I read Stick Figure by Lori Gottlieb. This is one of the most touching books I have ever read. This is the author’s story of when she was eleven. The book gives us great details of what she was thinking and what was going on in her life at the time. It is a great story of fighting the eating disorder, anorexia. It’s a great book to read when you either have had an eating disorder or know someone with an eating disorder. It gives you a great amount of detail and explains to you everything you need to know. While reading you connect with Lori and you feel her pain and frustration. You understand what she is saying.

Lori talks a lot about her family and their relationship together. Her family and her don’t always get along very well. She notices how the women she knows never finish their whole meals. Lori always notices that her mother offers her brother and father more food and always gives the rest of her meal to them too. Lori also sees how the women she knows are always on diets and comparing each other to one another. Lori thought they were crazy. Suddenly things changed. It was like it was overnight where Lori became obsessed with dieting and counting calories. She found out that if she slept in she could skip breakfast. She would also drink more water in between bites when she was eating so it would help her fill up faster. Sadly it got to a point where she had to go to the hospital to get looked after 24 hours. Eventually she does realize how bad it got and doesn’t even believe that, that is what she looks like.

Reading Stick Figure gave me a better look at anorexia. You always hear those stories of someone you know being anorexic but you don’t really understand and don’t believe it. I used to always wonder how someone could be anorexic until I actually had an eating disorder myself. It’s a scary thing, but to overcome it like Lori did is truly amazing. She gave very good detail of her story, which helps get people into the book. She made it very easy to connect with her and understand her story. This book gives you great insight on what a person with anorexia thinks. ( )

In the early chapters the main characters laments that her mother and other women are too obsessed about their weight. She makes several observations about how the constant focus on body image is unhealthy. And them almost overnight she starts believing that stuff herself and becomes anorexic. That transition happened almost instantaneously and didn't make any sense to me. Then again, teenage diaries don't always make sense. ( )

Great writer. True story. Hilarious book but sad to think that an 11 year old girl can become anorexic. ( )

This is an interesting memoir, however, the ending annoyed me. I hope people don't get the idea that recovery is in any way "easy" after reading this book. It is often a long and painful journey. ( )

The author's diaries from when she was 11 yrs old as she slips into anorexia. Kind of tough to read -- why do we program our women to be so body-conscious? ( )