If you're looking for a book to depress and/or scare the hell out of the bulimic in your life, this is it. The sufferer in this book was somewhat of an amateur by my standards and yet she's dead. I'm pretty sure this is the only book that has ever made me cry. The poetry in this book is intensely powerful and oftentimes was too difficult for me to read and had to be skipped over. The fact that the author's daughter's journal entries were all dated made this book resonate even more with me (... (show more)

If you're looking for a book to depress and/or scare the hell out of the bulimic in your life, this is it. The sufferer in this book was somewhat of an amateur by my standards and yet she's dead. I'm pretty sure this is the only book that has ever made me cry. The poetry in this book is intensely powerful and oftentimes was too difficult for me to read and had to be skipped over. The fact that the author's daughter's journal entries were all dated made this book resonate even more with me (she died 2 1/2 years after I first developed this disorder) as it made everything seem more real.

I would not recommend this book to someone who is in an especially vulnerable psychological state because it really is a troubling book for someone suffering from this illness to read. That said, I think it is still one that everyone should pick up sooner or later. (show less)

After hearing so many things about this book, I had to read it (especially since my mother has been determined to spoil it for me). Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I'm still glad that I finally had the chance to sit down and read it.

At points I feel that the story drags on and gives some minute details that are unnecessary. Overall however, I think that the author does a beautiful job with imagery and with establishing an emotional connection between the reader and the characte... (show more)

After hearing so many things about this book, I had to read it (especially since my mother has been determined to spoil it for me). Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I'm still glad that I finally had the chance to sit down and read it.

At points I feel that the story drags on and gives some minute details that are unnecessary. Overall however, I think that the author does a beautiful job with imagery and with establishing an emotional connection between the reader and the characters. This story is powerful, well written and thought provoking which can be so difficult to find in a novel these days. I really do wonder if this is loosely based upon a true story because I know that it was common to institutionalize children like Phoebe back in those days. This story was very sad (tragic even) but all in all, beautiful and nearly impossible to put down. (show less)