we may confront in the future. For that reason alone, I appreciated this book.
books_plan_create's review
4.0
Heartbreaking. Seeing before and after of these women, some of whom still think negatively about themselves is truly heartbreaking and frustrating.