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Skin And Bones (2014)

by Sherry Shahan(Favorite Author)

3.21 of 5 Votes: 6

languge

English

genre

Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

publisher

Albert Whitman Teen

review 1: Meet Jack, his wardrobe consist of wool beanies, athletic socks, sweatshirts and just about anything else that he can throw on to work up a good sweat. For Jack: sweating = liquid fat = losing weight = SUCCESS! Jack’s new nickname is Bones, a name he picked out for himself now that he is in the Eating Disorders unit at the local hospital where he is rooming with Lard. Yes, I said Lard. Lard likes to eat so hence the name. Two teenage boys with two different types of eating disorders who are so alike in so many ways, stuck in a ward trying get by. I absolutely loved this novel; the honesty that I felt was pouring out from these teens as they dealt with life that was hitting at them left and right. For Bones, it all started when other individuals made comments to him... more about his thin size when he was younger which gave him power. This power made Bones want to take matters into his own hands and it fed his desire to become even skinner. It then became an addiction. An addiction, which is killing him and has now, landed him in the hospital with others who are walking down the same road. The boys tell all their “secrets” of success and their hopes and dreams of bucking the system in this novel while I am hoping that somewhere they can get the help they need before it is too late. The relationships that occur on this floor are special and I would have to be crazy if I didn’t think a romance or two wouldn’t occur with so many emotions, feelings and extended stays occurring with these individuals. When Alice arrives on the floor, Lard knows that she is a repeat guest but Bones is intrigued. Her arrival on the floor brings an excitement to the floor, along with her hopes and her schemes. There is something to learn about eating disorders and the people on this floor will spell it all out for you. I’m still waiting for Lard to cook me my dinner – no stove involved. I highly recommend this book.
review 2: This book talked about an important issue - body image and eating disorders among teens - through a narrator who's unique in that he's a teenage boy. Most eating disorder narratives are about girls, and given society's pressure on girls to be thin and the prevalence of eating disorders among girls, that isn't surprising. However, this book reminds us that boys are not immune to these kinds of pressures. Bones is a protagonist going through a struggle that most of us can relate to - he doesn't like himself and he wants to change. He has taken it to an extreme, of course, but the fact that we can all understand his struggle to some extent makes the reader care deeply for him and root for him to recover. This book is powerful but doesn't shy away from humor. Lard was definitely my favorite character. less

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