Purge

By: Sarah Darer Littman

Summary:

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

(from Barnes&Noble)

Review:
Character Development: 6/10
Originality: 8/10
Overall Enjoyment: 7/10
Ending: 5/10
Voice: 8/10
Recommendation: 8/10
Total Score: 42
Grade: B

Rating:
Cussing: 6/10
Drugs, Alcohol, Etc.: 3/10
Sexual Content: 4/10
Aimed at: 13 and up

Other:
# of pages: 228pg.
Written in: first person narrative, teen girl
Released on: April 1, 2009
Tone: emotional, serious, and informative

Pros: Good voice and very informative

Cons: More informative then intriguing

Written Review:

I overall liked this book. The characters were developed well but for some reason I never really connected with anyone but Janie. I totally went into this book expecting a heart wrenching novel about the struggles a person with bulimia has. I did see the struggles but I was never really caught up in this book and sympathizing with all of these characters because this book seemed more informative them personal at some times. The voice in this book was written very eloquently. The ending bugged me a little because everything seemed to end too perfectly with no consequences after Janie left the treatment center. I liked how each chapter began with a journal entry. It was a nice way to see inside Janie’s recovery. The novel was paced perfectly in my opinion. Her recovery was filled with baby steps forward and a few steps back but once she came to terms with the “Wedding Incident”(which I felt the author dragged out a little too long) and opened herself up to the idea of recovery the path was much easier. I liked how you not only saw Janie struggle with her problem but you saw the people with anorexia struggle to face their problems as well. You also got to see the family relationships and other stressful problems the patients faced that you could infer brought on their eating disorders. It was a very serious and real topic that few authors can handle as gracefully as Sarah Darer Littman did. Overall this book is serious, informing, and emotional with just the right amount of humor. I pray for anyone who struggles daily with an eating disorder as I now have a much stronger view of the pains they face. Thank you.

-Jill