What I Lost

Gr 9 Up—This debut novel offers readers an authentic and in-depth look at eating disorders as 16-year-old Elizabeth Barnes battles her disease and begins to learn that healing and acceptance must come from within. When she and her parents first pull up to Wallingfield Psychiatric Facility, Elizabeth is convinced that they've made a terrible mistake. While she's fairly certain she does have an eating disorder, the severity of her situation has yet to sink in. At first, Wallingfield, with its mandated meals, constant supervision, and daily weigh-ins, feels as cheery and welcoming as a prison, but as Elizabeth grows closer to the other residents and gradually accepts some of the more painful truths about her illness, she realizes what she must do in order to get back the life that anorexia has taken from her. Elizabeth is a sympathetic narrator, relatable even in the midst of her turmoil. The arrival of several mysterious packages lends some intrigue and romance to the narrative. The secondary characters are well drawn, and the friendships that the protagonist forms with her fellow patients allow the author to delve into a multitude of perspectives on eating disorders. The book doesn't sugarcoat and portrays with steady clarity and empathy the characters' struggles.