Starvation by Molly Fennig

Starvation is a YA realistic fiction book that was sent to me by the author. Told in alternating chapters between the past and the present, Starvation illustrates the progression of 16-year-old Wes McCoy's anorexia and the path to getting better. When Wes learns that his girlfriend, Caila, is starving herself, Wes does everything he can to help her and understand why she is hurting herself. After his brother dies in a car accident, Wes ends up turning to her habits to gain control, and becomes trapped in a downward spiral.

I screamed at my computer screen "No! That's it???" There has to be more. I want more! Do they both get better? Do they get married? Get to go to college? However, I suppose the emphasis on uncertainty matches with the unpredictability of eating disorders and other mental illness. Relapse is extremely common in anorexia patients.

Starvation portrays the most accurate and realistic view of the development of eating disorders that I have ever read, and I definitely learned more about the motivations behind anorexia. The counter-argument against why a person cannot just put food in their mouth and swallow was powerful and the utter fear was astonishing and eye-opening.

I love that Starvation is told from a male perspective, as there is an issue of eating disorders being viewed as victims to mostly girls, as well as other mental illnesses. Its incorporation of suicide was also very accurate and did tackle frequent misunderstandings of why someone would end their life, as well as teach some of the warning signs of suicide and other mental conditions. 

I highly recommend this book!

If you are interested in this book, I recommend that you also read What I Lost.

Title: Starvation
Author: Molly Fennig
Publisher: Immortal Works
Pages:
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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