Letting Ana Go (Anonymous Diaries)

by Anonymous

In the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction.

She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change.

But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better—stronger—she felt.

But it’s a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going too far…

Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind.

• ISBN10: 1442472138
• ISBN13: 9781442472136
• Publish Date: 4 June 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

"That's the part of me that is out of control, the part of me that must be contained. That's the part of me that will cause me to lose it and go beserk, to stuff my face with anything it sees to make these feelings go away."

Letting Ana Go is one seriously intense, real and scary book! I thought about putting this book down a million times because I just couldn't handle it!

It is told through a series of diary entries (which I loved!) and is about an unnamed narrator who starts suffering from anorexia.

Letting Ana Go is a book that deals with anorexia. As someone whose knowledge of anorexia is limited, I was quite interested in learning more about it, but the information provided was things that I knew about. I wanted a learning experience, but I didn't really get one. This book did portray that anorexia is a scary reality. The main character starts sinking into a deep hole due to her family circumstances and peer pressure. She never realises how deep the hole is and even when I though she was recovering, she digs herself further down, until she's almost six feet under. I do feel that this book dealt with what anorexia is and how it affects people, but it didn't really deal with how people get treated for it, or what forms of treatment there are in recovering from a eating disorder.

I also had issues connecting with the characters. I didn't like the unnamed narrator, her insta-lovey relationship with her boyfriend, even although I give him major props for standing by her side, and I did not love the main characters friend. There was NO character in Letting Ana Go that I fully connected with and this reduced my reading enjoyment.

Letting Ana Go ends the way I hate books ending, (HUGE SPOILER! Click at your own peril!)The main character dies! and even although it's brutal and heartbreaking, it's quite fitting for this realistic, sad and intensely emotional book.

Yeah I hated this book.

If you have any issues with eating and body insecurities - DO NOT READ. I am fairly healthy with my attitude to all this sort of stuff and I found it hard.

This is probably one of those really important reads and people should know more about the issue - but I think there's a way to tackle this sort of thing as well. This book was not only full of triggers but it was also depressing as hell. She DIES! Like all that and she bloody DIES. It's very abrupt. I just thought it would be more about recovery and that. You know, something hopeful and inspiring. I know eating disorders can result in death but it was written in a very confronting manner. On the other hand there's enough triggers in this book that I think most people will find it hard to avoid dangerous thought patterns and frankly will avoid the fact that eating disorders can kill. Anyone with an eating disorder will relapse. I don't have an eating disorder and I found myself considering my eating habits.

A friend has an eating disorder and I read this book with the hope to gain more insight into how I could help. The first step would be to never let her see this book.