(Image from Barnes & Noble)

In an ongoing effort to slim down, 16-year-old Elizabeth Barnes has finally starved herself into a size 0.  Weighing only 90 pounds, she's elated with her "progress."  The side effects she's experiencing, though, are a tad concerning.  It's possible she's gone too far—it's possible she might now be "a little bit" anorexic.  Alarmed, Elizabeth's parents enroll her in a treatment program at Wallingfield, an in-patient clinic for young women with eating disorders.  Elizabeth, a studious good girl, plans to be a model patient, following the rules until she can get back home and continue her extreme weight loss regimen without nosy nurses looking over her shoulder.

As Elizabeth settles into life at Wallingfield, she finds surprising commonality with the other patients.  While they swap tips and tricks, offer sabotage and support, the girls become a close-knit family.  Elizabeth can't imagine what she'll do without them, especially when she returns home to her weight-obsessed mother.  In the meantime, she's receiving care packages at the clinic from a mysterious sender.  Could her ex-boyfriend be trying to mend their relationship?  Or is some prankster toying with her when she's at her most vulnerable?  As she attempts to claw her way back to health, Elizabeth will make some surprising discoveries—about her anonymous gift-giver, about her new friends, and about herself.

What I Lost, a debut novel by Alexandra Ballard, is an affecting story about one teen's rocky journey of self-discovery.  As she attempts to achieve wholeness and healing, she really finds herself.  Through Elizabeth, Ballard presents a candid portrait of anorexia, showing how difficult the disease is to control and how thoroughly it warps the minds of its victims.  Naturally, What I Lost does not offer a perfect ending.  It does close on a hopeful note, however, which makes it an uplifting read despite its serious subject matter.  Any teen who struggles with body image/eating disorders should find this novel both intriguing, illuminating, and empathy-inducing.  Issue novels abound in YA lit; while this one isn't all that original or mind-blowing, it's still powerful.  

(Readalikes:  Purge by Sarah Darer Littman; Never Enough by Denise Jaden; and Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs) and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of What I Lost with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.