Review: Paperweight by Meg Haston

Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.

Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.

Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.

In this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut, Meg Haston delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss, while posing the question: Why are some consumed by their illness while others embark on a path toward recovery?

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Expected publication: July 7th 2015 by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

I remembered that I was drawn to this book by the synopsis but by the time I got around to reading it I couldn't really remember what it was about. This happens to me a lot but I consider it a good thing because sometimes a synopsis can give away too much or be misleading. So I was excited to discover (again) what this book was about.

I am sitting here trying to figure out a way to describe how I felt about this book and I am struggling a little. There are words, I am sure, that I could use but I am at a loss to find them. As much as I would love to find the perfect words the only thing that I can honestly say is that I really liked this book. I liked the plot, I liked the characters and I liked the writing. It's as simple as that.

Stevie's battle with a serious eating disorder is raw, emotional, heartfelt and moving. What I really liked about it was the fact that it wasn't sugar coated, rarely was it pretty and it was effective in showing the internal battle that many people deal with when living with these or similar disorders. The story was not over written which I loved. It didn't get buried in fancy words and writing but was just told in a way that kept it real. This kept the pages turning for me and I had it finished in no time.

I really think that young people are going to like this book. Even the not so young people will enjoy it. It takes on a very serious topic but still manages to deliver a very interesting and enjoyable story. This may be Haston's first young adult novel but I predict there will be many more to come.

 

About the Author

Meg Haston is the author of the How to Rock series, which began with How to Rock Braces and Glasses and then became a hit TV show on Nickelodeon. Meg’s Masters degree in professional counseling from the University of Georgia definitely comes in handy writing about the trials and triumphs of life as a teenager. Paperweight is her first young adult novel.