Wintergirls

Wintergirls
Laurie Halse Anderson
278 pages
Publisher: Viking
Source: purchased
★★★★★

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

Read this book.  Let me tell you why.

Lia and Cassie were best friends growing up until they were seniors in high school.  They had a falling out and a few months later Cassie is found alone, dead in a hotel room.  Lia is haunted by this as she continues to fight with her own demons- her family, her school life, and her anorexia, which is getting worse.

That description doesn't even begging to do this book justice.  You must read this book!

The first thing that struck me was the plot.  It was obvious from page one that this was going to be a powerfully emotional novel and it was.  It sucked me in so much, my heart was hurting for Lia.  I wanted to pull her from the pages and just give her a hug, but the only thing I could do for her was just keep reading.  The more into the book I got, the more I was sucked in, the more I wanted to help somehow.  Lia didn't deserve the torment she put herself through.

The second thing that struck me, almost as quickly as the plot, was the writing.  Anderson's writing is gorgeous - it creates such imagery that you can't help but fall in love with the book, no matter how heartbreaking it gets.  The images Anderson shows the reader are just awe-inspiring.  I don't know how anyone could read this book and not feel some sort of connection to it.

Five plus stars.  This book is beautiful, deep, and haunting.  I really don't know what else to say.  I know book blogs often focus on the latest release and Wintergirls was published in 2009, but it's such an important, timeless book.  I'm practically begging you to read this, can't you do me a solid and get yourself a copy?