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Thin Girls
A dark, edgy, voice-driven literary debut novel about twin sisters that explores body image and queerness as well as toxic diet culture and the power of sisterhood, love, and lifelong friendships, written by a talented protégé of Roxane Gay.
Rose and Lily Winters are twins, as close as the bond implies; they feel each other’s emotions, taste what the other is feeling. Like most young women, they’ve struggled with their bodies and food since childhood, and high school finds them turning to food—or not—to battle the waves of insecurity and the yearning for popularity. But their connection can be as destructive as it is supportive, a yin to yang. when Rose stops eating, Lily starts—consuming everything Rose won’t or can’t.
Within a few years, Rose is about to mark her one-year anniversary in a rehabilitation facility for anorexics. Lily, her sole visitor, is the only thing tethering her to a normal life.
But Lily is struggling, too. A kindergarten teacher, she dates abusive men, including a student’s married father, in search of the close yet complicated companionship she lost when she became separated from Rose.
When Lily joins a cult diet group led by a social media faux feminist, whose eating plan consists of consuming questionable non-caloric foods, Rose senses that Lily needs her help. With her sister’s life in jeopardy, Rose must find a way to rescue her—and perhaps, save herself.
Illuminating some of the most fraught and common issues confronting women, Thin Girls is a powerful, emotionally resonant story, beautifully told, that will keep you turning the pages to the gratifying, hopeful end.
Rose and Lily Winters are twins, as close as the bond implies; they feel each other’s emotions, taste what the other is feeling. Like most young women, they’ve struggled with their bodies and food since childhood, and high school finds them turning to food—or not—to battle the waves of insecurity and the yearning for popularity. But their connection can be as destructive as it is supportive, a yin to yang. when Rose stops eating, Lily starts—consuming everything Rose won’t or can’t.
Within a few years, Rose is about to mark her one-year anniversary in a rehabilitation facility for anorexics. Lily, her sole visitor, is the only thing tethering her to a normal life.
But Lily is struggling, too. A kindergarten teacher, she dates abusive men, including a student’s married father, in search of the close yet complicated companionship she lost when she became separated from Rose.
When Lily joins a cult diet group led by a social media faux feminist, whose eating plan consists of consuming questionable non-caloric foods, Rose senses that Lily needs her help. With her sister’s life in jeopardy, Rose must find a way to rescue her—and perhaps, save herself.
Illuminating some of the most fraught and common issues confronting women, Thin Girls is a powerful, emotionally resonant story, beautifully told, that will keep you turning the pages to the gratifying, hopeful end.
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First published June 30, 2020
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February 28, 2020
Twin sisters Rose and Lily are an entire world unto themselves, their lives inextricably bound in the most terrifying, inescapable ways. In her stunning debut novel, Thin Girls, Diana Clarke tells the indelible story of two sisters, so full of yearning—how as one tries to make her body disappear, the other strives to take up as much space as she can. Every sentence is gorgeously crafted, as we follow these sisters who are trying to live their own lives as much as they keep themselves braided together. From one sentence to the next, Clarke leaves her readers splayed open, throbbing with the most beautiful, necessary ache. She writes with unyielding honesty and breathtaking tenderness. Rose and Lily are fragile but unbreakable, or, at least, that is what we hope as the sisters careen toward the unknown, and some kind of salvation. Thin Girls is a brutal, and unrelenting examination of what it means to be a woman in a body, wanting, needing, wanting, needing so much. With her assured, elegant prose Clarke makes you hope against all hopes that both Rose and Lily can find a way to satiate and save themselves and each other.
This is an incredible, beautiful, brilliant novel. I cannot recommend it enough. I have never seen such an honest portrayal of disordered eating, and how it can hold a woman in its thrall. Clarke worked on this novel with me at Purdue during her thesis year and it was such a pleasure to see how meticulously she shaped and reshaped this story. Having seen some of her other work, I can assure you that her best is yet to come, and that's saying something given how damn good this novel is.
This is an incredible, beautiful, brilliant novel. I cannot recommend it enough. I have never seen such an honest portrayal of disordered eating, and how it can hold a woman in its thrall. Clarke worked on this novel with me at Purdue during her thesis year and it was such a pleasure to see how meticulously she shaped and reshaped this story. Having seen some of her other work, I can assure you that her best is yet to come, and that's saying something given how damn good this novel is.
August 1, 2021
This is one of the most outstanding, heart wrenching, thought provoking, shaking you to the core kind of disturbing but also realistic, honest and genuine books that you adore the talented story telling skills of the author.
In my opinion: this is one of the most provocative and extremely emotional reading choices of the year as well. Definitely this is not for everyone because it literally rips your heart and feel so much for the characters and after finishing the book, their stories haunt you and stay in your head for days.
This is effective, remarkable and unforgettable story of two sisters. One of them wanted to disappear, turning into weightless thin shadow as the other one wants to take over the other sister’s space by over consuming the food and eating her bottled up frustration, anger, rejection, pain, sadness, insecurities.
We’re going back and forth past and present, pacing two sisters’ intercepted stories, looking at the chronicles of Rose who stays in rehab for her anorexia treatment. And she remembers her own sister Lily who also suffers from eating disorder in opposite way of Rose: she overeats and puts her life and health at risk. This is not a twin sister story because the girls’ psychological development and acting about their diseases are so much different. Rose knows the reality and the consequences of her disease, trying to find herself in the universe, facing with her sexuality.
The story also includes triggering subjects from abuse, alcoholism, emotional and physical neglect. The girls’ dysfunctional memory is moving effect on their damaged lives. They are neglected in both psychically and emotionally and their reactions to those triggering effects are completely opposite. As soon as you turn the pages, you root for the sisters (especially for Rose) and truly wish them to win the war against the struggles and find their own closures. You want them find their peace and forgiveness (starting from themselves)
I’m so happy to read this stunning story even though it will make me think for days about the girls because their stories are so incredibly developed and told: they were so real: Lily could be one of your schoolmate, Rose could be your cousin. I never considered them as fictional characters and that’s why their stories hurt my heart deeply.
I’m giving five, extra ordinary, tear jerker, soul crushing, heart breaking stars! Clapping the author for her marvelous work.
Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for sharing this amazing ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
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In my opinion: this is one of the most provocative and extremely emotional reading choices of the year as well. Definitely this is not for everyone because it literally rips your heart and feel so much for the characters and after finishing the book, their stories haunt you and stay in your head for days.
This is effective, remarkable and unforgettable story of two sisters. One of them wanted to disappear, turning into weightless thin shadow as the other one wants to take over the other sister’s space by over consuming the food and eating her bottled up frustration, anger, rejection, pain, sadness, insecurities.
We’re going back and forth past and present, pacing two sisters’ intercepted stories, looking at the chronicles of Rose who stays in rehab for her anorexia treatment. And she remembers her own sister Lily who also suffers from eating disorder in opposite way of Rose: she overeats and puts her life and health at risk. This is not a twin sister story because the girls’ psychological development and acting about their diseases are so much different. Rose knows the reality and the consequences of her disease, trying to find herself in the universe, facing with her sexuality.
The story also includes triggering subjects from abuse, alcoholism, emotional and physical neglect. The girls’ dysfunctional memory is moving effect on their damaged lives. They are neglected in both psychically and emotionally and their reactions to those triggering effects are completely opposite. As soon as you turn the pages, you root for the sisters (especially for Rose) and truly wish them to win the war against the struggles and find their own closures. You want them find their peace and forgiveness (starting from themselves)
I’m so happy to read this stunning story even though it will make me think for days about the girls because their stories are so incredibly developed and told: they were so real: Lily could be one of your schoolmate, Rose could be your cousin. I never considered them as fictional characters and that’s why their stories hurt my heart deeply.
I’m giving five, extra ordinary, tear jerker, soul crushing, heart breaking stars! Clapping the author for her marvelous work.
Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for sharing this amazing ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
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June 6, 2021
cannot believe this was a debut. but also, every content warning under the sun applies here so be mindful before you pick this one up.
July 4, 2020
I loved this.
The author, Diana Clarke, is a protege of Roxane Gay, so I knew I was in for a smart, emotional, literary read. Rose and Lily are twins and very close. Both of them struggle with self-image and food, and high school hits them especially hard. When one doesn't eat, the other compensates by overeating. Rose eventually seeks treatment, and Lily is her only social support, while she has difficulty, too.
I can’t even tell you how much I loved and connected to this story. I am sure many of us can relate to negative body image and the strife of the high school years with its search for identity. The writing is beautiful, the main characters authentic and relatable, the messages powerful. My heart was completely broken at times, but there was hope, too. Friendship. Sisterhood. Honest and authentic. Some romance sprinkled in. Highly recommended.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The author, Diana Clarke, is a protege of Roxane Gay, so I knew I was in for a smart, emotional, literary read. Rose and Lily are twins and very close. Both of them struggle with self-image and food, and high school hits them especially hard. When one doesn't eat, the other compensates by overeating. Rose eventually seeks treatment, and Lily is her only social support, while she has difficulty, too.
I can’t even tell you how much I loved and connected to this story. I am sure many of us can relate to negative body image and the strife of the high school years with its search for identity. The writing is beautiful, the main characters authentic and relatable, the messages powerful. My heart was completely broken at times, but there was hope, too. Friendship. Sisterhood. Honest and authentic. Some romance sprinkled in. Highly recommended.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
April 14, 2020
What a SUPERB novel. There wasn’t a moment I didn’t enjoy reading this. Honestly. There are so many levels of depth in this from eating disorders to abusive relationships to coming out as LGBT. I want to rave about this book. I want everyone to read it. Right now.
Alas, because it has not been released yet, I will not spoil too much for those awaiting its release.
Rose and Lily are twins, and from as early as they can remember, they have always been the “same,” as many twins believe they are when young. However, of course, things change and Thin Girls gives us a glimpse into how two people who are supposedly the same can become so different over time; how they can become different even from the exact same situations which broke them.
The entire time I sympathized so much with Rose. Having had my own eating disorder when I was younger, many of the thoughts she had were similar to those I once had, too. Therefore, this book may trigger some readers, if not careful.
I really enjoyed how everything came together. The romances. The sisterhood. Friendships. Even the ending was great. It was simple: it was that of hope.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for this book! I can’t wait to get a physical copy when it comes out, as it is now one of my favorite novels.
Alas, because it has not been released yet, I will not spoil too much for those awaiting its release.
Rose and Lily are twins, and from as early as they can remember, they have always been the “same,” as many twins believe they are when young. However, of course, things change and Thin Girls gives us a glimpse into how two people who are supposedly the same can become so different over time; how they can become different even from the exact same situations which broke them.
The entire time I sympathized so much with Rose. Having had my own eating disorder when I was younger, many of the thoughts she had were similar to those I once had, too. Therefore, this book may trigger some readers, if not careful.
I really enjoyed how everything came together. The romances. The sisterhood. Friendships. Even the ending was great. It was simple: it was that of hope.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for this book! I can’t wait to get a physical copy when it comes out, as it is now one of my favorite novels.
May 11, 2020
I just finished Diana Clarke’s
Thin Girls
last night and wow, this book is dark, unsettled, and very deep. There are definitely triggers when it comes to anorexia and mental health, but I just can’t get over how provocative this story is.
Two sisters, Lily and Rose are each other’s best friends but they two battle with their own insecurities in very toxic ways. While one suffers from anorexia, the other suffers from binge eating. Both sisters struggle with their sexuality and sex in general and this book is unapologetic in how it shows their mental states. Without giving away anymore of the story, Thin Girls delivers a sort of coming-of-age type of story that shows the process in how two sisters can deeply be affected by their environment to become how they are in the present. This character study is not for the faint of heart.
Two sisters, Lily and Rose are each other’s best friends but they two battle with their own insecurities in very toxic ways. While one suffers from anorexia, the other suffers from binge eating. Both sisters struggle with their sexuality and sex in general and this book is unapologetic in how it shows their mental states. Without giving away anymore of the story, Thin Girls delivers a sort of coming-of-age type of story that shows the process in how two sisters can deeply be affected by their environment to become how they are in the present. This character study is not for the faint of heart.
April 21, 2020
4.5 stars, rounded down!
If you have a history with disordered eating, please stay far, far away from this book.
While this book was incredible in so many ways, it is not for people who have an unhealthy relationship with food. It's incredibly triggering.
For those who have a healthy relationship with food, this is a real look into the mind of someone with an eating disorder; and a good look into how toxic diet culture is.
I honestly hesitate rating this book so high. I read it in almost two sittings, unable to put it down. It got under my skin, in my head, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I hesitate to rate it so high because of how triggering it is.
But books like this do hold an important place, they are a raw look into how unbelievably difficult it is to be a woman dealing with her body, and the toxic messages constantly being thrown in our face on a regular message. Be skinny. Be thin. Be curvy. Be anything other than what you are, at this very moment in time.
So while this book is vicious look into our current diet culture, it's also dangerous in the wrong hands. It's often too descriptive, there are too many numbers (weight, calories, etc.) and there are too many 'tips and tricks' shared.
I don't think it was the author's intention for this book to be triggering, but by nature of the topic and details, it is. And the writing is so insanely good, that it's just so real.
The writing is so good that I am really looking forward to the author's next book. I just hope it's about something a little less triggering.
Honestly, I need to get out of my head after reading this one. It took me to a dark place, despite the message being anti-diet culture. I feel a lot of reader's will have a similar reaction reading this one.
Again, if you have a history of disordered reading, please stay away from this, and books like this.
A big thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC and wanting my honest opinion!
If you have a history with disordered eating, please stay far, far away from this book.
While this book was incredible in so many ways, it is not for people who have an unhealthy relationship with food. It's incredibly triggering.
For those who have a healthy relationship with food, this is a real look into the mind of someone with an eating disorder; and a good look into how toxic diet culture is.
I honestly hesitate rating this book so high. I read it in almost two sittings, unable to put it down. It got under my skin, in my head, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I hesitate to rate it so high because of how triggering it is.
But books like this do hold an important place, they are a raw look into how unbelievably difficult it is to be a woman dealing with her body, and the toxic messages constantly being thrown in our face on a regular message. Be skinny. Be thin. Be curvy. Be anything other than what you are, at this very moment in time.
So while this book is vicious look into our current diet culture, it's also dangerous in the wrong hands. It's often too descriptive, there are too many numbers (weight, calories, etc.) and there are too many 'tips and tricks' shared.
I don't think it was the author's intention for this book to be triggering, but by nature of the topic and details, it is. And the writing is so insanely good, that it's just so real.
The writing is so good that I am really looking forward to the author's next book. I just hope it's about something a little less triggering.
Honestly, I need to get out of my head after reading this one. It took me to a dark place, despite the message being anti-diet culture. I feel a lot of reader's will have a similar reaction reading this one.
Again, if you have a history of disordered reading, please stay away from this, and books like this.
A big thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC and wanting my honest opinion!
May 5, 2020
This book deals with exceptionally important issues relating to body image, body dysmorphia, the spectrum of eating disordered behaviour (though mostly on anoretics), diet culture, influencer culture, abuse, being a member of the LGBTQI+ community (and the heightened prevalence of eating disorders therein) and the entrenchment of disordered behaviour in families. For tackling these issues in a way that is entertaining and vital I applaud this book. Unfortunately I cannot bring myself to like Thin Girls because it felt, to me at least, exploitative. It read not as the dramatization of a survivors story (I apologise to the author if this is incorrect) but rather as a warts and all tale of eating disorders written by someone that had trawled “pro-ana” forums the week before writing a first draft. The awful message around treatment, which is presented as at best ridiculous and at worst harmful, is irresponsible. Many excellent treatment programs exist for eating disorders. I (Asst Prof in a Psychiatry Dept) have never heard of patients being asked to flirt with their food as a form of therapy. Where did the author find out about this? I do not deny that there are crappy treatment programs out there but I find it utterly ridiculous that an eating disorder as entrenched as that presented here is cured via roasted vegetables and a seaside cottage. This book will be sought out by eating disordered individuals (famously, and this is something that the author clearly knows, people with eating disorders love to read material that will give them new ideas for weight loss) and the message that treatment is not the answer is a dangerous one.
Yes, the skewering of influencer and diet culture is necessary. Yes, the heightened prevalence of eating disorders (and suicide among other terrible things) in the LGBTQI+ community must be examined, drawn attention to, researched and ultimately prevented. But these messages were lost between the nasty back and forth between the sisters, the apparent lack of research, and the voyeuristic tone and ghoulish look at sufferers of a lethal disease.
This book is triggering. If you have had an eating disorder (or if you currently have one) then I would say avoid this book. The tips and tricks are innumerable and I wish the author had found a way to avoid them. If you are looking for an interesting and well researched book on eating disorders I would recommend Wasted by Marya Hornbacher. Though this book is equally triggering (I think that Hornbacher has been quoted as saying that she wishes she had omitted the tips from her book) it is grounded in scientific inquiry as well as personal experience.
Yes, the skewering of influencer and diet culture is necessary. Yes, the heightened prevalence of eating disorders (and suicide among other terrible things) in the LGBTQI+ community must be examined, drawn attention to, researched and ultimately prevented. But these messages were lost between the nasty back and forth between the sisters, the apparent lack of research, and the voyeuristic tone and ghoulish look at sufferers of a lethal disease.
This book is triggering. If you have had an eating disorder (or if you currently have one) then I would say avoid this book. The tips and tricks are innumerable and I wish the author had found a way to avoid them. If you are looking for an interesting and well researched book on eating disorders I would recommend Wasted by Marya Hornbacher. Though this book is equally triggering (I think that Hornbacher has been quoted as saying that she wishes she had omitted the tips from her book) it is grounded in scientific inquiry as well as personal experience.
April 7, 2021
My heart could BARELY handle this book but I’m glad I powered through. Beautifully written story about twins who embrace their hunger in very different but arguably equally self-destructive ways. This was a dark story about disordered eating, abuse, love, sexuality and identity. There was humor and hope but they are buried in a whole lot of triggering events.
Rose and Lily have always been extremely close and codependent, partially due to neglectful/absent parents. Their sense of identity is strongly enmeshed in each other, but Rose’s desire to vanish entirely starts to threaten their foundation. As they hit their mid teen years, they veer in wildly different directions, and a series of events test their relationship. While at first the story seems to mostly focus on Rose and her stay in a facility for her anorexia, we gradually learn more about Lily and how she has her own significant battles she is dealing with. The story becomes about what it is possible to overcome, and how change is often necessary for survival.
**TW for eating disorders and graphic descriptions tied to this theme, abuse (physical and other), rape
Rose and Lily have always been extremely close and codependent, partially due to neglectful/absent parents. Their sense of identity is strongly enmeshed in each other, but Rose’s desire to vanish entirely starts to threaten their foundation. As they hit their mid teen years, they veer in wildly different directions, and a series of events test their relationship. While at first the story seems to mostly focus on Rose and her stay in a facility for her anorexia, we gradually learn more about Lily and how she has her own significant battles she is dealing with. The story becomes about what it is possible to overcome, and how change is often necessary for survival.
**TW for eating disorders and graphic descriptions tied to this theme, abuse (physical and other), rape
July 13, 2020
2.5
This book will most likely become one of the most important books of this summer. This is an adult novel that wants to be a teen or YA novel -and if I had a teen who wanted to read this book, I would definitely want to read this along with her so I could answer any questions she had.
So why then did I rate it so low? Because it can pull too many triggers, for example: eating disorders, self-abuse, lesbianism, dysfunctional families, foul language (although in context), bullies, and abusive relationships. It was deep, dark, and tried, in my opinion, too hard to be literary and clever.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
This book will most likely become one of the most important books of this summer. This is an adult novel that wants to be a teen or YA novel -and if I had a teen who wanted to read this book, I would definitely want to read this along with her so I could answer any questions she had.
So why then did I rate it so low? Because it can pull too many triggers, for example: eating disorders, self-abuse, lesbianism, dysfunctional families, foul language (although in context), bullies, and abusive relationships. It was deep, dark, and tried, in my opinion, too hard to be literary and clever.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
February 9, 2022
How is this a debut?!?!?!?!!
Full review to come.
5 ⭐️
Full review to come.
5 ⭐️
August 9, 2020
Powerful and emotional!!
The story is about Rose and Lily Winters, twins who are as close as could be!! They have struggled with their body image as so many young woman do! In high school, they develop eating disorders, Rose stops eating, while Lily starts overeating!! Rose seeks treatment at an in-patient center! Lily is her support system! Lily ends up having some tough issues in her life as well dealing with dieting and relationships!!
I really loved this book! I thought it was written so well and I really connected to the characters. This book was very dark in places and I felt sad for what these girls went through, but it ends with so much hope and beauty!! I highly recommend this one!! I have definitely had issues with disordered eating in my past, and can see some being triggered by this book, but it wasn't too bad for me!! So just proceed with caution if you deal with eating disorders!
The story is about Rose and Lily Winters, twins who are as close as could be!! They have struggled with their body image as so many young woman do! In high school, they develop eating disorders, Rose stops eating, while Lily starts overeating!! Rose seeks treatment at an in-patient center! Lily is her support system! Lily ends up having some tough issues in her life as well dealing with dieting and relationships!!
I really loved this book! I thought it was written so well and I really connected to the characters. This book was very dark in places and I felt sad for what these girls went through, but it ends with so much hope and beauty!! I highly recommend this one!! I have definitely had issues with disordered eating in my past, and can see some being triggered by this book, but it wasn't too bad for me!! So just proceed with caution if you deal with eating disorders!
July 22, 2020
Wow! It’s really difficult to believe that this is a debut novel. Thin Girls by Diana Clarke is absolutely heart wrenching. It is the story of identical twin sisters, Lily and Rose, who have grown up in a dysfunctional family and learn to deal with their emotions differently. While Rose denies her homosexuality and starves herself, Lily overeats. When Rose winds up in treatment for her anorexia, Lily’s weight balloons and she begins dating abusive men. Both sisters must learn from each other’s experiences in order to heal themselves.
Throughout the story, Rose enjoys reading non-fiction books. Very cleverly interspersed are animal and plant analogies corresponding to human behaviors that she notices in others. The connections that are made are brilliant and are the glue that solidifies this poignant story. It is poetic, witty, informative, sad, disturbing and suspenseful. Clarke also demonstrates a profound understanding of the twin experience, anorexia and fad dieting. This book will appeal to those who have read The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib and the like. I couldn’t recommend this book more, as it is one of my favorites of 2020 so far!
5/5 stars
Throughout the story, Rose enjoys reading non-fiction books. Very cleverly interspersed are animal and plant analogies corresponding to human behaviors that she notices in others. The connections that are made are brilliant and are the glue that solidifies this poignant story. It is poetic, witty, informative, sad, disturbing and suspenseful. Clarke also demonstrates a profound understanding of the twin experience, anorexia and fad dieting. This book will appeal to those who have read The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib and the like. I couldn’t recommend this book more, as it is one of my favorites of 2020 so far!
5/5 stars
December 20, 2020
I’ve decided not to finish this book, at 43% done. I think it’s dangerous. There’s certainly something kind of riveting about the twins’ dynamic but we’re asked to play along that very low weights are objectively fat in ways that, when coupled with (as other reviewers wisely noted) how-to tips on anorectic and purging behaviors, just feel wrong to me. This book either should have been written in a way that made clearer that this is a fucked up way to think (so, minor characters should not have been affirming a body weight of 110 as pudgy/fat!!) or some of the specifics —given to the readers, mind you, not embedded in characters — of numbers and other fatphobic details should have been left out. Add in the strong YA vibe and this is just a hard no for me.
December 13, 2020
This book is well written and keeps your interest. I couldn't put the book down. It is about identical twins Rose and Lilly Winters who share the typical mysterious bond that twins often have. It all begins to fall apart after High School when one sister becomes anorexic and the other begins overeating. This change effects their relationship in unexpected and profound ways. Can the love of two sister save them from disaster.
October 31, 2022
wowwwww,,, talk about an utter flop. genuinely GENUINELY confused about how this is getting so many great reviews. this book follows twin sisters who both suffer from eating disorders in their own ways. i had so many problems with this book, i dont even know where to begin. at first you follow Rose who is in an ED treatment center that is so far off from reality its absurd. tell me why there were actual scenes of her putting food like mashed potatoes "under her armpits" and pieces of toast glued to her stomach?? everything about this was so far from the actual reality of being in a treatment center, even if the author claimed this was "one of the worst treatment centers in the area"..... why would you preach this? not to mention half the doctors and employees there would Literally compliment the girls on their bodies .... for example: one scene a doctor meeting with Rose, while Lily is visiting the center, says to Lily, "Look at you! You've lost so much weight! Congratulations. You two are like two peas!" ....excuse me???? thats another huge issue i had with this book, every adult who should of had a slight??? concious??? would compliment or note the state of Roses body. even Lily her twin sister would come to visit her and talk about the diet she was on???? its just wild to me that these girl who are TWENTY FOUR were acting so irresponsibly and immature. when it mentioned their ages i was shocked. don't even get me started on the lesbian rep here.....it was so bad. there is an actual scene of a THERAPIST telling Rose its surprising that shes gay bc her twin sister isnt and "you know, if ones gay, usually they're both gay" ...........k. this entire book was Rose deeply hating herself bc shes queer and then magically resolving that issue in part 3. this book is HARMFUL, seriously dangerous and not at all what it had the potential to be. i went into this wanting a story that shared the truth of suffering from disordered eating in a realistic way. i thought because the sisters experienced it so differently, one not eating at all and the other coping by eating, we as an audience would get to see the nuance of both of their journeys.... but no. not that at all. i understand that the sister Lily was also sick.... i felt compassion and leniency for her character in that sense but... how can you be so unsupportive of your sister who is literally on the edge of death. how can you go to her treatment center and discuss your new diet??? this book hurt dude like.... i cried at some point Not because the content made me feel comforted and seen.. because i felt so upset at how such a sensitive subject was being portrayed. this was ridiculous and missed the mark so hard. if youve read this far PLEASE let me know what you think, i really would love to know how anyone got any value out of this.
August 20, 2020
Trigger warnings: Eating disorders, physical abuse/domestic violence, alcoholism, rape (subtly mentioned)
4.5/5 I'll be frank, this book won't be for everybody. I would definitely recommend not reading this if you have a history with disordered eating or any of the trigger warnings mentioned above. But if you do decide to, please please please just tread lightly.
Thin Girls is disturbing and dark. I'm sure a lot of people will be put off by the toxicity of the relationships between the characters and the heaviness of the subject matter but when you look at the bigger picture, you'll see just how much DEPTH and realness this book has. There were so many layers to uncover that I just allowed myself to really take the time reading it, savoring every part. At the same time, the impact was so strong that often, I had to stop myself from reading because it sparked a lot of things for me internally.
The heart of the story really is Rose and Lily's relationship (the good, the bad, and the really ugly) and their road to recovery. Although polar opposites in terms of their eating disorders and their characteristics, there's such a fierce loyalty and an incredibly moving connection between these sisters. We really get to see the lengths they would go to for one another, in both healthy and not-so-healthy ways.
Clarke definitely has packed a punch with this debut novel. She does a fantastic job at challenging your way of thinking. Making you take a closer look at how our surroundings can mirror or influence the way we are as humans. How we measure our own self-worth based on body image while exposing the dangers of diet culture and how much the media influences it. How exploring one's own sexual identity is scary and confusing but conforming to being someone we're not is even worse. There's so much more I could say, but honestly, my brain feels like mush still trying to process everything about the book.
Unforgettable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 I'll be frank, this book won't be for everybody. I would definitely recommend not reading this if you have a history with disordered eating or any of the trigger warnings mentioned above. But if you do decide to, please please please just tread lightly.
Thin Girls is disturbing and dark. I'm sure a lot of people will be put off by the toxicity of the relationships between the characters and the heaviness of the subject matter but when you look at the bigger picture, you'll see just how much DEPTH and realness this book has. There were so many layers to uncover that I just allowed myself to really take the time reading it, savoring every part. At the same time, the impact was so strong that often, I had to stop myself from reading because it sparked a lot of things for me internally.
The heart of the story really is Rose and Lily's relationship (the good, the bad, and the really ugly) and their road to recovery. Although polar opposites in terms of their eating disorders and their characteristics, there's such a fierce loyalty and an incredibly moving connection between these sisters. We really get to see the lengths they would go to for one another, in both healthy and not-so-healthy ways.
Clarke definitely has packed a punch with this debut novel. She does a fantastic job at challenging your way of thinking. Making you take a closer look at how our surroundings can mirror or influence the way we are as humans. How we measure our own self-worth based on body image while exposing the dangers of diet culture and how much the media influences it. How exploring one's own sexual identity is scary and confusing but conforming to being someone we're not is even worse. There's so much more I could say, but honestly, my brain feels like mush still trying to process everything about the book.
Unforgettable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2024
Even if you’ve experienced mental illness yourself, it can be hard to understand and empathize with someone else’s. We see people who are depressed and wonder why they can’t just snap out of it. We see people who are in abusive relationships and are flabbergasted that they can’t walk away. And when someone self-harms or refuses to eat for so long that they run the risk of dying, our response is to shout at them and shove food at them. We expect people to fix themselves. Diana Clarke’s devastating novel, Thin Girls, takes us deep into the world of disordered eating with Rose Winters. Thin Girls is thankfully a book about healing, ultimately, but Rose’s journey back to corporeality and health is brutally real...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
February 16, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!
For a book about Thin Girls, it sure is heavy. I felt so weighed down the entire time reading it. Lily and Rose are twin sisters who are TOXIC for each other. In fact, all of the characters tear each other down and are straight up destructive towards one another. This changes at the end, but it took a toll on me. I am honestly glad the book is over because it was such a downer.
For a book about Thin Girls, it sure is heavy. I felt so weighed down the entire time reading it. Lily and Rose are twin sisters who are TOXIC for each other. In fact, all of the characters tear each other down and are straight up destructive towards one another. This changes at the end, but it took a toll on me. I am honestly glad the book is over because it was such a downer.
December 19, 2020
This was a lot for me. Being diametrically opposed to “thin girls” (a fat girl) did not keep me from feeling seen in many ways. Twins Rose and Lily have an all consuming toxic relationship. 99% of the people introduced to you in the book are also toxic af. But 99% of them are redeemable. That’s real. Fortitude and coping skills as result of trauma and wavering self image. Next, we unlearn. You love to see it.
4.5 stars!
4.5 stars!
August 25, 2020
This book was both notably imperfect and also/still really dazzling. As an authorial choice I thought it was brave to have the narrator speak in the voice of a woman with anorexia. ED's run in my family. (Just my generation, hopefully never again.) At the height of my binging and purging another relative was hospitalized for anorexia and my mother said it was too bad I "couldn't get a touch of that." She was kidding/ not kidding. Bulimia left me with those swollen acid eroded cheeks -- fat faces were not encouraged. In addition to family ties, the disordered find one another, so I have been around a lot of people with ED's. One thing I can say authoritatively is that people with active ED's are boring as hell. There is a constant script going on in your head that makes it impossible to engage meaningfully in other things. You can get things done sure, but your emotional life is all about you and your downtime is all about food. whether you are obsessively cooking and baking for others so you can watch them eat or calculating the ratio of calories taken in to calories require to burn off the food you ingest, or taking care of one of the many other tasks of the disordered. Rose exemplified that. For me she did not get interesting as a character until she started to realize she had to recover and that she had to widen her scope of interest, and she got more and more interesting as her story went on from there. But even when Rose was boring I was engrossed with her story, and with Lily's whose quest for approval, love, and comfort was even more compelling for me than Rose's quest for control, Both had a need to be noticed that was never quenched.
Clarke is a very good writer at the sentence level. There are some breathtaking similes, and each sentence shines. She also does a great job of bringing to the fore what is, I think, the book's central point, that we tell girls and women to be obsessed with eating and exercise, to watch out for extra pounds, cellulite, lack of a thigh gap instead of teaching them to be afraid of men who belittle them, who hit them, who grope them, and who jerk off looking through their windows. It is really effective -- especially since most of this messaging about body comes from other women. We are our own worst enemies, and Clarke really brings it home. Other women are also our best friends once they agree to stop pushing that agenda, and Clarke covers that effectively as well. I did think the pacing was off in the first part, and that Clarke missed some good opportunities and failed to explore some of the other stories she starts. For example, I thought the Cat storyline could have been a powerhouse, but she kept cluttering up the dynamic with repeated references to the smell of vomit and cutaways to the early Rose and Lily life which could have been shaved down with no loss to the story, (I had issues both with the amount of time spent on the girls' early years, and the way she cut into dramatic arcs with lengthy flashbacks of yet another shitty guy Lily was dating and yet another time Lily tried to include Rose in activities.) I also wish that time had been spent on Sarah, who is Rose's best friend when she was inpatient, but we don't see that relationship at all. (ETA, over time I have come to think that the reason that we don't know anything about Sarah is because Rose knows nothing about Sarah - that their whole relationship is about their shared disorder and while active they are really nothing more than their disorders.)
Overall I really enjoyed this read. One note, there are some people who reviewed this as a 1-star because it triggered them. That is bullshit (and also a good illustration of the staggering self-involvement of people with EDs.) That means it was well-written. But yeah, if you are living with an eating disorder, or are in recovery at a point where relapse is possible, do not read this book. This seems really obvious, but apparently not.
Clarke is a very good writer at the sentence level. There are some breathtaking similes, and each sentence shines. She also does a great job of bringing to the fore what is, I think, the book's central point, that we tell girls and women to be obsessed with eating and exercise, to watch out for extra pounds, cellulite, lack of a thigh gap instead of teaching them to be afraid of men who belittle them, who hit them, who grope them, and who jerk off looking through their windows. It is really effective -- especially since most of this messaging about body comes from other women. We are our own worst enemies, and Clarke really brings it home. Other women are also our best friends once they agree to stop pushing that agenda, and Clarke covers that effectively as well. I did think the pacing was off in the first part, and that Clarke missed some good opportunities and failed to explore some of the other stories she starts. For example, I thought the Cat storyline could have been a powerhouse, but she kept cluttering up the dynamic with repeated references to the smell of vomit and cutaways to the early Rose and Lily life which could have been shaved down with no loss to the story, (I had issues both with the amount of time spent on the girls' early years, and the way she cut into dramatic arcs with lengthy flashbacks of yet another shitty guy Lily was dating and yet another time Lily tried to include Rose in activities.) I also wish that time had been spent on Sarah, who is Rose's best friend when she was inpatient, but we don't see that relationship at all. (ETA, over time I have come to think that the reason that we don't know anything about Sarah is because Rose knows nothing about Sarah - that their whole relationship is about their shared disorder and while active they are really nothing more than their disorders.)
Overall I really enjoyed this read. One note, there are some people who reviewed this as a 1-star because it triggered them. That is bullshit (and also a good illustration of the staggering self-involvement of people with EDs.) That means it was well-written. But yeah, if you are living with an eating disorder, or are in recovery at a point where relapse is possible, do not read this book. This seems really obvious, but apparently not.
October 31, 2022
MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING: eating disorders, physical and mental abuse, homophobia
This book is, in a word, exploitative. I’m really getting sick of authors using mental illness, struggles with sexuality and abuse as a means to make a book ‘deep’ to gain prestige and claiming they are “doing it to raise awareness”. Like no. We are all WELL AWARE OF THESE ISSUES. If this was a memoire I could be forgiving because it would be a record of a real experience but this was nothing but clickbait in the disguise of literature.
If the author had done ANY research into the mind of eating disordered people she would have known that NO BOOK ON EATING DISORDERS HAS EVER HELPED SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER EVER. It is in the nature of the disease to NOT want to recover (when you’re in the pull of it) and to take any eating disordered content as either a how-to or a glamorisation.
Rose was a completely unlikeable heroine, not because of her eating disorder or mental health struggles but because she was an incredible hypocrite, refused to be herself despite TONS OF SUPPORT and she spoke and thought like a child despite there being no evidence whatsoever that she was in any way intellectually disabled.
As a queer girl who has had an eating disorder for 15 years and been in recovery for 3 I can tell you I’ve met HUNDREDS of people with EDs and not one of them was as flat-out stupid as Rose, no matter how early their ED started.
This book claims to be adult literature but it’s YA at best and frankly I think this book is dangerous.
This book is, in a word, exploitative. I’m really getting sick of authors using mental illness, struggles with sexuality and abuse as a means to make a book ‘deep’ to gain prestige and claiming they are “doing it to raise awareness”. Like no. We are all WELL AWARE OF THESE ISSUES. If this was a memoire I could be forgiving because it would be a record of a real experience but this was nothing but clickbait in the disguise of literature.
If the author had done ANY research into the mind of eating disordered people she would have known that NO BOOK ON EATING DISORDERS HAS EVER HELPED SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER EVER. It is in the nature of the disease to NOT want to recover (when you’re in the pull of it) and to take any eating disordered content as either a how-to or a glamorisation.
Rose was a completely unlikeable heroine, not because of her eating disorder or mental health struggles but because she was an incredible hypocrite, refused to be herself despite TONS OF SUPPORT and she spoke and thought like a child despite there being no evidence whatsoever that she was in any way intellectually disabled.
As a queer girl who has had an eating disorder for 15 years and been in recovery for 3 I can tell you I’ve met HUNDREDS of people with EDs and not one of them was as flat-out stupid as Rose, no matter how early their ED started.
This book claims to be adult literature but it’s YA at best and frankly I think this book is dangerous.
February 28, 2021
This book will stick with me forever.
“I don’t think there’s one girl left in the world who isn’t fucked up about food. How are we meant to be normal about eating when we’re taught to count calories before we learn long division? None of it is normal.”
“Sometimes it’s okay to be uncomfortable. Sometimes it reminds you how to be human.”
“I don’t think there’s one girl left in the world who isn’t fucked up about food. How are we meant to be normal about eating when we’re taught to count calories before we learn long division? None of it is normal.”
“Sometimes it’s okay to be uncomfortable. Sometimes it reminds you how to be human.”
June 4, 2022
In theory, yes in reality, no. Don't think this book needed to be almost 400 pages long - it dragged for no reason. The main character lacked depth other than having an ED and being queer, like that's really all I got from it lol. Also it walked the line of romanticizing domestic violence and EDs idk (2010 tumblr vibes). Sorry to Diana Clarke.
January 1, 2023
Can we please stop describing narratives of anorexia as “dark and edgy?” Anorexia is a deadly mental illness, not some dark, edgy, glamorous spectacle. It’s incredibly disturbing that the author and/or publisher thought it acceptable or somehow clever to divide this book into sections where the twins’ weights are explicitly stated in relation to a date as if they’re specimens. It’s common knowledge that the mention of concrete weights and numbers (which happens repeatedly this book) is incredibly harmful to readers with EDs or signs of disordered eating—there’s no excuse for this level of irresponsibility.
To this end, I’m curious as to why the author thought it was creative or possibly effective to compare the characters’ weights repeatedly. There are so many creative ways to portray severity of suffering, bodily changes, body dysmorphia, and so forth over time—no one needs to have these characters’ weights repeated. This “device” feels voyeuristic, careless, and painfully uncreative.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of eating disorders know that not all patients with AN meet the DSM’s weight criteria, and that the severity of mental distress can’t be measured using biometrics (i.e., weight or labs). I think that the focus on weight does a huge disservice and injustice to ED sufferers who are so often regarded as a number on a piece of paper, whether by predatory insurance companies or clueless doctors. The focus on weight is just one example of the way this book perpetuates stereotypes about eating disorders—we also have a queer ED patient who sells illicit goods (like diet books) out of a literal closet in a treatment facility. AN patients are often viewed as manipulative, attention-seeking, vain, seeking to be “different,” “dieting,” and this book does nothing to challenge these stereotypes and I’m really bummed that a queer character was put into the role of “bad patient corrupting other patients,” via a closet.
The descriptions of treatment and “tips and tricks” for restriction/evading treatment plans are so harmful as well. I think for me, all redeeming qualities of this book were lost at the end, when the protagonist “decides” to recover because—drumroll—her sister needs help. Eating disorders aren’t choices and unfortunately people with EDs are often made to feel tremendous shame and guilt for “making choices” that cause others pain. Patients face terrible paradoxes like “EDs aren’t a choice but recovery is,” which allows people to blame sufferers for struggling with recovery. Recovery cannot be based on other people. To The Bone made this mistake as well—you cannot make another person the center of your recovery and I’m so sad to know that readers unfamiliar with EDs might think this is how recovery works.
Finally, what is with the title? Eating disorders are about so much more than thinness and I’m really, really tired of contemporary literature dropping the ball when it comes to representing diverse experiences of AN. Eating disorders are about so much more than thinness, but it’s no surprise that this book’s title is just as reductive as its content. If you’re looking for a book that actually depicts what ED sufferers go through and what the recovery rides entails, read Famished by Rebecca J. Lester instead.
To this end, I’m curious as to why the author thought it was creative or possibly effective to compare the characters’ weights repeatedly. There are so many creative ways to portray severity of suffering, bodily changes, body dysmorphia, and so forth over time—no one needs to have these characters’ weights repeated. This “device” feels voyeuristic, careless, and painfully uncreative.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of eating disorders know that not all patients with AN meet the DSM’s weight criteria, and that the severity of mental distress can’t be measured using biometrics (i.e., weight or labs). I think that the focus on weight does a huge disservice and injustice to ED sufferers who are so often regarded as a number on a piece of paper, whether by predatory insurance companies or clueless doctors. The focus on weight is just one example of the way this book perpetuates stereotypes about eating disorders—we also have a queer ED patient who sells illicit goods (like diet books) out of a literal closet in a treatment facility. AN patients are often viewed as manipulative, attention-seeking, vain, seeking to be “different,” “dieting,” and this book does nothing to challenge these stereotypes and I’m really bummed that a queer character was put into the role of “bad patient corrupting other patients,” via a closet.
The descriptions of treatment and “tips and tricks” for restriction/evading treatment plans are so harmful as well. I think for me, all redeeming qualities of this book were lost at the end, when the protagonist “decides” to recover because—drumroll—her sister needs help. Eating disorders aren’t choices and unfortunately people with EDs are often made to feel tremendous shame and guilt for “making choices” that cause others pain. Patients face terrible paradoxes like “EDs aren’t a choice but recovery is,” which allows people to blame sufferers for struggling with recovery. Recovery cannot be based on other people. To The Bone made this mistake as well—you cannot make another person the center of your recovery and I’m so sad to know that readers unfamiliar with EDs might think this is how recovery works.
Finally, what is with the title? Eating disorders are about so much more than thinness and I’m really, really tired of contemporary literature dropping the ball when it comes to representing diverse experiences of AN. Eating disorders are about so much more than thinness, but it’s no surprise that this book’s title is just as reductive as its content. If you’re looking for a book that actually depicts what ED sufferers go through and what the recovery rides entails, read Famished by Rebecca J. Lester instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2023
this book was really hard to rate and review. as someone who struggles with an eating disorder, i found it very accurate and relatable. the feelings that rose has towards her body and food are what many people experience with an eating disorder.
that being said, depicting an experience accurately is only part of the battle when writing a novel. i found lily to be overwhelmingly dumb when it came to her married boyfriend. she was far too willing to accept abuse. it was disheartening that rose did not do more. lily never learned, and she was, quite frankly, annoying.
the first half of this novel takes place in an eating disorder recovery facility. the facility is really, really poor. the nurses don't care, the staff doesn't help. the second half takes place outside of the ward.
would i call this a queer novel? no, not really. there are some themes of bisexuality and lesbian identity, but they're never fully realized. the men in this novel are horribly disgusting. rose and lily have absolutely no emotion towards the absolute shit show that is their parents' relationship. kat mitchells feels like a girl, interrupted lisa plot device.
if anything this novel makes me want to relapse. i knew that it probably would, and i read it anyway. i felt that there was a lack of character development and... any real emotions.
that being said, depicting an experience accurately is only part of the battle when writing a novel. i found lily to be overwhelmingly dumb when it came to her married boyfriend. she was far too willing to accept abuse. it was disheartening that rose did not do more. lily never learned, and she was, quite frankly, annoying.
the first half of this novel takes place in an eating disorder recovery facility. the facility is really, really poor. the nurses don't care, the staff doesn't help. the second half takes place outside of the ward.
would i call this a queer novel? no, not really. there are some themes of bisexuality and lesbian identity, but they're never fully realized. the men in this novel are horribly disgusting. rose and lily have absolutely no emotion towards the absolute shit show that is their parents' relationship. kat mitchells feels like a girl, interrupted lisa plot device.
if anything this novel makes me want to relapse. i knew that it probably would, and i read it anyway. i felt that there was a lack of character development and... any real emotions.
February 18, 2020
I was lucky to receive an advanced reading copy from Edelweiss. I'd been anticipating this book ever since I saw it on my forthcoming list to order for my library. From the point of view of Rose, who struggles with anorexia, the story chronicles her life in a rehab center while also reminiscing on the past with her sister, Lily. Lily struggles with a different eating disorder, that of overeating, and the novel draws both contrasts and parallels between the twins. Although this isn't totally a twin story - Rose has a lot of growth on her own to discover, including how to heal from her disorder and how to accept her identity as a lesbian - much of the novel explores the relationship between the sisters, both the successful and the destructive parts. I was rooting for Rose throughout the book, hoping she would find what she was truly looking for, and I loved her voice. Clarke is an exciting new voice in fiction, and I expect this book to be successful.
September 18, 2020
This book is very disturbing and uncomfortable to read. Filled with triggers when it comes to food and domestic violence. I was so grossed out about food after reading this book, I need to fully collect my thoughts on this one.not an easy read by any means. 4.5/5
May 4, 2021
RTC if I’m not a flake. 😬
September 12, 2020
I’m not going to lie. If you struggle with eating disorders, maybe skip this book. Perhaps it���s all the ash in the air (which makes me nauseous), but while reading this novel, I went through weird binging phases which was reminiscent of old toxic eating habits. But it’s also been incredibly ashy and there was just a massive heatwave, so I haven’t been able to work out, so that’s most likely the reason behind my terrible eating. If anything, this book had me hyper-focusing on my relationship with food, which is probably one of its many intentions.
One of the more popular thematic concerns in the 21st century is the body. Maintaining and sustaining a corporeal form isn’t all that it’s chalked up to be. However, Thin Girls follows our protagonist, Rose, who has a twin sister. I’m fresh off of the Brit Bennett train, so literary fiction with twins piques my interest.
The novel opens with Rose in a rehabilitation facility for anorexia. She describes herself as an anorectic and a part of the thin girls. This is her community. This is her tribe. But that wasn’t always true. Before she was a thin girl, Rose was a twin. This a pattern for Rose. She defines herself by others, and at her worst, by what she’s not. The narrative continues to flip between the present (the rehabilitation timeline) and the past (from childhood and onward). The two plots have us exploring Rose’s traumas and the development of her eating disorder.
One of the shining aspects of the novel is the twin-thing. Our characters, Rose and Lily can feel each other’s pain and taste the other’s emotions. So when Rose begins to starve herself, Lily eats. As Rose begins to lose weight, Lily starts to gain. Although this trope seems contrite, Clarke’s take is refreshing and works. The flavor emotions the siblings’ experience brings a breath of fresh air into a trope that’s overdone, especially when both of the characters have EDs.
This novel explores sexuality, eating disorders, trauma, suppression, and how childhood and family affect us in adulthood. This novel is intense. The descriptions of the body are often jarring, bleak, and gross. Clarke is talented at incorporating smell into this novel, specifically rancid smells. Often times I found myself saying "ew" out loud and needing to look away from the page.
Despite rave reviews from my bookseller friends, I was hesitant when starting this novel. Some of my favorite works that explore the body are Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Danarembga and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. One examines what happens to the body-psyche after generations of colonialism and the other follows the top 10% wasting itself away out of existence. The bar is high.
I’m pleased that this novel surpassed all of my expectations with its clever narrative structure, unique usage of found text, and its commentary on behavior. The sheer amount of animal behavioral, psychological, zoological, and diet research that went into this novel blows my mind. This novel is written and organized with so much intention; every image had a purpose to drive the story and theme.
Read this, if you don’t have an eating disorder that’s at risk of being triggered.
One of the more popular thematic concerns in the 21st century is the body. Maintaining and sustaining a corporeal form isn’t all that it’s chalked up to be. However, Thin Girls follows our protagonist, Rose, who has a twin sister. I’m fresh off of the Brit Bennett train, so literary fiction with twins piques my interest.
The novel opens with Rose in a rehabilitation facility for anorexia. She describes herself as an anorectic and a part of the thin girls. This is her community. This is her tribe. But that wasn’t always true. Before she was a thin girl, Rose was a twin. This a pattern for Rose. She defines herself by others, and at her worst, by what she’s not. The narrative continues to flip between the present (the rehabilitation timeline) and the past (from childhood and onward). The two plots have us exploring Rose’s traumas and the development of her eating disorder.
One of the shining aspects of the novel is the twin-thing. Our characters, Rose and Lily can feel each other’s pain and taste the other’s emotions. So when Rose begins to starve herself, Lily eats. As Rose begins to lose weight, Lily starts to gain. Although this trope seems contrite, Clarke’s take is refreshing and works. The flavor emotions the siblings’ experience brings a breath of fresh air into a trope that’s overdone, especially when both of the characters have EDs.
This novel explores sexuality, eating disorders, trauma, suppression, and how childhood and family affect us in adulthood. This novel is intense. The descriptions of the body are often jarring, bleak, and gross. Clarke is talented at incorporating smell into this novel, specifically rancid smells. Often times I found myself saying "ew" out loud and needing to look away from the page.
Despite rave reviews from my bookseller friends, I was hesitant when starting this novel. Some of my favorite works that explore the body are Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Danarembga and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. One examines what happens to the body-psyche after generations of colonialism and the other follows the top 10% wasting itself away out of existence. The bar is high.
I’m pleased that this novel surpassed all of my expectations with its clever narrative structure, unique usage of found text, and its commentary on behavior. The sheer amount of animal behavioral, psychological, zoological, and diet research that went into this novel blows my mind. This novel is written and organized with so much intention; every image had a purpose to drive the story and theme.
Read this, if you don’t have an eating disorder that’s at risk of being triggered.
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