Friday, February 23, 2007

Anorexia: a stranger in the family by Katie Metcalfe


VOYA 2Q, 2P, J, S
Katie Metcalfe’s 2001 New Year’s resolution was simple: lose weight and exercise more. Unfortunately this straightforward resolution turned into years of anorexia that led to hospitalization. Anorexia nervosa fostered obsessive compulsive disorder, bulimia, and emotional turmoil. Because of her hospitalization, the self-proclaimed Goth couldn’t attend the colleges she wanted because her grades suffered. Her relationships with her family and friends deteriorated. In this autobiography, Metcalfe attempts to explain how she became anorexic and her road to recovery. She stresses the importance of alternative treatments like massages, art therapy, and journal writing.

I couldn’t help but compare this autobiography to Lisa Gottlieb’s Stick Figure: a Diary of My Former Self (2000) and Metcalfe’s autobiography didn’t measure up. While her situation was dramatic, I found many phrases and sections overdramatic and sensationalized. Punctuation is missing. Metcalf is English and relates her weight in stones and kilograms, yet her mother in Part II uses pounds for weight. There are four black and white photographs of the anorexic Metcalfe, but not any that show the healthy author. Part II consists of fifteen pages written by Metcalfe’s family members and Part III gives recommendations for how to get help. The intriguing cover of the book is an anorexic girl’s back and neck. Some students snatch up books about eating disorders, and this one will fulfill their need. I, however, found the book sappy and preachy.

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