The book RED: the next generation of American writers--teenage girls-on what fires up by: Amy Goldwasser was my second favorite book. I enjoyed how it was stories from teenagers and not just an adult writing about teenagers. My favorite teenage story was The Beautiful Cause of Death That Had Me Dying for a While. It can relate to my life because my best friend died my senior year of an eating disorder. She was both bulimic and anorexic. She was not that thin but went to Oregon for rehab for six months. She suffered since fourth grade when her classmates called her fat. It took her life in 2008! Girls see in magazines these beautiful thin girls and don't realize that they are airbrushed and fake. Even though I know for a fact that these women are fake I still obsessed over my weight and look. I just work out constantly now. I can relate to the girl in the story because I never eat in front of people. Especially the opposite sex. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I should not eat in front of people. Once I get to know somebody I will become more comfortable and be able to. What struck me most about Red was that I'd be reading touching stories that made me smile one minute and be in tears the next. The essays were interesting, but too short and too far-ranging in their topics to have a significant impact on me. It made me remember my teenage years, not so long ago, and surprised me by how similar life is and how different it is for teenage girls these days.
Jody: I really enjoyed reading your comments about "Red." I really feel for you over the loss of your friend who suffered with anorexia and bulimia. A long time ago when I was in high school I had a best friend who struggled too. At that time we didn't know as much about eating disorders, and even less about how to treat them. I watched my friend suffer for years, and didn't know the first thing about how to help her. She was tiny to begin with and I watched her literally shrink before my eyes. It was so painful to watch, for her parents too. Eventually she lost most of her hair from malnutrition, but thankfully got into treatment before she ended up like your friend. I liked the essays too. Like you said, many were difficult to read, but many were relatable. I hope that your not eating in front of people is just because you're shy, I'd hate it if you did it for any other reason. Susan
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