Wintergirls

Lia Overbrook is an 18-year-old high school senior. Lia is an avid reader but receives average grades and doesn’t take an interest in extracurriculars. Lia suffers from anorexia where she limits her eating and over-exercising in secret at night. Lia’s eating disorder began in her preteens, and she has been hospitalized twice, spending time as an inpatient at a recovery clinic called New Seasons. Lia now lives with her father, stepmother, and stepsister.

At the beginning of the novel, Lia learns that her former best friend, Cassie, died over the weekend, alone in a motel room, after drinking alcohol, binge eating and purging. Over the course of the novel, Lia struggles to cope with her friend’s death, while her eating disorder simultaneously worsens. Lia also self-harms, has negative self-thoughts, and other mental health issues. These behaviors culminate in a suicide attempt. After her attempted suicide, Lia admits to her therapist, Dr. Parker, that she sees Cassie appearing to her even though Cassie is dead. By the end of the novel, Lia is re-admitted to New Seasons, but this time, she takes steps toward recovery. Dr. Parker observes, “‘Who cares if we call it a depression or a haunting? […] You haven’t cut yourself since you got here.