Type of read: Commuter (listened to and from work)

What made me pick it up: Halse Anderson is one of my favorite authors and I'm making my way through her works again. I first read Wintergirls in my teens and I wanted to experience the story again in my 30s.

Overall rating: Wintergirls is tragic, lonely, desperate, and brutal. It's a true glimpse into the mind of someone struggling with their mental health and how they battle with themselves. While I loved the book the first time I read it, Wintergirls hit different for me now as someone on the other side of treatment for EDNOS. The first time I read the book, I saw myself as Lia. I'd been where she was, fought in the same battle, and come out the other side. This time around, I see all those who were with her and helped her write her story. I will always be a fan of the way Halse Anderson writes with such honesty and passion.

Readers note: As the description includes, this book has multiple disordered eating, as well as self-harm and suicide references. I would not suggest this book to those who are early in recovery, do not have a strong support system, or may be impacted by descriptive behaviors of personal past habits as some chapters could be triggering.

*I do not consider my first reading of Wintergirls as a contributor to my own personal health journey.*