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Running Lean (2013)

by Diana L. Sharples(Favorite Author)

3.7 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0310734975 (ISBN13: 9780310734970)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Zondervan Publishing House

review 1: This book was mainly sad. About a girl named Stacey who develops anorexia. Calvin her boyfriend quickly finds out about this and helps her the best he can, but she really has trouble throughout the whole book with all the purging, and mental thoughts going in her head. Calvin really enjoys motorcycles and riding them, he has a major passion..He has struggles himself also. He and his whole family face the difficult death of his brother Michael who died in the military. In the end Stacey finds comfort to get help with her sickness after she has a heart attack and go to rehab, Stacey and Calvin grow in their relationship and Stacey is thankful for her other half. This story was eye opening and inspirational. I give this book a 3/5 stars
review 2: Stacey Varnell ha... mored some very real and very deep seeded issues. Memories from her past keep rushing back. An uncle that made passes at her, claiming he like chubby girls and kids at school making fun of her weight, even her own dad calling her chubbikins. After losing weight and meeting Calvin, Stacey thought her life was going great--until the voices in her head kept telling her she was going to be fat again and no one would love her. It was a battle the voices intended to win even if it cost Stacey her life.________________Book Quote________________"Crazy Stacey bubble butt.Never keeps her big mouth shut.Chubbikins, Chubbikins.How much does she weigh?"_________________End Quote_________________When Calvin Greenlee lost his brother, Michael, to the war in Afghanistan he thought he would never smile again--until he met Stacey Varnell. She comforted him and listened to his hurts, giving him a shoulder to cry on. She made his world right again and he loved her for it. But when Stacey starts getting sicker, Calvin realizes a whole new kind of heartbreak. If he tries to help her he might lose her, if he doesn't he could lose her anyway. As Calvin fights his fears of losing Stacey, she is fighting agonizing fears of her own. Can they both win the hardest battle of their lives?Stacey fought some very serious demons. Her perception of herself was so distorted. Where she saw ugly, fat and unloveable, others saw only beauty. The voices in her head screamed she was fat when, in actuality, her clothes hung loosely on her body. She was a sixteen year-old girl full of anguish and fear, who was scarred from unkind words in her past. She had OCD tendencies and she was fighting a very verbal killer--anorexia nervosa.Calvin--I loved Calvin and Calvin loved Stacey. He loved her with everything he had. When she was at her worst he would tell her how beautiful she was. He did his best to love Stacey through her battle with anorexia. He had a huge heart and such a cute way of tugging on his hair whenever he was upset or flustered. He loved riding his Yamaha and the hum of the motor helped him forget his worries for a little while. I loved the way he turned to God even when, deep down, he couldn't bring himself to completely rely on God to handle the situation.________________Book Quote________________Calvin found a relatively flat spot and cut the Yamaha's engine. He set the kickstand and swung his leg over the seat. The sound of rippling water and a breeze in the leaves gently drowned out the ringing in Calvin's ears and the echoes of a song he now hated. He sat cross-legged at the top of a ridge that fell down to the river's edge, and pinched a chunk of papery bark off a birch tree. Sunlight sparkling on the water dazzled his eyes. He mindlessly toyed with the bark while his heart reached for some kind of peace...but couldn't find it.He was supposed to pray at times like this. Pain clamped down on his heart again."God..." Desperate, hurting, frightened, confused, angry. What could he say? "Please. I don't know what to do. Show me what to do. "Taking deep, desperate breaths to ease the pain in his chest, Calvin looked at the sky and grimaced--the prayer felt meaningless, like all the words he'd used trying to save Stacey from herself._________________End Quote_________________I remember watching a TV movie once that starred Tracey Gold as an anorexic teen entitled, For the Love of Nancy. That movie has stayed with me ever since just as this book will stay with me for a very long time. I could literally feel Stacey's and Calvin's fear and anguish for two very different reasons. Stacey's struggle within herself was so heart-wrenching while Calvin's struggle of how to save her was heartbreaking. I found myself wanting to reach out and hug them. Anorexia nervosa effects millions of young adults and the stark reality of this horrible disorder is vividly portrayed in the effect it has on the person's life and those that love them. I can't begin to describe the emotions she wrung out of the characters and me. I found myself crying several times throughout the book and I am certain you will need tissues too. The story line was just spot-on from beginning to end. Absolutely perfect. I also loved the way the term "running lean" connects the three majors themes in this book--Stacey's battle with anorexia, Calvin's love of motorcycles and not letting God have control of our lives. I don't believe this book could have been any better and I can't say enough about it. If you don't fall in love with the characters and the story itself something definitely wrong. Anorexia nervosa is a devastating and very deadly disorder. If you are battling this disorder or know someone that is, please read this book. I believe Stacey's struggles might help in some way. But, even if you're not effected by this disease in any way, I still highly recommend it because it is an amazing story from beginning to end!Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone. If I recommend a book it's simply because I loved it. I received no monetary compensation for this review. less

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