Upstream

by Molly Hoekstra

Kathryn is a teenage anorexic. Seething over being placed in an institution by her mother, Kathryn conspires with her fellow patients—Audrey, Hope, Phillip, Emily, and Liza—to thwart the staff's attempts to treat their "problem." Kathryn copes with her mounting frustration over anger, denial, and depression by matching wits with Dr. Bickman, medical student Tom, and nurses Barbie and Rose Ann.

A series of events eventually forces Kathryn to confront her medical situation. The result is a searing catharsis out of which Kathryn achieves a rapprochement with her mother and an inner peace with herself.

Genres: Young Adult

213 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2001

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I read this, I saw a number of reviews that commented on the numerous typos in the book. "Surely it can't be that bad, I thought. Unfortunately, I was right: It wasn't that bad. It was worse.

Lack of proofreading aside, it was a reasonable read, although it felt somehow dated (I'm not sure when the book is supposed to be set - it was published in 2001, but I'd guess the setting to be late 80s). Although I appreciated the protagonist's changing viewpoint over the course of the story, I couldn't help but find the resolution more than a bit cliche. I also wish that the characters had been more realistic, more three-dimensional.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very very good- I would definitely recommend it to anyone else. Anyone who enjoys books about anorexia nervosa will love this.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upstream is a story about an anorexic girl, featuring her summer in a rehabilitation program, but it's tragically dull and there are so many typos it reads like a bad translation into English.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

#50
Borrowed from library.

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