Age: 8th-11th grade

"Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether." Goodreads featured review

Anderson delves into the mind of a girl tortured by anorexia. Afraid that Wintergirls is more of an instruction book, adults are torn about suggesting or letting teens read it. While Lia's symptoms are real, they are frightening. In the end, Lia almost dies but realizes that she never wanted to die, only that she was always dissatisfied with her weight and found pride in her ability to lose weight. Additionally, the adults in Lia's life are disconnected, disinterested, and misinformed about Lia's inherent problem: being understood, loved, and independent.