It was Me All Along

It was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell    240pages

For my 2018 New Year’s resolution, I made an easy one; one that I know I could accomplish. Once a month, I would grab a book that’s been lingering on my shelf for ages, sometimes years.

My pick for January was this memoir, and now that I’ve read it, I could kick myself for not having read it sooner.

I can’t remember how old Andie was when a doctor told her that if she didn’t change her eating habits, that she would weigh 300 pounds by the time she was 20 years old. The doc wasn’t far off; she topped the scale at 268 pounds.

Suffering a lonely and miserable childhood, Andie found comfort in food. The anecdotes of her binge-eating were heartbreaking. When she went to college, she found some acceptance, but college life only added more pounds.  Her agonizing tales of exercise and diet were equally as heartbreaking.

The focus of how Andie managed to lose 135 pounds is captivating. Readers watch her learn to eats healthier, yet still have most of the foods she craved. The key is movement and moderation.

I was completely fascinated by Andie’s story. .It was Me All Along receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Lighter Than My Shadow

Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green, 508 pages

“A graphic memoir of eating disorders, abuse and recovery. Like most kids, Katie was a picky eater. She'd sit at the table in silent protest, hide uneaten toast in her bedroom, listen to parental threats that she'd have to eat it for breakfast. But in any life a set of circumstance can collide, and normal behavior might soon shade into something sinister, something deadly. One day you can find yourself being told you have two weeks to live. Lighter Than My Shadow is a hand-drawn story of struggle and recovery, a trip into the black heart of a taboo illness, an exposure of those who are so weak as to prey on the weak, and an inspiration to anybody who believes in the human power to endure towards happiness.” I guess I need to stop saying I don’t really like graphic novels.  I do like certain graphic novels, although I don’t think they will ever be my first choice format.  I like them when the story is good, just like any other book.  This is a great pick for teens, especially those who like realistic stories.

Sad Perfect

Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot, 320 pages

Pea’s life is pretty hard.  She has an eating disorder and has been so depressed she needs medication.  Her brother ignores her, her father only cares about sports, and her mom is so emotional about everything that it drives Pea crazy.  When Pea meets Ben, she finally thinks that her life is falling into place.  Then her mom decides to send her to therapy for her eating disorder.  Pea is relieved but scared.  Therapy is hard and she doesn’t feel like she can ever really get better.  She wants to get better, both for herself, and because she doesn’t want to screw up her relationship with Ben.  I liked the story.  It was pretty compelling.  The characters felt a little flat to me though and although the story itself was good enough that I wanted to finish, it felt predictable.  Maybe because it was first person from the point of view of a 16 year old, but it all seemed very shallow.  There just wasn’t a lot of depth to the story and I think there should have been.  I might give it to girls who are reluctant readers but are looking for realistic, hopeful fiction.