I could not put this book down! It is an absolutely incredible work. I think Rachel is a character that most young girls can relate to. I’ve found myself thinking about food, calories, and my body in the same way that Rachel does in Broder’s work. She is neurotic, obsessive, and highly damaged, but also highly loveable. I wanted Rachel to win in her life, and the way that Broder progresses the story and develops Rachel’s character makes the reader feel as if she does, though it may not appear that way on the surface. I found myself drawn to Rachel, perhaps because I’ve thought in similar patterns or perhaps because Broder wrote an electric, alluring character. 

Another aspect of this book that I think made it so amazing was its dialogue. The dialogue is so, so realistic without being boring. It is fresh, readable, and forms fully in the reader’s mind. Dialogue can, in some sense, make or break a story, and Broder’s dialogue definitely made the story great! I felt that it added a whole other dynamic to the characters.

I only have one issue with Broder’s work and that is the quick recovery of Rachel’s eating disorder. Rachel does go to a therapist for multiple reasons, but I felt as if Rachel’s disordered thinking and eating was not a main focus of her work with her therapist. It seems as if her eating disorder is quickly resolved when she meets and develops a relationship with Miriam. It just didn’t seem the most realistic to me, but I liked the book nonetheless.