Jack Plumb and David Kowlesky are an odd couple. They are roommates and opposites, but rather than living in an apartment or dorm together, they share a hospital room. Both boys, sixteen and seventeen respectively, have serious eating disorders and have been checked into an Eating Disorder Unit. Jack is seriously anorexic, weighing only 103 lbs at 5'11". David is a compulsive over-eater with type one diabetes, and returning to the EDU after spending 3 months and losing 100 lbs the previous summer. David has given himself the nickname of Lard, and the first act of male bonding is helping Jack choose his nickname, Bones. Alice, a budding ballerina whose serious anorexia keeps her from dancing, captivates Bones at their first meeting and holds a spell on him as his first love. As other patients and hospital staff are introduced, we learn about the inner workings of an EDU, and the torment caused by eating disorders. While there are gaps in the storyline, the book read well for me because I was curious and concerned about the characters. You will laugh, you will cringe, you will feel the pain of first love, but more importantly you will have a better understanding of the tormented lives these kids live with every. single. day.
Note: This book will not be released until March of 2014. The book is appropriate for high school with strong language, drug use, and mild sex. Middle school readers need parental permission.
Reed Reads Score: 4
1 comment:
This sounds really interesting and I really like the cover.
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