Item: Lighter Than My Shadow
Rating: 5.00
Author: biblioholicbeth

by Katie Green

A poignant, heart-lifting graphic memoir about anorexia, eating disorders and the journey to recovery

Like most kids, Katie was a picky eater. She'd sit at the table in silent protest, hide uneaten toast in her bedroom, listen to parental threats that she'd have to eat it for breakfast. But in any life a set of circumstance can collide, and normal behaviour might soon shade into something sinister, something deadly.

Lighter Than My Shadow is a hand-drawn story of struggle and recovery, a trip into the black heart of a taboo illness, an exposure of those who are so weak as to prey on the vulnerable, and an inspiration to anybody who believes in the human power to endure towards happiness.

'Even at its most heartbreaking it never feels sombre ... Inspiring, plucky and, in the end, consoling, it's hard to put down' Observer

I honestly cannot get over how affecting this was - and I believe that the images certainly made the difference. It brought me to tears a few times, and Green did an amazing job conveying the misery, pain and hopelessness that she often felt. I cannot imagine what it took for her to find the strength to ask for help and to get herself better - but I have a much better idea that I would have before. Kudos to you, Ms. Green. And hopefully this book will fall into the hands of anyone who finds themselves in a similar crisis of the spirit and/or of the mind, because while this book covers a very specific set of circumstances, I believe the overall message could be helpful to anyone.

Lighter Than My Shadow

by Katie Green

Reviewed by Beth C. on Nov 13, 2017

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