Laurie Halse Anderson has a tendency to write about "issues" that are real, heart-breaking and emotional. She digs underneath the skin. She puts us there and helps us feel the characters pain. Their pain can be related to many teens everywhere.
Winter Girls deals with anorexia and death of best friend and also pulls us into the perspective of divorced parents and over controlling parents.
Lia is a senior and had been in and out of treatment centers for her eating disorder. Her and her best friend, Cassie, made a pack, bet per say that they will be the skinniest girls ever. They were very depressed and living in a state of mind where they weren't dead, but weren't alive either. They were Winter Girls.
Lia lives with her professor father and her evil step-mother, Jennifer and her step-sister. Her mother is a doctor and very overbearing, always asking about her weight and eating habits.
Cassie died one night and tore Lia apart. Lia saw Cassie in her dreams and had 33 messages from her the night she died. Could she have saved her? Should she die to?
Anderson writes to bring her audience in. She wanted us to scream at Lia and cry for Cassie dying alone. She wanted us to feel the pain and struggle of the family memebers close by.She uses many techniques to help writing convey emotions. She had two blank pages and repetitive words and phrases giving the reader a chance to think about the emotional pull and bring the important facts up over and over again.
Later, Lia cuts herself to be with Cassie. She is fortunately saved. Winter Girls can be saved. And if you are a winter girl, you are not alone!
Anderson's novels help teens feel "normal" and help them struggle through the tough times they may face, but are not meant for everyone to read because they coul cause depresion. This book was hard to read because of all the descriptions in cutting and the dier need to be thin and perfect. We all have to sit back and realize what is perfect for one will not always be perfect for everyone!
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