Top 5 Self Acceptance/ Eating Disorder Books

Hello my beautiful fudgies!

If you know me in real life, this is no surprise to you, but for those of you aren't so "fortunate", I am

The Illustrious Book Nerd Award

proud to divulge a well-known fact about the girl behind the blog: I am, and always will remain, a huge geek, so much so that I even won an award in the 4th grade (pictured on the right) for spending the most time at the library (though to be fair, I loved the library mostly because no one could throw snow balls at your headgear during recess).

A characteristic of my particular nerdiness is that I find most of my hope, inspiration, and answers to my questions within the pages of a good book. I have thus decided to share the 5 best books (in my opinion) that deal with individuality, self acceptance, eating disorders and/or perfection.

Most of these are geared towards teens, to make your reading easier and more enjoyable!

You may notice a lack of self-help books, and there is a simple reason for that: if all self-help books concretely helped you to develop self-esteem, I would not have had the idea to create the FP blog.

*for a list of similar books but in French, check out ANEB's Teen Reading Corner

1. Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves, by Crystal Renn

Offering a behind-the-scenes peek into the modeling industry through the eyes of the leading plus size model* in America, as well as a trenchant look at our weight-obsessed culture, Hungry is an inspiring and cautionary tale that will resonate with anyone who has battled society's small-minded definitions of beauty.

*this book was written before Crystal lost weight, but I still find it to be an incredibly well-researched and thought-provoking work. 

2. Perfect, By Ellen Hopkins 

A companion book to Impulse, my favourite young adult book of all time:

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they'd rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there. A story of streoids, eating disorders, and sexuality, Perfect is a great read to uncover the harsh truths behind the myth of perfection.

3. Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli

Who knew a young adult (borderline children's) book could be so deeply philosophical?

A story of a new girl, Stargirl, arriving at a typical high school in Arizona, and completely changing the dynamics of individuality and conformity.  Jerry Spinelli's simple, but undeniably effective writing style is superb. A recommendation for kids, for parents, and everybody who has ever struggled to conform. 

4.  Unbearable Lightness, by Portia De Rossi

In this groundbreaking memoir, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, from the time she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal . All the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing from herself and everyone around her the seriousness of her illness. (Amazon.com description, couldn't agree more)

5. Just Listen, by Sarah Design

My favorite Dessen novel by far: Although Annabel's facade makes people think she has everything going for her, she is lonely until she meets reformed bad boy Owen.

This book beautifully depicts the reality of family and societal expectations, as well as telling the story of an eating disorder from a sibling's perspective. 

----

I hope you all have an amazing day, and if you happen to be browsing your local library, keep these suggestions in mind!

xoxoxo

Gabby