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Thin
A bright, beautiful teenager, popular with her peers, Grace lived a perfectly ordered, ordinary life. Until one day, aged 18, she went on a diet. That didn’t stop. Then couldn’t stop. That trapped her in ‘a secret world of eating-related happiness and unhappiness’. And saw her weight swiftly drop to below six stone.
A grippingly honest account of life with anorexia nervosa, Thin is Grace’s heartbreaking, shocking and, finally, inspirational story. A memoir that is in part insider’s exposé and in part survivor’s testimony, it explains the struggle for self-discovery, and chronicles the devastating battles waged for control over mind and body.
Breaking secrets, Grace shatters the myths surrounding this widely misunderstood illness, helping those bound within the rules of anorexia to find a way out, and those on the outside to understand more.Thin also has resonance beyond the world of eating disorders. For in daring to tell the truth, Grace reveals her extraordinary story to be a common one, reflected in the shape of many of our lives. She draws on the universal themes of female self-image and self-determination, which have inspired such classics as The Bell Jar and A Room of One’s Own, to shatter the myths surrounding anorexia. And the powerful insights she brings to overcoming addiction make this an invaluable narrative for all those looking to find hope and renewal in the acceptance of change and growth.Thin is the most eloquent account of anorexia yet.
A grippingly honest account of life with anorexia nervosa, Thin is Grace’s heartbreaking, shocking and, finally, inspirational story. A memoir that is in part insider’s exposé and in part survivor’s testimony, it explains the struggle for self-discovery, and chronicles the devastating battles waged for control over mind and body.
Breaking secrets, Grace shatters the myths surrounding this widely misunderstood illness, helping those bound within the rules of anorexia to find a way out, and those on the outside to understand more.Thin also has resonance beyond the world of eating disorders. For in daring to tell the truth, Grace reveals her extraordinary story to be a common one, reflected in the shape of many of our lives. She draws on the universal themes of female self-image and self-determination, which have inspired such classics as The Bell Jar and A Room of One’s Own, to shatter the myths surrounding anorexia. And the powerful insights she brings to overcoming addiction make this an invaluable narrative for all those looking to find hope and renewal in the acceptance of change and growth.Thin is the most eloquent account of anorexia yet.
288 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 76 reviews
September 19, 2011
I'm probably not the right target group for this book (or rather, I'm too right for it), but I read it anyway.
"Thin" is the account of the authorÄs anorexia and her recovery from anorexia. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, it wasn't as triggering as I had been led to believe it would be.
I found it very surprising that Bowman, as she tells it, slithered into anorexia unaware, not knowing what or why this was happening to her, not understanding why she suddenly wasn't able to eat anymore. Is that what it is like for other people? What about that conscious decision you make every day not to eat, what about the influence it has on your life, the way you try to wind your way out of social events in order to not have to eat, to not have to resist the tempation. What about the constant weighing, the "control-clothes", the endless sessions in front of a mirror. What about the self-hate, and the self-disgust? And the incredible high that hunger will give you?
Does that sound like I know what I'm talking about? Yes, maybe I do. Maybe I don't. Maybe I will never fully understand, or maybe I will understand too well for the rest of my life.
Anyway, I expected something completely different, and it's probably a good thing that I didn't get it.
What I did get was the understanding that this sickness is different for everyone. Bowman may be typical in many ways, with her eagerness to please, with her biggest worry about her sickness being the fact that it would worry her parents. But don't let that fool you. Anorexia is a tricky beast, and not everyone goes through it as easily as Bowman seemingly did. And I want in no way deny her obvious illness and suffering by saying that. It's just so...typical. Teenager, eager to play by the rules, never rebellious, finding that weight is the one thing one has control over without anyone else's saying, not understanding at first, misdiagnosis by doctors, then therapy and finally discovery. It's textbook.
And anorexia is not textbook.
But, like I said in the beginning, I may not be the right person to ask. I'm certainly not the most objective person to ask.
Therefore, I will neither recommend nor not-recommend this book. Read it at your own risk. It won't harm you (probably.)
"Thin" is the account of the authorÄs anorexia and her recovery from anorexia. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, it wasn't as triggering as I had been led to believe it would be.
I found it very surprising that Bowman, as she tells it, slithered into anorexia unaware, not knowing what or why this was happening to her, not understanding why she suddenly wasn't able to eat anymore. Is that what it is like for other people? What about that conscious decision you make every day not to eat, what about the influence it has on your life, the way you try to wind your way out of social events in order to not have to eat, to not have to resist the tempation. What about the constant weighing, the "control-clothes", the endless sessions in front of a mirror. What about the self-hate, and the self-disgust? And the incredible high that hunger will give you?
Does that sound like I know what I'm talking about? Yes, maybe I do. Maybe I don't. Maybe I will never fully understand, or maybe I will understand too well for the rest of my life.
Anyway, I expected something completely different, and it's probably a good thing that I didn't get it.
What I did get was the understanding that this sickness is different for everyone. Bowman may be typical in many ways, with her eagerness to please, with her biggest worry about her sickness being the fact that it would worry her parents. But don't let that fool you. Anorexia is a tricky beast, and not everyone goes through it as easily as Bowman seemingly did. And I want in no way deny her obvious illness and suffering by saying that. It's just so...typical. Teenager, eager to play by the rules, never rebellious, finding that weight is the one thing one has control over without anyone else's saying, not understanding at first, misdiagnosis by doctors, then therapy and finally discovery. It's textbook.
And anorexia is not textbook.
But, like I said in the beginning, I may not be the right person to ask. I'm certainly not the most objective person to ask.
Therefore, I will neither recommend nor not-recommend this book. Read it at your own risk. It won't harm you (probably.)
June 14, 2023
tw: eds
Probably one of the most descriptive books that I've read which cover eating disorders and honestly idk if thats the best considering how easily this book (and similar) could be utilized for totally wrong reasons. HOWEVER, I do think this really was a poignant novel that not only touched upon the concept of mental illness and how it affects your physical/mental life, but it touched upon the fact that often times it becomes intertwined with your identity. And sometimes that makes recovering or treating it 100x harder.
I feel like this book was really down-to-earth and raw and represents the lives of people with mental illness as a whole (not just eating disorders). I really liked the part where Grace still was a really really smart and bright student and got into an insane university and was able to deal with all of that ontop of her debilitating eating disorder because it shows that so much can go unnoticed from the outside, in a way. Like she even pointed out how people probably thought of her as being super in control, on top of everything, smart, etc but then you delve into her life and see the opposite.
Thin also really nicely discussed family and other relationship dynamics as they change because of an illness. It wasn't as if Grace suddenly got an eating disorder the moment she was officially diagnosed (she had the exact same behaviors and symptoms for ages before), but the moment that official diagnosis came in, everyone started treating her weirdly and differently and that I think is something that makes living with any mental/physical illness so much worse and causes so many to hide it. And, funnily, I don't think people realize that they have that impact on others when they treat someone differently bc of their illness.
This book is most definitely underrated and, though it can be very harmful and triggering to those with eating disorders due to the detail, I think it is a very educational read that I totally would recommend. Some of the playwriting style parts of the book made me go crazy but the rest of the writing is really easily understandable and it goes by fast, hitting you hard with the message.
Probably one of the most descriptive books that I've read which cover eating disorders and honestly idk if thats the best considering how easily this book (and similar) could be utilized for totally wrong reasons. HOWEVER, I do think this really was a poignant novel that not only touched upon the concept of mental illness and how it affects your physical/mental life, but it touched upon the fact that often times it becomes intertwined with your identity. And sometimes that makes recovering or treating it 100x harder.
I feel like this book was really down-to-earth and raw and represents the lives of people with mental illness as a whole (not just eating disorders). I really liked the part where Grace still was a really really smart and bright student and got into an insane university and was able to deal with all of that ontop of her debilitating eating disorder because it shows that so much can go unnoticed from the outside, in a way. Like she even pointed out how people probably thought of her as being super in control, on top of everything, smart, etc but then you delve into her life and see the opposite.
Thin also really nicely discussed family and other relationship dynamics as they change because of an illness. It wasn't as if Grace suddenly got an eating disorder the moment she was officially diagnosed (she had the exact same behaviors and symptoms for ages before), but the moment that official diagnosis came in, everyone started treating her weirdly and differently and that I think is something that makes living with any mental/physical illness so much worse and causes so many to hide it. And, funnily, I don't think people realize that they have that impact on others when they treat someone differently bc of their illness.
This book is most definitely underrated and, though it can be very harmful and triggering to those with eating disorders due to the detail, I think it is a very educational read that I totally would recommend. Some of the playwriting style parts of the book made me go crazy but the rest of the writing is really easily understandable and it goes by fast, hitting you hard with the message.
August 28, 2012
I thought this book written by an anorexic girl would be sensationalist and gossipy and I'd last one chapter. It was the opposite. It was very honest, very down to earth and written by someone who can put across her thoughts and feelings very touchingly and in a way that draws you into her world and her mindset. Anyone who wants to understand the power of a mental illness needs to read this. The parallels with other mental diseases are frightening. It is also very much there but for the grace go I. Her unhealthy attitude towards food is experienced in some way or form by such a huge percentage of women. There were so many times when I could see into a mirror - it was quite shocking. Wow, what a book. I feel I now have such an understanding of anorexia albeit from an outsiders point of view.
A must read.
A must read.
August 30, 2018
In this book we meet Grace the author as she takes us through her past to present story of her life with anorexia and all the stages she went through with it.
From losing boyfriends and friends to losing control over her life as good became the main focus of her life and things like socialising and enjoying university became mixed up with varying emotions over her battle with food. We see what a toll or took on her parents as they watched her lose weight and regained too as well as when she finally managed to get to university and break free into the world on her own with a proper graduation job and finding her new love.
Grace's story is one that is honest and raw with all emotions splayed out page by page in her effectively captivating writing. It was a truly brutal battle and a hard one Grace pushed to try and overcome but I was truly blown away by her account of becoming herself again after losing her way.
From losing boyfriends and friends to losing control over her life as good became the main focus of her life and things like socialising and enjoying university became mixed up with varying emotions over her battle with food. We see what a toll or took on her parents as they watched her lose weight and regained too as well as when she finally managed to get to university and break free into the world on her own with a proper graduation job and finding her new love.
Grace's story is one that is honest and raw with all emotions splayed out page by page in her effectively captivating writing. It was a truly brutal battle and a hard one Grace pushed to try and overcome but I was truly blown away by her account of becoming herself again after losing her way.
April 14, 2015
Anorexia nervosa. A disorder where young females give up food, and virtually persist on water and air, to the point of becoming skin and bones. This disease has fascinated me from the time I came to know of it during my MBBS course. So I started this book with great enthusiasm, just to know how it feels to be an anorexic [fortunately, or unfortunately, I love my victuals]. But the narrative was so disjointed and drab,that I was forced to give it up at 30%. Or perhaps, I was a bit distracted to imbibe the knowledge. I have given it up, possibly may take it up in future, but mostly not.
August 15, 2020
I'm glad Bowman put her story out there and could be vulnerable to an audience. I hope she helped someone out there who needed to hear her story, but for me the storytelling and the craftsmanship behind the writing was very weak and not compelling. Sure one can argue that it is an autobiography and maybe it was not supposed to be compelling, but I disagree. Reading is a form of entertainment and even if you are putting out a difficult subject matter, it is still important to keep the reader engaged in which case I was not. I also did not like the third-person POV and thought the story would be told so much better if it was a first person narrative. Additionally, I did not gain anything while reading this and therefore I must rate it low.
November 27, 2012
I won't lie... I pretty much skimmed the last 10 pages. Bowman tried to tell her story in a disconnected way which would reflect the chaos of the disordered mind, and hopefully not trigger others. Mostly, all it did was annoy and make the book uncomfortable to read - not because of what she was confessing or her life - just the way it was written. I may also be slightly jealous of her holier than thou attitude to recovery (this is my theory to make myself feel better for really hating this book) "I just decided to recover, and I did". "Anorexia just lost it's appeal" - well, Ms Bowman, that makes it seem more like a choice, and you spent several pages trying to convince us it was a mental illness. And you didn't just recover on your own, you still had "whitecoats" to help you - You just made the decision to GET better and let people help no matter how you resisted which as we both know is more the disorder resisting than you yourself.
In the last 40ish pages the book seemed to take a turn for the better, as Bowman begins to describe the journey through recovery, behaviours, and thoughts which are both relateable, and would enable friends and family of disordered people to better understand - however, few would make it through the first 200 pages of the book, and the last couple of sections really let it down.
To put it simply - If you are disordered and looking for a recovery memoir to inspire you and help push you through? this is not it. If you are a friend or family member of someone who is disordered and trying to gain understanding, there are better books out there.
Just, don't bother.
All that said, I am really happy for Grace recovering, and hope that she lives a healthy and happy life =)
In the last 40ish pages the book seemed to take a turn for the better, as Bowman begins to describe the journey through recovery, behaviours, and thoughts which are both relateable, and would enable friends and family of disordered people to better understand - however, few would make it through the first 200 pages of the book, and the last couple of sections really let it down.
To put it simply - If you are disordered and looking for a recovery memoir to inspire you and help push you through? this is not it. If you are a friend or family member of someone who is disordered and trying to gain understanding, there are better books out there.
Just, don't bother.
All that said, I am really happy for Grace recovering, and hope that she lives a healthy and happy life =)
October 29, 2011
I read a few reviews of this book before I started to read it. A lot of people mentioned the moving between a first and third person narrative; I thought it would bother me but it didn't. I think using the third person narrative was a very interesting tool, especially for a book about an eating disorder because the way you think about yourself is in the third person, things do become confusing and fast paced and Grace manages to get that across very, very well in this book. You can really experience the mania of the inside thoughts versus the outside words, but I can easily see how someone who has never experienced this become very confused by it.
I think this story is a lot more about the recovery rather than the actual time as an anorexic. It surprised me that Grace appeared to only be underweight for a period of less than a year, and personally, I felt that it made her story harder to relate to. As someone who's suffered from depression and quite a serious negative body image for years and years I find it very strange to believe that one day she just 'decided' to get better. In no way am I belittling her suffering, it just didn't make sense in my head but that doesn't really relate to the book.
The book really fizzled out towards the end and although that's true of recovery, I think as a book it could've easily been 50 pages shorter at least (I even left the last 10 pages). By the end it was very repetitive and not that interesting but other than that I thought it was a good book.
I think this story is a lot more about the recovery rather than the actual time as an anorexic. It surprised me that Grace appeared to only be underweight for a period of less than a year, and personally, I felt that it made her story harder to relate to. As someone who's suffered from depression and quite a serious negative body image for years and years I find it very strange to believe that one day she just 'decided' to get better. In no way am I belittling her suffering, it just didn't make sense in my head but that doesn't really relate to the book.
The book really fizzled out towards the end and although that's true of recovery, I think as a book it could've easily been 50 pages shorter at least (I even left the last 10 pages). By the end it was very repetitive and not that interesting but other than that I thought it was a good book.
June 13, 2010
I’ve seen this book around for a few years now and I’ve wanted to read it for a while as I’m very interested in all books to do with anorexia. I finally brought this the other week and read it soon after and I was really impressed. This is a memoir by Grace Bowman who developed anorexia nervosa at the age of 18. Grace was a pretty popular 18 year old who decided to go on a diet before heading off to university. She starts the diet, and finds that she doesn’t want to stop and then can’t stop and soon drops to just under 6 stone without really understanding how or why it’s happened and why she can’t seem to eat. As the story goes on you find out what Grace believes lead to her anorexia and you get to follow her recovery out of this self destructive illness. This was an honest moving memoir that I would recommend to anyone going through this illness or to anyone who just wants to understand. I found myself tearing up a few times and cheering Grace on as she started her tricky first steps to recovery. A brilliant emotional read with a hopeful ending and powerful message. 4 stars.
April 9, 2011
I enjoy reading memoirs about screwed up or famous people (or both), so I bought this for my Kindle.
It started out ok. The writing and some of the terminology is very british, and that took some getting used to, but it was fine. What wasn't fine was how preachy and self-indulgent the author is! I really hate how some memoirs turn into self help books, and this one does just that. But I will give her credit for the parts that were more of a narrative; they were interesting. The end was anticlimatic, which was good for her in her life but boring for her reader.
I don't know about this author. If she publishes something else, it would depend on what it is before I read it.
It started out ok. The writing and some of the terminology is very british, and that took some getting used to, but it was fine. What wasn't fine was how preachy and self-indulgent the author is! I really hate how some memoirs turn into self help books, and this one does just that. But I will give her credit for the parts that were more of a narrative; they were interesting. The end was anticlimatic, which was good for her in her life but boring for her reader.
I don't know about this author. If she publishes something else, it would depend on what it is before I read it.
August 14, 2013
This is one of the best books of its genre.
March 2, 2019
Gripping, honest memoir about a girl who slipped into an eating disorder. I did not find it triggering like some eating disorder stories.
November 13, 2023
I was with it until the last 30 or so pages.
Some reviewers have remarked upon the disjointed writing, the swing between first and third person narratives, but I liked it. It was different and different can be fun.
But something felt a little off. Not bad, and I'm not saying Bowman has lied about anything in here. It's only that her story felt so strange.
There's no discussion as to the why behind her eating disorder (not that there has to be a reason for any mental health issues), only that she's a bit of a perfectionist. Nor does there seem to be any reason as to why she decided she had to recover. For the bulk of the book, she's actively fighting her therapist, her doctors, her parents and friends... but then one day she gets bored of eating/not-eating and decides it's time to move on. She seems to lean towards alcoholism, but this is never really mentioned or looked into. She drinks most of her calories, then starts eating again and although she flirts with bulimia, she seems to be on the up.
With every book I read, I like to find a bit more about the author. For Bowman, I can't find anything beyond the same few sentences that appear in the book's bio. Is this a pseudonym? Is she real? I'd love to know.
Some reviewers have remarked upon the disjointed writing, the swing between first and third person narratives, but I liked it. It was different and different can be fun.
But something felt a little off. Not bad, and I'm not saying Bowman has lied about anything in here. It's only that her story felt so strange.
There's no discussion as to the why behind her eating disorder (not that there has to be a reason for any mental health issues), only that she's a bit of a perfectionist. Nor does there seem to be any reason as to why she decided she had to recover. For the bulk of the book, she's actively fighting her therapist, her doctors, her parents and friends... but then one day she gets bored of eating/not-eating and decides it's time to move on. She seems to lean towards alcoholism, but this is never really mentioned or looked into. She drinks most of her calories, then starts eating again and although she flirts with bulimia, she seems to be on the up.
With every book I read, I like to find a bit more about the author. For Bowman, I can't find anything beyond the same few sentences that appear in the book's bio. Is this a pseudonym? Is she real? I'd love to know.
April 20, 2020
“No sorry I don’t think so I don’t think that it’s me at all I don’t think those things fit with me “and she realizes that she doesn’t even know what those jobs actually actually are or who the me is that she is referring to
Page 196 Thin by grace Brown Bowman
“ My gran told me that no two persons’ knitting is ever the same, so if you leave your knitting half done, and someone else picks it up and starts their bit, you can see the join “.
Page 262 Thin by grace Brown Bowman
I thought for a moment that this book is going to be gloomy and emotional, I I enjoyed it. The language she used is easy, no big words, which shows the originality of the case and it’s depth. I am left with few questions as a matter of fact, like her weight now, her shape, her health!! She answer them by saying that she is no longer interested and them what matters to her now is her identity and the strength not to drown. I liked that.
Page 196 Thin by grace Brown Bowman
“ My gran told me that no two persons’ knitting is ever the same, so if you leave your knitting half done, and someone else picks it up and starts their bit, you can see the join “.
Page 262 Thin by grace Brown Bowman
I thought for a moment that this book is going to be gloomy and emotional, I I enjoyed it. The language she used is easy, no big words, which shows the originality of the case and it’s depth. I am left with few questions as a matter of fact, like her weight now, her shape, her health!! She answer them by saying that she is no longer interested and them what matters to her now is her identity and the strength not to drown. I liked that.
June 26, 2017
Okay...
For a book I had been looking for, for quite some time, I have to say, I was kind of let down. It wasn't quite what I was expecting; it was still pretty good, though. I usually fly through books like this, but this one was a tough read. Not due to sensitivity, or emotions, rather, it was due to boredom. There seemed to be a lack of conflict, and no one really seemed all that concerned about Grace. They didn't even mention the possibility of sending her to an eating disorder treatment facility. It seemed like it was taken seriously, just not seriously enough. Plus, she was left to deal with her problems on her own. I understand she was technically an adult, and she makes her own decisions, but if you love your family, you do not continue to let them self-destruct like that.
For a book I had been looking for, for quite some time, I have to say, I was kind of let down. It wasn't quite what I was expecting; it was still pretty good, though. I usually fly through books like this, but this one was a tough read. Not due to sensitivity, or emotions, rather, it was due to boredom. There seemed to be a lack of conflict, and no one really seemed all that concerned about Grace. They didn't even mention the possibility of sending her to an eating disorder treatment facility. It seemed like it was taken seriously, just not seriously enough. Plus, she was left to deal with her problems on her own. I understand she was technically an adult, and she makes her own decisions, but if you love your family, you do not continue to let them self-destruct like that.
October 22, 2023
This was the first book I've read about anorexia nervosa and I was impresed by it. The writing is beautiful, the story is powerful and raw, including recovering strategies. It was a triggering but yet, very well structured and written story. I enjoyed mostly the parts written in third person and the language used along the chapters. I recommend this novel to anyone who suffers from some kind of eating disorder.
August 23, 2020
A memoir of an 18 year old girl's experience with anorexia and overcoming the disorder. Grace is driven, controlled, and anxious, and takes dieting too far before falling to a dangerous weight. She does not attend inpatient, or even IOP, and decides on her own to dig herself out of the disorder. The writing switches between first and third person. 3/5 stars.
September 16, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ löysin tän kirjan kirpparilta ja ostin koska miks ei. En olis ikinä uskonu samaistuvani tähän niin paljon. Kaikki puheet eri muodoista ja peleistä ja haluista ja toiveista ja kaikesta muusta. Tää oli erittäin kauniisti kirjotettu, ja toivon että kaikki oikeessa mielentilassa olevat lukis tän. Yhden ihmisen kokemus tuntui jotenkin niin supersuurelta
February 16, 2025
Great book- gave really good tips and the writing style was quite nice. However, ( I know this is shitty to say since it’s a true event) I thought it was kind of meh that the way she was able to recover fully from her anorexia was because she got a boyfriend. Seems stupid that it was a relationship that did that.
July 29, 2017
3.5, it was ok but I think it lacked personal insight. It was mostly about facts and how everything happened. I wanted to understand how Grace felt, and I didn't get that.
August 14, 2017
Good book! There was some stuff I could understand her view points.
September 22, 2017
a very good novel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2018
Insightful and honest
This is more than just a very personal story, it’s also a well-researched book. Though from Grace’s one story, you would expect nothing less.
This is more than just a very personal story, it’s also a well-researched book. Though from Grace’s one story, you would expect nothing less.
July 21, 2018
Why
This is about a girl Grace with an eating disorder and her life growing up. Then she meets a man and realized at the end there are more important things then the anorixa
This is about a girl Grace with an eating disorder and her life growing up. Then she meets a man and realized at the end there are more important things then the anorixa
May 12, 2019
Thank you Grace.
January 2, 2021
Not crazy about it. I found myself getting a bit bored and distracted during many points, though I didn’t hate it.
August 19, 2023
incredibly well written and heart wrenching; an agonizing and honest story with a sweet ending
Displaying 1 - 27 of 76 reviews