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Empty: A Story of Anorexia
More than five million adolescent girls struggle with eating dis-orders, and more than 80 percent of American women are unhappy with their bodies. Christie Pettit knows these statistics firsthand. As a college student with a tennis scholarship, she found herself eating less and less, compulsively exercising, and spiraling downward in a dangerous battle against anorexia. She was starving--but she didn't know it.
Now with a two-color interior, Empty recounts Christie's gripping story, incorporating new statistics, reflections from her journal, and biblical insight. Her candid retelling of her experience shows the spiritual dimension of eating disorders and describes how Christie turned to the Bible as a source of strength and encouragement to help her overcome anorexia.
Pastors, parents, counselors, and those battling anorexia--especially teen girls--will find hope and wise counsel in Christie's compelling story.
Now with a two-color interior, Empty recounts Christie's gripping story, incorporating new statistics, reflections from her journal, and biblical insight. Her candid retelling of her experience shows the spiritual dimension of eating disorders and describes how Christie turned to the Bible as a source of strength and encouragement to help her overcome anorexia.
Pastors, parents, counselors, and those battling anorexia--especially teen girls--will find hope and wise counsel in Christie's compelling story.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 1, 2015
This book is anti-feminist and insulting to non-theists. The author repeatedly equates mental illness with weakness, sin, and evil. She mentions regretting her acceptance to our culture's beauty standards and feminine ideals, yet she tells women how to act in order to live a life worthy of God's love. Her life is not only consumed by a brief struggle with Anorexia and overexercising, but also her white/cis/hetero privilege, which she fails to acknowledge. This book can probably only be helpful to a person who looks and thinks exactly like this author, who only struggles with an internal war, and experiences virtually no other forms of oppression. Those looking for an in-depth analysis of the first step of admitting powerlessness over an eating disorder should look here, but only if they are also interested in a relationship with Jesus and are immune to extremely triggering and reductive language.
February 15, 2011
Is this even real? It reads like Christian propaganda about body issues. Certainly I have no problems with Christianity or if someone uses any religion to help recover from a problem, but really.. what is this. The journal entries definitely don't read like any person's real private thoughts and the extra quotes from other girls, what. Your mom suggested you play outside so you develop an eating disorder? I'm trying really hard to not judge, and not just because of the section of the book about God teaching you not to judge, but really. Don't even waste your time. If you are looking for Christianity in eating disorder recovery there must be better options out there.
October 2, 2008
Horrible, horrible, horrible. This book reads more like a checklist than a story of recovery from an eating disorder. I don't know if the author was just being evasive or honestly thought she was telling her story - but what I do know is that this book was a waste of time to read, especially if you are desperate for help. She made recovery too easy and too elusive at the same time.
January 5, 2013
This book was a far cry from the harsh reality of Eating disorders. I strongly disliked this book in all aspects possible.
March 31, 2022
Nothing but Bible verses
May 31, 2013
Well, that was...not really any better than other reviews suggested.
I do appreciate that she says up front that religion is not a cure-all for eating disorders, but the book devolves pretty quickly into something very, I don't know, zealous. It's equal parts a book about how religion helped her get past an eating disorder and a book on how she was sinning by having an eating disorder, which...well.
(Side note: "I believe God allowed me to develop an eating disorder for a reason. I also know that since God is all-powerful, he has the power to free me from this burden whenever he thinks is best. It could be that God wants me to be anorexic for the rest of my life so I can learn from it and help others..." (page 101) Ack. That just seems like such a potentially damaging attitude.)
The other thing -- and as far as I'm concerned, this is a major flaw -- is that the book simply isn't written very well. Imagine a high school essay written by a reasonably bright student. Multiply it a few times to get something book-length (but don't multiply the variety of content, as there's a lot of repetition). This is roughly what you end up with. The writing might be fine in a different context, but for a memoir, it falls flat. Too much telling rather than showing; too much "This entry reveals...", "This entry shows", "I am talking about my eating disorder in this passage", etc.; no fully realised scenes or insights into anything other than her relationship with God. I'm not one for religion-based solutions to this sort of thing (although I recognise that religion can be beneficial), but that end of things, too, could have been enhanced by different choices in terms of how to show the story.
I've always liked the cover of this one, but it's one of the stronger parts of the book. I expect that there are valuable religion/spirituality-based books out there that might be helpful in recovery from an eating disorder (or other struggle), but I wouldn't suggest this one.
I do appreciate that she says up front that religion is not a cure-all for eating disorders, but the book devolves pretty quickly into something very, I don't know, zealous. It's equal parts a book about how religion helped her get past an eating disorder and a book on how she was sinning by having an eating disorder, which...well.
(Side note: "I believe God allowed me to develop an eating disorder for a reason. I also know that since God is all-powerful, he has the power to free me from this burden whenever he thinks is best. It could be that God wants me to be anorexic for the rest of my life so I can learn from it and help others..." (page 101) Ack. That just seems like such a potentially damaging attitude.)
The other thing -- and as far as I'm concerned, this is a major flaw -- is that the book simply isn't written very well. Imagine a high school essay written by a reasonably bright student. Multiply it a few times to get something book-length (but don't multiply the variety of content, as there's a lot of repetition). This is roughly what you end up with. The writing might be fine in a different context, but for a memoir, it falls flat. Too much telling rather than showing; too much "This entry reveals...", "This entry shows", "I am talking about my eating disorder in this passage", etc.; no fully realised scenes or insights into anything other than her relationship with God. I'm not one for religion-based solutions to this sort of thing (although I recognise that religion can be beneficial), but that end of things, too, could have been enhanced by different choices in terms of how to show the story.
I've always liked the cover of this one, but it's one of the stronger parts of the book. I expect that there are valuable religion/spirituality-based books out there that might be helpful in recovery from an eating disorder (or other struggle), but I wouldn't suggest this one.
May 8, 2007
Way too simplistic for my taste, which made everything seem unrealistice. And the narrative voice was unengaging.
June 10, 2016
Possibly the biggest load of bs I've read in a while.
August 17, 2021
It seems that this book doesn't please non Christians for obvs reasons but it also doesn't please me - a Christian
The reason why is because Christie Pettit throughout the book (so far - I haven't finished it yet ) only prays to God not Jesus - the Christian God gave us Jesus and he didn't do it casually He gave us Jesus as a path to Him - yes God is important of course He is - He is the Father but Jesus is incredibly important too and this book is a disservice to Jesus - if she prayed directly to Jesus the anorexia would leave her mind and body because anorexia is caused by demonic activity - ie demons - and demons can't stay around if Jesus is there - in fact if Jesus lives in your heart and mind 24 / 7 anorexia demons wouldn't go anywhere near you in the first place because your love for Jesus protects you - you belong to Christ and demons don't dare touch what belongs to Jesus - everyone else is open to anorexia demons aka Ana - my daughter had anorexia and it went away when we prayed to Jesus
there is no known cause of anorexia and no known cure either - anti psychotic drugs don't work on the anorexic voice
March 22, 2026
It was ok, too repetitive
October 27, 2014
Just ho hum
I felt like most of the book was really only written to persuade the author that she has indeed overcome her eating disorder. The editing in areas where there were steps or bullet points were so had in some places that entire words were missing. Just glad it was a fast read.
I felt like most of the book was really only written to persuade the author that she has indeed overcome her eating disorder. The editing in areas where there were steps or bullet points were so had in some places that entire words were missing. Just glad it was a fast read.
November 15, 2009
This was a good book to read after I had recovered from anarexia however I am now going through it all over again and this time it's worse. I found it a very encouraging book to help me keep on the right track.
April 3, 2015
This is actually a story of recovery, rather than the disease. Pettit takes a sincere, Christian approach to her recovery. The book also has quotes in the margins from others struggling with eating disorders
June 3, 2007
Quick read. I'm not a super religious person, but I admire how she was able to find healing through God and her faith. Lots of quotes/passages from the Bible that I could have done without.
November 19, 2012
I liked the writing an everything just not the format. Full review to come…maybe
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December 26, 2015I didn't realize the religious aspect to this book plus the book was just terrible.
December 12, 2016
Nei, bare nei. Har lest mange bøker om spiseforstyrrelser - dette er den desidert verste av dem alle.
Greide ikke å lese den ferdig.
Greide ikke å lese den ferdig.
July 4, 2012
Excellent book. Well written. Encouraging and insightful.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews