Paperweight

by Meg Haston

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Struggling to deal with her brother's death and a past she refuses to confront, Stevie knows she has problems. But she's still furious about the fact that she's been packed off to a health clinic, in the middle of nowhere, where mobile phones are banned and communication with the outside world is strictly by permission only. The regimented and obtrusive nature of the clinic and its staff is torture to the deeply private, obstinate Stevie - and don't even get her started on the other 'inmates'. All she wants is to be left alone...

But as Stevie is about to find out, life is full of surprises. And she will prove herself stronger than she knows - even when her past finally catches her up in the most shocking and brutal way possible.

• ISBN10: 1471404560
• ISBN13: 9781471404566
• Publish Date: 2 July 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Hot Key Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

Contains triggers for those who have experienced, or have been touched by eating disorders.

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/07/paperweight-by-meg-haston.html
Paperweight is an emotional, difficult and distressing read about a girl who ultimately wants to die. Stevie is bulimic, her weight loss and emotional state landing her at the health clinic with girls who know all too well what it feels like to live with an eating disorder. Her weight is the only aspect in her life that she feels in control of, carrying around the blame of her brothers tragic death in which Stevie survived the accident. The one trait Stevie has is likability, even beyond her abrasive personality and refusal to adhere to the program. But behind the eating disorder lies a troubled girl, a girl who's mother left her for a better life and Eden, a girl who played games with her by building her confidence up in the most destructive of ways.

Reading Stevie's journey was incredibly emotional and at times, distressing, as she comes to terms with the girl she was and the young woman she hopes to become. Stevie's character development was brilliant and one of my favourite aspects of Paperweight. She doesn't change due to a love interest and her growth isn't an overnight phenomenon. Stevie's only chance at recovery comes in the form of the realisation that to die, she isn't honouring Josh's memory but needs to make the most of the life Josh will now never live.

Paperweight is an incredibly moving and emotional read of one girl's struggle with addiction, self confidence and feeling worthy of living. It's not the destination, but the story of fight and survival throughout Stevie's journey that will appeal to readers of emotional and realistic fiction. Beautifully written, raw and packs a punch. Really enjoyed it.

[whisperingchapters]

When I read the synopsis, I knew I had to request this book. Some personal issues in my life, which some of you have read about previously on this blog, have led me to love these types of books so I went in with high hopes. That's the thing, guys. You cannot go in with high hopes or it is a very high chance you will be disappointed.

Stevie can be described as a very complex character whom I thought I would love as the story progressed, yet I didn't. I didn't feel any emotional pull towards her. I tried to like her and would even forgive things she would do but she still irked me a lot. I couldn't comprehend what was going on through her head, which to be honest happens quite a lot with real life people. There were two characters I loved in this story and they are Ana, the shrink and Ashley, the roommate. Ana is what every aspiring Psychologist should look up to. Yes, she did quite a few minor things that are not okay by the APA (American Psychological Association) but she did everything she could to help Stevie. There are times where you even see her shedding a tear for Stevie because she truly cares. Do you know how hard it is to find a psychologist who truly cares about you? You'd be surprised how difficult it is to find one. The ones that are lucky to have one like Ana, should treasure them 110%. Then there is Ashley, another character who is a bit complex but is easy to love. In the beginning, Stevie didn't quite like Ashley, which even led me to dislike her a bit but then I realized I was being stupid since Ashley is probably the best friend Stevie could have asked for in a place where she is. Ashley looks out for Stevie like no one has ever done, besides her brother. She is another character that cares for Stevie and is there for her.

Now let's talk about the characters I didn't like and one of them is Eden. Eden is Stevie's friend from before she went into treatment and let me tell you, I wasn't fond of her at all. While reading about her, I felt like she thought she was above everyone else and she would toy around with people's emotions. I also didn't like Stevie's mom. She abandoned Stevie and her dad after the funeral and they hadn't heard from her in a while. She also didn't care about anyone but herself, or at least that's how she was portrayed to me. It shows why Stevie has the behavior she has when it comes to her body image. Yes, it is Stevie's mind and it was her choice, but sometimes the people that surround us play a role in how we act. In this case, Stevie didn't receive love from her mom—only from her brother and father. This could lead to many negative thoughts running through ones head and in this case, it leads Stevie to take a negative action.

I have to warn some of you. This book has some triggering parts to those that suffer from Anorexia and/or Bulimia Nervosa and those who Self-Harm or have suicidal thoughts. I want to put that out there because people do get triggered by these things, even if it tries to portray a positive message in the end. With that said, even with my rating, I recommend teens to read this book—the reason being that it deals with many things that sometimes teens tend to be ignorant about, even adults. This book could serve as a learning material to some and even on how to deal with someone who suffers from the subjects mentioned above. These subjects are very serious and shouldn't be taken lightly. It was inspiring to read that this story was based on the author's experiences at a treatment camp, which makes you realize that these things do happen in real life, no matter how frustrating a person can get.

[celinenyx]

I initially requested Paperweight because of two reasons. One, I'm always intrigued by books concerning any kind of mental illness or disorder. Two, Paperweight is one of the very few contemporary book blurbs that doesn't allude to a romantic subplot that I've seen in a while.

The death anniversary of the brother she killed is coming closer - and Stevie has it all worked out. On that day, she will die too. But then she gets sent to a treatment center by her father, making her plan a lot harder to execute.

The voice of the narrator of the story, Stevie, is very authentic. This gives the entire story a gravity and emotional impact that it might not have otherwise, but it also makes for incredibly uncomfortable reading. Stevie is being treated for an eating disorder, and her guilty, mean thoughts are displayed in full. She hates seeing fat - she hates seeing anything but skin and bone. Her own body filling out disgusts her, and eating is incredibly hard for her. Depending on what your own relationship with food is, Paperweight might make you uneasy or anxious, or its message might hit a bit too close to home.

An issue with books concerning this kind of topic is that the psychologist character is either a full-blown sadist or a flat caricature. Paperweight has a three-dimensional, sympathetic psychologist in Anna, also called Shrink by Stevie. Through glimpses of a back story, Anna is made into someone real, providing a perfect counterpoint to Stevie. Anna pushes her sometimes, and Stevie resents her for it, but she's also professional and cares about her work. Paperweight deserves all the credit for presenting a human psychologist.

Stevie's story of healing is a subtle one. There is no Hallmark epilogue in which everyone lives happily ever after in perfect harmony. By the end I wanted to know more about Stevie and the girls, even though the ending was quite satisfactory. Paperweight is a fantastic YA book on guilt, family, and eating disorders.