What do you think of middle school? Some people think it’s great. You are popular with great friends, and pretty with tons of admirers who dream of being just like you. Or, you can be like Judi Liebowitz; Fat, unattractive, self-conscious, and unpopular. 8th grade Judi is crumbling down with all the pressures of being a teenager. While being called names because of her weight and has only one friend, Judi also still has to balance her home life with her mother becoming suspicious about her big secret. We are talking so big that she can’t even tell her best friend! Desperate to be skinny with “creamy thighs and amazing cheekbones that look like you’re always sucking through a straw,” she starts to deprive herself by staying away from food and trying everything to lose weight. When her choices for her extreme desire narrow down to the thin line between life and death, will she dare say a word?
I would recommend this book to adolescent girls, for the reason that problems like eating disorders are rising dramatically in the world, and specifically in teenage girls. The author does an excellent job of portraying an 8th grade female student, with practically identical dialogue to typical teenage girls now. The writing doesn’t stay out of reality, and doesn’t include things that don’t happen in real life. Although the book may be a little extensive, there won’t be a point where you will become uninterested. I guarantee, you won’t be able to put this book down, I couldn’t!