Wintergirls

When Lia makes a pact with her friend Cassie to become a 'Wintergirl'—a girl who is not dead but not alive—she becomes obsessed with her body image and falls prey to anorexia and self-harm. The two friends fall out, and Cassie, after years of suffering from bulimia, ends her life, and Lia, haunted by Cassie’s ghost and guilt over Cassie’s death, teeters close to the edge until family, love, and her own strength pull her through. This powerful book, for grades 10-12, is suited for literature circles or independent study, and can spark discussions about mental, emotional, and psychological health, self-image, eating disorders, friendship, death, and relationships.