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ashurq's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, I didn't expect this book to be written in verse, but it was. I never really know what to expect from books written in verse. I almost...don't get them? I mean, they're nice and all, but I just don't always understand why the author chose that format instead of standard prose. Anyway. That's just a me thing and does not reflect on this book in any way. This book is about a girl with an eating disorder but she really doesn't acknowledge that to herself until the end. The thing I found really interesting about this book is that we never find out how much she weighs. I mean, we might know at the beginning, but we're stuck in the main character's head. So as the story progresses she's obviously losing weight, but we have no idea how much it's been or if the people around her should start getting worried. Honestly, this book really made me think about some things internally. I had never really thought that I would at all be susceptible to an eating disorder since I love eating food and I hate throwing up (not that those are the only types of eating disorders, but those are the ones I'm addressing right now). Recently, however, I've been trying to lose the ten pounds that I've gained since getting married and to do that I've started keeping closer tabs on the amount of calories that I consume. I'm not overweight by any means, but after reading this book I can see what a slippery slope any kind of weight loss is. While I'm still not concerned that I might be developing an eating disorder, for the first time I really felt that I could (at least partially) understand why somebody would.
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
annadunlaveyy's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
actuallyahorsereads's review against another edition
4.0
So this book was incredibly difficult for me to read for a variety of reasons, mainly because it hit far too close to home for me. Between the horses, the boy, the jealousy, and the eating disorder, I low key felt as though I were reading a book about me from a few years ago. That said, it was an excellent book. The author was completely flawless in her descriptions of the character’s motivations and the plot itself was wonderfully handled. While it wasn’t entirely what I was expecting—I was wanting far more horses, but that’s just because I always want more horses on literature—it was definitely a solid book.
A lot of people have taken issue with the formatting of this book. While I can see why so many people don’t like the broken line format, I think it works here. It followed the way someone thinks versus more of an outsider’s perspective and I feel like it brought me closer to the character. There were times it did get frustrating, but overall, I liked it and thought it was a unique storytelling device.
A lot of people have taken issue with the formatting of this book. While I can see why so many people don’t like the broken line format, I think it works here. It followed the way someone thinks versus more of an outsider’s perspective and I feel like it brought me closer to the character. There were times it did get frustrating, but overall, I liked it and thought it was a unique storytelling device.
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
4.0
Very well-written book about Rae, a teen-ager really involved in rodeo. As she feels pressure to succeed there and in other areas, especially when a new girl in town seems to be attracting attention from Rae's boyfriend Cody, she focuses on getting "Lighter Leaner Minus Five". As she avoids eating, her best friend, Asia, also starts spending more time with Kierra, that new girl. Written in verse, the novel addresses family and friend relationships as well as teacher-student. The author has personal experience with an eating disorder, so the details, while hard to read, are realistic. Recommended, but note several uses of "fuck".
paragraphsandpages's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 31%
I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
I'm gonna be honest, from the first few chapters I knew this book wasn't for me. I wanted to see it through, I really did, but I just found myself reading less, and skimming more. I've read books in prose before, and often love the format, but felt it just didn't fit this book. Additionally, we never get a proper introduction to the characters, names just start being thrown. And at 5%, an important event happened that I felt lost all weight on me because I didn't feel attached to any characters yet. The way things were described and the flow of the entire book just wasn't for me at all either. It also didn't help that the way Rae was shown and written made her feel unlikable, and we only got to see her pushing herself away from everyone, and then getting mad when they were worried/hanging out with other people instead. In the beginning of the novel, it should've been super important to build up a bond between reader and narrator, but instead we got thrown into the chaos with no way of knowing how things used to be.
I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
I'm gonna be honest, from the first few chapters I knew this book wasn't for me. I wanted to see it through, I really did, but I just found myself reading less, and skimming more. I've read books in prose before, and often love the format, but felt it just didn't fit this book. Additionally, we never get a proper introduction to the characters, names just start being thrown. And at 5%, an important event happened that I felt lost all weight on me because I didn't feel attached to any characters yet. The way things were described and the flow of the entire book just wasn't for me at all either. It also didn't help that the way Rae was shown and written made her feel unlikable, and we only got to see her pushing herself away from everyone, and then getting mad when they were worried/hanging out with other people instead. In the beginning of the novel, it should've been super important to build up a bond between reader and narrator, but instead we got thrown into the chaos with no way of knowing how things used to be.
lyall_reads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that also touched me emotionally. It hit very personally in some aspects of the story; it strayed far away from my own story. I appreciated it a lot. It made me think in good ways. The style could get tiresome, but a few choices- especially the repetition, the fragmentation of thought- captured this mental illness so well. However, it wrapped up too quickly. It was too much of the stumble, not enough of the aftermath. For something that is so hard to come back from, the book focused too little on recovery, almost undermining it. The ending itself was good and accurate and raw, but the last quarter of the book didn't do it for me like the rest did.
I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that also touched me emotionally. It hit very personally in some aspects of the story; it strayed far away from my own story. I appreciated it a lot. It made me think in good ways. The style could get tiresome, but a few choices- especially the repetition, the fragmentation of thought- captured this mental illness so well. However, it wrapped up too quickly. It was too much of the stumble, not enough of the aftermath. For something that is so hard to come back from, the book focused too little on recovery, almost undermining it. The ending itself was good and accurate and raw, but the last quarter of the book didn't do it for me like the rest did.
carolinenero27's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure what to say about this book. The plot was good, but it would’ve been so much better if it wasn’t written in verse.
stuffsamdoes_'s review against another edition
No rating - DNF @ 19%. The writing was terrible, so difficult to follow along. TW: This book talks about eating disorders.
overstuffedbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0