Believarexic

Gr 8–10—Jennifer's eating disorder is so severe that her entire existence is limited to restricting, bingeing, purging, and sometimes getting drunk. She confides in her mother that she needs to be hospitalized. The first chapters in this emotional book use a lighter, softer typeface, and the protagonist's desperation is described through sparse third-person verse. As Jennifer makes progress, the print becomes more substantial and the tense eventually changes to first person. The novel transitions to standard prose as Jennifer's voice gets stronger and she works to reach a healthy weight and to address her personal and family issues. The unique format and detailed portrayal of a teen girl's recovery in an in-patient hospital setting help readers feel as if they are on this journey with her. However, the amount of problems tackled in this book is overly ambitious. While in treatment, Jennifer confronts her eating disorder, alcoholism, and family issues. In a one liner buried amongst other musings, Jennifer questions her own sexuality—but this is never revisited or fleshed out. The complexity of her friends and fellow patients and the machinations of one of her nurses do not contribute to the main theme of recovery and, at times, detract from the overall story line. This work is set in the 1980s, but other than some cultural references and a now-revised diagnostic schema for eating disorders, it could have taken place anytime. Johnson carefully avoids potential triggers for readers suffering from disordered eating and body image by focusing firmly on recovery.