Book Being Reviewed:
Hornbacher, M. (2009). Wasted: A memoir of anorexia and bulimia. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Reviewer:
Kristilyn Welles

Genre:
Memoir/Biography

Subject Headings:
Body image, Eating disorders, Female lifespan development, Health/Wellness

Review:
Wasted, by Marya Hornbacher is a memoir of Marya's personal experiences with anorexia and bulimia.The book is essentially a story about the authors life, beginning at age nine when she became bulimic and ending at age 23, when she was in recovery. The book is written in a narrative style that includes factual footnotes and scientific explanations at the bottom of the pages. Marya also includes many direct dialogues and specific stories of her many ups and downs. It includes her recovery highs and her darkest lows, exploring her emotions and state of mind along the way.This is a book that many young women who are suffering with eating disorders can relate to. Marya is honest and real; she does not sugar-coat anything. She gives an intimate look into the dark world of eating disorders and provides incredibly insightful commentary and reflection.

Beginning the book at such a young age is helpful for readers to see that this problem may start long before puberty and can truly be a disorder and not a result of hormones and teenage angst.Therapeutically, this book will be most successful for young women who are in any stage of an eating disorder. They can relate Marya's story to their own, and see how they are alike and different. The book can also help a young client to see that there is hope and change is possible after an eating disorder. Another therapeutic task could be to have a client write their own experiences as if it were in a book, to provide time and space for them to reflect; with this, you can see what they consider to be important to their story, and what is not. A great book for clients to learn more about themselves and their eating disorder.