I absolutely adored this book. This is one of the first eating disorder focused memoirs I've read that discusses the longterm effects. It's not just about a few years or when Burton's eating disorder was at its worst. This book tackles the brutal cycle that never quite ends. It's also one of the only books I've read that centers around binge eating disorder as the main topic.

Burton talked about her periods of starvation, her anorexia in her teen years and how that shaped her relationship with her body. But she didn't go into treatment and return to healthy habits. Instead, she developed binge eating disorder and which further changed her mindset towards food and her body. She discussed feelings of purity when she was "good" and the shame and disgust of hiding her binges when she wasn't. All of it hit me so hard.

In general, I find that eating disorder memoirs can be very triggering, but I would like to say that this one was probably the least triggering of all that I've read. The topics were handled so well and so carefully. It felt real without being a rundown of all the numbers. Burton never actually gave her weight or any kind of calorie count, but everything she said still felt so honest. Those things just weren't necessary to her story. Obviously anyone who struggles with these kinds of issues should be careful, but I would highly recommend this book.

I really appreciated that this book wasn't as linear as a lot of books about eating disorders are. I feel like they often follow a very specific formula- eating disorder develops, gets really bad, is treated, the end. Throw in a relapse and sometimes death if it's an unhappy book, but that's it. Burton never really recovers. She admits that still, thirty years later, she struggles with her eating and her body. It's very circular in a way and while it may not be a how to in recovery, I found that very helpful in its own way. It's nice to see different kinds of representation and people who live with their disorders for years without winding up on death's door.

Overall, this was just fantastically done and so well written. I loved it, and if you're looking for memoirs of eating disorders, I can't recommend this enough. This is one of those books I'm glad I found. I think it contributes something important to the world and whether or not you've struggled with disordered eating, I think it's a good one to pick up.