Whenever I read an “issue” book, I look for a new angle. That’s really what makes it or breaks it for me, especially in the arena of eating disorders. I think that Laurie Halse Anderson has really sort of created the standard with Wintergirls here, but by no means is it the only book on the topic (nor should it be). So, despite some of the issues I’ll talk about with Liane Shaw’s thinandbeautiful.com, I think that topically, it’s quite important and it will hit home with teen readers.

Maddie, who is 17, is introduced to us through a journal she is being asked to develop while she is in treatment for anorexia (and some bulimic tendencies, too). We’re getting an intimate look at her life history, including the development of her eating disorder. While we get this, we simultaneously get Maddie’s current journal that gives us insight into how she is acclimating to the treatment center, how she copes with new people, and how she is ultimately dealing with the eating disorder.

At first, this style of getting both the past and the present at the same time is a big jarring and disorienting, but by the end of the book, this is actually a pretty unique and useful manner of understanding how Maddie’s mind works. It’s like being both within her mind and one step removed from her mind. That worked quite well.

What makes this particular title a different beast on the issue, though, is that Maddie’s addiction is fueled by her obsession with pro-ana websites. The book feels quite contemporary for this, and I think that it will resonate with many readers who themselves may be users and believers in these sites.

That said, I have to mention that while the book bills itself to be about Maddie’s use of these sites, we do not get a mention of this until nearly page 100. I think this is attributed back to the style Shaw employs in writing the story. Since we are getting a look at Maddie’s past, we must first learn about her life prior to the site obsession and since we are simultaneously getting her current journal, we know she doesn’t have access to those sites. Something had to give, and ultimately, I was a bit disappointed to have to spend nearly 1/3 of the book without getting to the “meat and potatoes.”

But, when I hit that part of the book, the story flew. I found myself actually quite relating to Maddie in terms of meeting like-minded people online. I think Shaw captured this realistically, and I found myself a bit sad at the end when Maddie gets one of the biggest shocks of her life. Again, I think the author hit on some real emotions there and real moments of space and distance mixed with closeness and a much-needed wake up call for Maddie all in those few pages.

I think this book, though the character is 17, will be a better fit for younger teen readers. It is not quite as powerful emotionally or topically as LHA’s Wintergirls, and the voice of Maddie and the people she associated with (because it’d be hard to call many of them friends) feel younger. The topic is heavy, but the language and situations are done cleanly and appropriately. At times, it did feel a bit like an adult trying to write like a teen — particularly in those first 100 pages — but it did smooth out eventually. I found myself a little disappointed in this aspect, but I think ultimately, it’ll find a good readership in the younger crowd that is a little more forgiving. Thinandbeautiful.com is not fast paced, and, again, it is quite slow at the beginning, but when we see Maddie start logging onto the web more and more, it moves much quicker.

Shaw herself struggled with an eating disorder, and the book showcases her knowledge and expertise. I was disappointed there were not resources at the end of the book for those who may need help, though there is a plug for Shaw’s website that DOES offer a number of resources. And hey, it’s pretty nice that the site address is the same as the book. This will work well for memory!

* Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title.