What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard

What I Lost

Alexandra Ballard

Square Fish · Paperback · June 5, 2018

A searing yet ultimately uplifting young adult novel about a teenage girl's recovery from anorexia What sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has lost so far: forty pounds, four jean sizes, a boyfriend, and her peace of mind.

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Who it’s for
A clear-eyed, compassionate novel about the difficult work of recovery.
Genres
Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens, Mental Illness for Teens, Depression for Teens
Published
Square Fish, June 5, 2018

About this book

A searing yet ultimately uplifting young adult novel about a teenage girl's recovery from anorexia What sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has lost so far: forty pounds, four jean sizes, a boyfriend, and her peace of mind. As a result, she’s finally a size zero. She’s also the newest resident at Wallingfield, a treatment center for girls like her—girls with eating disorders.

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Elizabeth is determined to endure the program so she can go back home, where she plans to start restricting her food intake again. She’s pretty sure her mom, who has her own size-zero obsession, needs treatment as much as she does. Maybe even more. Then Elizabeth begins receiving mysterious packages. Are they from her ex-boyfriend, a secret admirer, or someone playing a cruel trick? What I Lost is an eloquent debut novel by Alexandra Ballard that rings with authenticity as it follows Elizabeth’s journey to taking an active role in her eating disorder recovery, hoping to get back all that she lost. Praise for What I Lost: “Readers will root for the novel’s likable main character and gain some understanding of the complexity of her illness at the same time.” —Kirkus Reviews “Through Elizabeth’s painful uphill battle, newcomer Ballard skillfully illustrates that although unhealthy eating habits may start as a choice, an eating disorder is a complicated illness that cannot be battled without support and vigilance.” —Publishers Weekly

Recovery, Unvarnished

A clear-eyed, compassionate novel about the difficult work of recovery.

Come here for

  • A candid view of eating-disorder recovery
  • A teen perspective on illness and family strain

Expect

  • An emotionally serious reading experience
  • An ultimately uplifting note, without an easy fix

Where it sits

Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens100%
Mental Illness for Teens87%
Depression for Teens26%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens
  • Friendship for Teens
  • Finding Your Footing
Authors
Alexandra Ballard
Publisher
Square Fish
Published
June 5, 2018
Format
Paperback
Reading lane
Eating Disorders & Body Image for Teens