What I Lost Hardcover – June 6, 2017

I have been meaning to review this book for sometime, but somehow, struggled to find the words. Elizabeth's journey is one that I have heard all too often and battled with, though not nearly as severe. So many similar stories abound. Ballard draws us in quickly. We are already in recovery and wondering how on Earth Elizabeth got there. We begin wanting to understand and to uncover. The cast of characters, no matter how small, are delicately and vividly drawn. You feel for each and every human in this story, no matter how frustrated you get or no matter who lashes out, the core is compassion. This book is a must. To shed light on this insidious disease, that comes in many forms and stems from many places. Beautiful book. Nothing is tied up in a bow...it's all in the journey. Truly wonderful.

Beautifully written, told with humor and heart. I loved this story and its deeply honest and authentic characters and never wanted to put it down. An excellent read not only for older teens and young adults, but for grownups, too. It never speaks down, or becomes pedantic, but teaches us so much. Can’t wait to read more from this debut author!

This is a really good book. I think it’s very good at telling the struggles of people with eating disorders

What I Lost is a compelling and articulately written novel on the struggles of a young woman with anorexia. In a style that is equal parts raw and heartwarming, author Alexandra Ballard captures the character of Elizabeth in both the normalcy of her adolescent reality and the pain of her psychiatric struggle with anorexia. I appreciated the way in which she was able to captivate the reader with a topic that is intensely painful and personal as well as how she was able to capture the complexity of the disease. I found myself thirsting to read more about Elizabeth's life after the book ended.

I really enjoyed this book and felt invested in the main character's journey. Reading this book was an excellent way to gain understanding of eating disorders, when I previously had not much knowledge of these. It was well-written and kept me turning the pages. It includes positive messages and themes for young adult readers, but would also keep them entertained. Great book!

Trigger warning for eating disorders.I've seen so many people raving about this book. Many people say this is one of the best representations of anorexia. I am 100% standing by them with stating that. I personally do not suffer from an eating disorder, but other people have and read this book and said it was great representation. I'm not going to pretend I know what I'm talking about, so I will not give my opinion on the representation.What I Lost follows Elizabeth, a junior in high school who suffers from anorexia. She gets sent to an inpatient treatment center called Wallingfield where girls with eating disorders go to get better. You see the struggles Elizabeth and the other girls go through on their journey to recovery.I personally didn't have a connection with this novel. The only connection I was close to having was with Tristan. I've never had an eating disorder so I have no understanding what's going on through these girl's heads. It was really educational to see how someone with anorexia really thinks and acts though.I really liked that this book was realistic. I could see all of these things happening in real life. Even when it came to Heather posting about them on social media. It's crazy what kids go through with school and other kids at school. I wish it would have discussed more on how she coped with going back to school and into an environment she wasn't necessarily comfortable in.I loved seeing her improvement through the book. I felt like a happy parent every time she ate or even discussed how she was feeling.I recommend this book to anyone who thinks an eating disorder is nothing and is something that can easily get over. I recommend this to people who have anorexia and want to get better. I feel like this book could really help with encouraging people. Just don't read it if you get triggered easily.

I found myself spending the better part of a weekend reading this book because it was so engaging. Whereas some YA literature focuses on plot at the expense of good writing, I found that What I Lost gave attention to both. As a therapist who has worked in a residential facility, I felt like this book did justice to the experience. It might sound a bit funny to say that a book about eating disorders was entertaining, but it was a good read and one that I'd recommend both to friends and to patients.

Aside from the powerful message this story tells about eating disorders, it was a well written, entertaining story with a very satisfying conclusion. I would recommend it whether you a looking for a powerful tale about anorexia or just looking to be entertained for a day or two.