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Skinny
Do you ever get hungry? Too hungry to eat?
Holly's older sister, Giselle, is self-destructing. Haunted by her love-deprived relationship with her late father, this once strong role model and medical student is gripped by anorexia. Holly, a track star, struggles to keep her own life in balance while coping with the mental and physical deterioration of her beloved sister. Together, they can feel themselves slipping and are holding on for dear life.
This honest look at the special bond between sisters is told from the perspective of both girls, as they alternate narrating each chapter. Gritty and often wryly funny, Skinny explores family relationships, love, pain, and the hunger for acceptance that drives all of us.
Holly's older sister, Giselle, is self-destructing. Haunted by her love-deprived relationship with her late father, this once strong role model and medical student is gripped by anorexia. Holly, a track star, struggles to keep her own life in balance while coping with the mental and physical deterioration of her beloved sister. Together, they can feel themselves slipping and are holding on for dear life.
This honest look at the special bond between sisters is told from the perspective of both girls, as they alternate narrating each chapter. Gritty and often wryly funny, Skinny explores family relationships, love, pain, and the hunger for acceptance that drives all of us.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 2004
About the author
Ibi Kaslik
11 books46 followersIbi Kaslik is an internationally published novelist and freelance writer. Her recent novel, The Angel Riots, is a critically acclaimed rock n’ roll comic-tragedy and was nominated for Ontario’s Trillium award (2009). Her first novel, Skinny, was a New York Times Bestseller and has been published in numerous countries. Ibi teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 542 reviews
July 15, 2020
4.5 "harsh, stylized, visceral" stars!!!
2016 Honorable Mention Read
Ms. Kaslik spares nobody in this family drama. A mother and two daughters grieve the death of the male figure (father/husband) and each are damaged to varying degrees. Mother is tired, lonely and unable to move forward.
The story though mostly revolves around the two daughters as they struggle with themselves and each other. The elder has had to drop out of med school as she has relapsed with severe (and I mean severe) anorexia nervosa. The younger has behavioral issues and sees the ghost of her dead papa in various guises. The sisters love each other fiercely but they also hurt each other in a myriad of ways.
Ms. Kasilik gives a stark stylized telling of what it is like to live with anorexia nervosa in a compelling, harsh and razor sharp way. This illness can be so bleak in its severe manifestations and causes the person to slowly break down physically, psychologically and spiritually. This is beyond body image and moves into the area of delusion and self-annhilation. The effects on the family can be both blatant and subtle and Ms. Kasilik is able to convey this skillfully and artfully albeit painfully.
The writing is highly sharp, insightful and stylized.
Here are some examples of the writing that I found so compelling:
"I pray even though I'm past praying. I call on Jesus though he never calls on me."
"Still, Giselle's misery is terrible and beautiful, like stained white cotton dresses."
Don't get me started on Chapter 23 though which I have now read five times. It is a conversation of Giselle with her alter ego that demands starvation and only starvation. This is how Giselle describes her:
"She is incomplete, a succubus: trigger -happy, toilet-mouthed, kniefe-wielding, blue and white and sometimes green in the face from screaming, from telling me all that I cannot have. When I manage to beat her down, tie her into a chair on the far side of the room, get her to eat some food, she smiles her sanguine, toothless grin. She starves proudly, waits, like a saint, she waits for death by fire or baptism."
If you want to truly understand the experience of severe anorexia nervosa then this book would be a really good way to start.
A remarkable novel debut!!
2016 Honorable Mention Read
Ms. Kaslik spares nobody in this family drama. A mother and two daughters grieve the death of the male figure (father/husband) and each are damaged to varying degrees. Mother is tired, lonely and unable to move forward.
The story though mostly revolves around the two daughters as they struggle with themselves and each other. The elder has had to drop out of med school as she has relapsed with severe (and I mean severe) anorexia nervosa. The younger has behavioral issues and sees the ghost of her dead papa in various guises. The sisters love each other fiercely but they also hurt each other in a myriad of ways.
Ms. Kasilik gives a stark stylized telling of what it is like to live with anorexia nervosa in a compelling, harsh and razor sharp way. This illness can be so bleak in its severe manifestations and causes the person to slowly break down physically, psychologically and spiritually. This is beyond body image and moves into the area of delusion and self-annhilation. The effects on the family can be both blatant and subtle and Ms. Kasilik is able to convey this skillfully and artfully albeit painfully.
The writing is highly sharp, insightful and stylized.
Here are some examples of the writing that I found so compelling:
"I pray even though I'm past praying. I call on Jesus though he never calls on me."
"Still, Giselle's misery is terrible and beautiful, like stained white cotton dresses."
Don't get me started on Chapter 23 though which I have now read five times. It is a conversation of Giselle with her alter ego that demands starvation and only starvation. This is how Giselle describes her:
"She is incomplete, a succubus: trigger -happy, toilet-mouthed, kniefe-wielding, blue and white and sometimes green in the face from screaming, from telling me all that I cannot have. When I manage to beat her down, tie her into a chair on the far side of the room, get her to eat some food, she smiles her sanguine, toothless grin. She starves proudly, waits, like a saint, she waits for death by fire or baptism."
If you want to truly understand the experience of severe anorexia nervosa then this book would be a really good way to start.
A remarkable novel debut!!
May 20, 2011
The writing was okay but my main problem with the book was that I couldn't really get a clear picture of anything. There was always this sense of detachment between the characters and their story from the outside world. It's hard to place their lives in the context of the rest of the world, and for a long time I didn't even know where they were. I don't know what they looked like, and I seriously can't picture much of anything. Some scenes also seemed like they were included just for angst - they didn't really add much to the story. then again, it was a tad difficult understanding wha exactly the point of this story was; it didn't make me feel anything. And Holly wasn't very credible to me because she was always different - there was no strong, identifiable character that was Holly, just her actions that were constantly changing.
I can't say I liked it but I did not completely hate it. It may take me a while to convince myself to read something else by Kasilik.
I can't say I liked it but I did not completely hate it. It may take me a while to convince myself to read something else by Kasilik.
August 5, 2011
Skinny is sad in a subtly haunting way. The passages from the medical-school guide really emphasized Giselle's mortality and complemented her muted, though persistent, voice. *SPOILERS* I commend the author for her willingness to experiment with character death, because I've always felt that too many eating disorder novels end with la-di-da, Disney-ending recovery or even "life is not perfect, but I'm getting there day by day" recovery. Statistics say that eating disorders this serious rarely end that way and though the ending was sad, I'm glad Kaslik was realistic with it.
In terms of being a reader with an eating disorder, the italicized pieces (Giselle's disease speaking to her) seemed like they were ripped right out of my head. I felt as though I were going crazy along with Giselle, which is something only someone who has had an eating disorder could ever know or understand. Kaslik doesn't sugarcoat what an eating disorder can do to the psyche of its victims, and I commend her for writing so bravely something which seemed very personal. Giselle's eating disorder calls her an exhibitionist and a slut; it asks her, somewhat rhetorically, why she always loves people who never love her back. This seems harsh, but in fact, it's exactly the truth of what we go through every day. Thank you thank you THANK YOU Ibi Kaslik for making the world aware of what 1 in 10 women go through on a daily basis.
If you have an eating disorder, read this (BE ADVISED that it may be triggering). If you love someone with an eating disorder, read this. If you know someone with an eating disorder, read this. If, heaven help you, you've judged someone for their eating disorder, read this. If you're looking to educate yourself on a pervasive, misunderstood affliction which is tragically underrepresented by the media, read this. And even if you just want to read a deep book with a solid plot and a stunning voice, read this book, and keep reading.
In terms of being a reader with an eating disorder, the italicized pieces (Giselle's disease speaking to her) seemed like they were ripped right out of my head. I felt as though I were going crazy along with Giselle, which is something only someone who has had an eating disorder could ever know or understand. Kaslik doesn't sugarcoat what an eating disorder can do to the psyche of its victims, and I commend her for writing so bravely something which seemed very personal. Giselle's eating disorder calls her an exhibitionist and a slut; it asks her, somewhat rhetorically, why she always loves people who never love her back. This seems harsh, but in fact, it's exactly the truth of what we go through every day. Thank you thank you THANK YOU Ibi Kaslik for making the world aware of what 1 in 10 women go through on a daily basis.
If you have an eating disorder, read this (BE ADVISED that it may be triggering). If you love someone with an eating disorder, read this. If you know someone with an eating disorder, read this. If, heaven help you, you've judged someone for their eating disorder, read this. If you're looking to educate yourself on a pervasive, misunderstood affliction which is tragically underrepresented by the media, read this. And even if you just want to read a deep book with a solid plot and a stunning voice, read this book, and keep reading.
April 29, 2014
This was probably one of the worst books I've ever read. I had to force myself to get through this book, since I'm not one to just abandon them. The book switches POV from Holly to Giselle, but their stories are horribly connected. Little attention is payed to the girls problems, and when it is focused on it's done for plot points, not to see them handle it. Few descriptions were given for important moments in the book that it's hard to understand what exactly is going on. In the end, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone I know. There are much better stories out there that handle eating disorders while also making the characters feel alive instead of lifeless puppets.
March 1, 2013
I’m surprised that I hated this book. When I read the back it seemed like it would be a deep story about one person's struggle with anorexia in the POV of Giselle and her sister, Holly. However, the book seemed to completely bypass her illness. It ran right over it several times. The focus that lies on Giselle is all about it, but no one seems to care all that much. She progressively gets worse throughout the book, both in illness and in personality. I hated Giselle. She’s always selfish and acts immature even though she wants to be in med school, and she constantly plays the victim card. And every time she gets a little better, she immediately ties herself up and throws herself under a train. Holly, her younger sister seemed to have it all together and be a very strong character, but slowly lose it following her sister. I thought this was great the way that the girls paralleled in their struggles, which was shown fantastically though the changing in narration. Holly was a much more enjoyable and relatable character because she actually tried to help herself and others unlike Giselle who literally sat in bed for several chapters.
The ending (which I won’t spoil) was super confusing. It took me a few read throughs (and a goggle search) to understand what was happening. After I figured out what happened, it made sense, but until then it was dense and hard to follow.
Overall, the negatives and fouls of the book greatly outweigh the positives of the book. It’s very hard to enjoy a book when you hate the main character and really want her to just die from what she’s struggling with. It’s not a fun read and I’d never recommend it to anyone.
The ending (which I won’t spoil) was super confusing. It took me a few read throughs (and a goggle search) to understand what was happening. After I figured out what happened, it made sense, but until then it was dense and hard to follow.
Overall, the negatives and fouls of the book greatly outweigh the positives of the book. It’s very hard to enjoy a book when you hate the main character and really want her to just die from what she’s struggling with. It’s not a fun read and I’d never recommend it to anyone.
November 23, 2015
Frankly, this book was a total letdown. Gizelle seemed like a disappointing charade of what Kaslik read in a DSM of what an anorexic "should be." She definitely got aspects correct, but Gizelle was such an annoying (and hygienically repulsive character) that I could not feel badly for her. Moreover, her sister was equally as annoying and neither had any true characteristics other than obsessing over each other. Their bond was similarly as unbelievable as Gizelle reflecting anorexia, as Gizelle never addresses with her sister that Sol cheated on her with an eighth grader.
Furthermore, Kaslik could not decide what type of book to write: The immigrant family struggle, the parental infidelity, the cheating boyfriend, the oversexed middle schooler, the pressured bisexual grad student, the drug abuse, the dead father issues....it was too much. The only interesting part was Gizelle's flashback to her stint with lesbianism and the break up, which was, like everything in this book, glossed over.
I hope that Holly kept running until she found herself the character of an author who could develop her.
Furthermore, Kaslik could not decide what type of book to write: The immigrant family struggle, the parental infidelity, the cheating boyfriend, the oversexed middle schooler, the pressured bisexual grad student, the drug abuse, the dead father issues....it was too much. The only interesting part was Gizelle's flashback to her stint with lesbianism and the break up, which was, like everything in this book, glossed over.
I hope that Holly kept running until she found herself the character of an author who could develop her.
December 12, 2015
I went into Skinny wanting to read an anorexia story. How one character was struggling with this eating disorder and her sister was struggling to try to help her get over it. And if that was all the story was about, I would've loved this book. Because the writing wasn't that bad. But only a tiny bit of this book was about Giselle's anoxeria.
Because most of this book was about the 20 other angst-y problems that were added. To list some of them: their dead dad who didn't like/ignored Giselle, Holly being hearing impaired, and a boy.
And every time a boy comes into a young adult book that features two main female characters, there is, of course, some boy drama. Because apparently girls don't know how to control themselves in front of another guy, especially if this guy is dating their close female friend/sister.
Anyway, there were so many different situations that were added to this story that it was impossible for the author to fully develop them. Most of them were just mentioned and sort of glossed over, but then never mentioned again.
For example, Holly's hearing impairment. Holly was mostly deaf in one ear (at least I think it was one ear), so when she was young she couldn't speak and had to get a hearing aid. Her sister and she became close because Giselle was the only one willing to go over vowels and sounds with Holly. Giselle taught her how to speak.
Now, let me say that hearing impairment and hearing aids are things that I take very seriously. Both my mother and brother are hearing impaired: my mom wears one hearing aid and my brother wears two. And even though they wear these hearing aids, they aren't magically able to hear like everybody else.
Unlike Holly.
She's pretty much a normal popular girl: she can run track, play basketball, go to parties. And she has no trouble hearing and talking during any of that.
Which is complete bullshit. At any type of sports game, it's incredibly hard to hear a single person talking, because their hearing aids are picking up every noise around them; all the screams and shouts and horns. There's no way that my mom and brother would be able to hear commands from their fellow players or their coach, like Holly can. And if they were at a party, like Holly was at one point, and there was loud music playing, it would be incredibly frustrating to hold a conversation with anyone. But Holly did it perfectly and without a problem.
The only time she stated she had a problem hearing was in a math class. A quiet math class. Where the only person talking was the teacher. Okay then. Funny how Holly only had problems hearing when it was convenient to her.
And that's how every problem in this book was. They only showed up when it was convenient, and when it would make more drama in the book as a whole. It was incredibly frustrating.
This was a book that initially had good potential, but crashed and burned after too much baggage was added onto it.
Because most of this book was about the 20 other angst-y problems that were added. To list some of them: their dead dad who didn't like/ignored Giselle, Holly being hearing impaired, and a boy.
And every time a boy comes into a young adult book that features two main female characters, there is, of course, some boy drama. Because apparently girls don't know how to control themselves in front of another guy, especially if this guy is dating their close female friend/sister.
Anyway, there were so many different situations that were added to this story that it was impossible for the author to fully develop them. Most of them were just mentioned and sort of glossed over, but then never mentioned again.
For example, Holly's hearing impairment. Holly was mostly deaf in one ear (at least I think it was one ear), so when she was young she couldn't speak and had to get a hearing aid. Her sister and she became close because Giselle was the only one willing to go over vowels and sounds with Holly. Giselle taught her how to speak.
Now, let me say that hearing impairment and hearing aids are things that I take very seriously. Both my mother and brother are hearing impaired: my mom wears one hearing aid and my brother wears two. And even though they wear these hearing aids, they aren't magically able to hear like everybody else.
Unlike Holly.
She's pretty much a normal popular girl: she can run track, play basketball, go to parties. And she has no trouble hearing and talking during any of that.
Which is complete bullshit. At any type of sports game, it's incredibly hard to hear a single person talking, because their hearing aids are picking up every noise around them; all the screams and shouts and horns. There's no way that my mom and brother would be able to hear commands from their fellow players or their coach, like Holly can. And if they were at a party, like Holly was at one point, and there was loud music playing, it would be incredibly frustrating to hold a conversation with anyone. But Holly did it perfectly and without a problem.
The only time she stated she had a problem hearing was in a math class. A quiet math class. Where the only person talking was the teacher. Okay then. Funny how Holly only had problems hearing when it was convenient to her.
And that's how every problem in this book was. They only showed up when it was convenient, and when it would make more drama in the book as a whole. It was incredibly frustrating.
This was a book that initially had good potential, but crashed and burned after too much baggage was added onto it.
April 7, 2016
A sad and haunting tale about anorexia.. Battling another voice inside her head that tells Giselle that's she's fat and basically controls what she does and eats. It's quite disturbing that she had no control over her eating habits. Or one can argue that all she can control is her eating and this is why she's the way she is. Wanting to be as skinny as her sister Holly. I found her battle with anorexia to be very realistic and also very sad.
The dual point of views added a better dimension but at the same time this book is also about family. Relationship between sisters. I kinda liked that it was set in Canada and even mentioned Canadian TV station MuchMusic, but at the same time I was a little disturbed that some happens between S and H. Yikes. I also thought Giselle and her relationship with her father was interesting but I felt so much for her because we found the truth later on.
I pretty much skimmed the rest of the book because I disliked the way the characters spoke and thought. It was just so disjointed from reality. But maybe that's why it was down on purpose? The ending turned out to be very open and I didn't even know if anything changed?
A good solid read by a Canadian author, but I failed to connect with bathe characters.
The dual point of views added a better dimension but at the same time this book is also about family. Relationship between sisters. I kinda liked that it was set in Canada and even mentioned Canadian TV station MuchMusic, but at the same time I was a little disturbed that some happens between S and H. Yikes. I also thought Giselle and her relationship with her father was interesting but I felt so much for her because we found the truth later on.
I pretty much skimmed the rest of the book because I disliked the way the characters spoke and thought. It was just so disjointed from reality. But maybe that's why it was down on purpose? The ending turned out to be very open and I didn't even know if anything changed?
A good solid read by a Canadian author, but I failed to connect with bathe characters.
January 8, 2013
HOW IS THIS IN THE YOUNG ADULT CATEGORY.
October 30, 2008
Drusilla Ollennu October 28, 2008
English 11, p.2 Independent reading project
S k i n n y
Skinny, by Ibi Kaslik, reveals the conflict of a young adult and her sister struggling with they’re own individual issues that are somehow connected. Giselle and Holly, both sisters, tell their story in their own point of view as it switches back and fourth in every chapter. While the current setting of the book is in Canada, problems erupted on the subject of their parents when they were in Hungary. Giselle’s main issues are her struggles with her weight and anorexia as the pessimistic side of her pushes her to the brink of insanity. She also struggles with the rough relationship between her and her father (Thomas) before his death and the story of how her mother (Velsa) cheated on her ex-husband. Holly on the other hand pushes to keep up with her athletic activities in school. She struggles to help Giselle with her chronic illness with anorexia.
What makes this book so good is that we are able to read from both Giselle and Holly’s point of view. This makes things interesting because you’re never too sure about what someone is thinking so it’s somewhat of a surprise every time. Readers also get to read the struggles of both characters and how they feel about each other’s problems. One reason others should read Skinny is because they can understand the deeper things people have to live with, even though it does not appear that way on the outside. Secondly, others should read Skinny because they may be able to relate to issues that the characters are going through. Someone may feel negatively about their weight and be comforted that Giselle also has that problem and she fought to overcome it. Others may have some sort of disability and feel a little better that Holly was capable of managing a normal life despite the fact that she was half deaf.
People who would mostly enjoy this book are young teenagers and college students. Holly is a young teenager and Giselle is a college student. Both characters are enduring many of the issues that occur commonly at their age. Other kinds of people who would enjoy reading this book are those who can actually relate to it. They don’t have to relate to the issues of anorexia or being deaf in one ear. They can just as easily relate to having immigrant parents, following their career, or having difficulties finding the truth about their parent’s past. Other people that may enjoy reading Skinny are those who like to step out of their comfort zone. People who wouldn’t mind putting themselves into the shoes of others that have different situations than their own would really appreciate Skinny. I honestly recommend this book for people to read because it applies to a wide range of people. Skinny keeps your interest through out the entire book and brings you into an unfamiliar, yet fascinating world.
English 11, p.2 Independent reading project
S k i n n y
Skinny, by Ibi Kaslik, reveals the conflict of a young adult and her sister struggling with they’re own individual issues that are somehow connected. Giselle and Holly, both sisters, tell their story in their own point of view as it switches back and fourth in every chapter. While the current setting of the book is in Canada, problems erupted on the subject of their parents when they were in Hungary. Giselle’s main issues are her struggles with her weight and anorexia as the pessimistic side of her pushes her to the brink of insanity. She also struggles with the rough relationship between her and her father (Thomas) before his death and the story of how her mother (Velsa) cheated on her ex-husband. Holly on the other hand pushes to keep up with her athletic activities in school. She struggles to help Giselle with her chronic illness with anorexia.
What makes this book so good is that we are able to read from both Giselle and Holly’s point of view. This makes things interesting because you’re never too sure about what someone is thinking so it’s somewhat of a surprise every time. Readers also get to read the struggles of both characters and how they feel about each other’s problems. One reason others should read Skinny is because they can understand the deeper things people have to live with, even though it does not appear that way on the outside. Secondly, others should read Skinny because they may be able to relate to issues that the characters are going through. Someone may feel negatively about their weight and be comforted that Giselle also has that problem and she fought to overcome it. Others may have some sort of disability and feel a little better that Holly was capable of managing a normal life despite the fact that she was half deaf.
People who would mostly enjoy this book are young teenagers and college students. Holly is a young teenager and Giselle is a college student. Both characters are enduring many of the issues that occur commonly at their age. Other kinds of people who would enjoy reading this book are those who can actually relate to it. They don’t have to relate to the issues of anorexia or being deaf in one ear. They can just as easily relate to having immigrant parents, following their career, or having difficulties finding the truth about their parent’s past. Other people that may enjoy reading Skinny are those who like to step out of their comfort zone. People who wouldn’t mind putting themselves into the shoes of others that have different situations than their own would really appreciate Skinny. I honestly recommend this book for people to read because it applies to a wide range of people. Skinny keeps your interest through out the entire book and brings you into an unfamiliar, yet fascinating world.
October 5, 2010
This book is about a young woman who is destroying herself while those around her are helpless to stop and can only watch her slide into oblivion. The narration alternates, between Giselle, the anorexic older sister, and Holly, the better compensated (albeit still disturbed) older sister. Within the narrative that is Giselle’s, she carries on a dialogue with her inner demon – which presumably is her disease. With respect to an accurate portrait of anorexia nervosa as an obsessive condition, this is spot on.
Giselle blames her anorexia on her late father whom she claims never loved her the way that he loved her sister and she spends much of the book exploring the ostensible reasons for her perception. Spoiler alert – apparently the reason for his lack of feeling for her is that he believes that she is another man’s child. Parenthetically, I did think that there was far too much emphasis on blaming family for the genesis of this eating disorder. Although family dynamics are not optimal in these families, they are not the CAUSE of the disorder. Kaslik falls into the trap of too many pop-psychology types – i.e. that your family is the cause of your dysfunction.
This is where this author gets in over her head and feeds us a weird tale of a physician who should have known better, subjecting his daughter to repeated EEGs searching for clues to her parentage. Evidently the suspected father suffered from epilepsy. Now there are a few things wrong with this scenario. First, any physician should know that EEGs are not necessarily diagnostic of epilepsy; second, only a small fraction of epilepsies are hereditary; third, the child never had a seizure for goodness sakes.
I think the author wanted to somehow gross her audience out with visions of electrodes and a strange looking apparatus resembling (perhaps?) an ECT device. Who know, but the issue is that she could have used something other than epilepsy as a way to question and establish paternity. It just does not work.
This is a dark, often difficult to read book. It contains an awful lot of inner and outer dialogue that sometimes tends to tangent and rambling – as does real self-talk and conversation. I found it to be far above the level of Young Adult – for which it was designated. A non-young adult would have trouble with this book – it is not easy reading, nor for the fainthearted.
Giselle blames her anorexia on her late father whom she claims never loved her the way that he loved her sister and she spends much of the book exploring the ostensible reasons for her perception. Spoiler alert – apparently the reason for his lack of feeling for her is that he believes that she is another man’s child. Parenthetically, I did think that there was far too much emphasis on blaming family for the genesis of this eating disorder. Although family dynamics are not optimal in these families, they are not the CAUSE of the disorder. Kaslik falls into the trap of too many pop-psychology types – i.e. that your family is the cause of your dysfunction.
This is where this author gets in over her head and feeds us a weird tale of a physician who should have known better, subjecting his daughter to repeated EEGs searching for clues to her parentage. Evidently the suspected father suffered from epilepsy. Now there are a few things wrong with this scenario. First, any physician should know that EEGs are not necessarily diagnostic of epilepsy; second, only a small fraction of epilepsies are hereditary; third, the child never had a seizure for goodness sakes.
I think the author wanted to somehow gross her audience out with visions of electrodes and a strange looking apparatus resembling (perhaps?) an ECT device. Who know, but the issue is that she could have used something other than epilepsy as a way to question and establish paternity. It just does not work.
This is a dark, often difficult to read book. It contains an awful lot of inner and outer dialogue that sometimes tends to tangent and rambling – as does real self-talk and conversation. I found it to be far above the level of Young Adult – for which it was designated. A non-young adult would have trouble with this book – it is not easy reading, nor for the fainthearted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2014
This book is hard.
And f-ed up.
On so many levels.
I don't even really want to talk about it. I just want to put my middle finger in the air and never think about it again.
Not because of the writing...It's well written. But, the subject matter is disturbing. The kind that makes your stomach hurt.
I invested a good three days into this book and for it to end like it did is heart-breaking.
Now I will go back to thinking about rainbows and butterflies.
And f-ed up.
On so many levels.
I don't even really want to talk about it. I just want to put my middle finger in the air and never think about it again.
Not because of the writing...It's well written. But, the subject matter is disturbing. The kind that makes your stomach hurt.
I invested a good three days into this book and for it to end like it did is heart-breaking.
Now I will go back to thinking about rainbows and butterflies.
February 14, 2011
Have you ever seen a reflection of yourself and fought to recognize the person staring back at you? Have you ever let yourself slip so far into the darkness that you thought there would be no way for you to propel yourself out? The inability to function, to care, what brings a person back from that?
This book isn't all rainbows and sunshine. I respect it for that. The story of Giselle's anorexia wasn't necessarily familiar to me, and at first I struggled to see any reality in it. It must be so sweet to have a single persistent voice telling you to self-destruct, to be miserable. It seems so easy. A nice little answer wrapped up in a black tulle bow. I wished Giselle were more complex. I wish her problems went deeper, there was more mystery and depth to her character. Yet still, there was such a dark, intense beauty about this book.
There is one moment toward the end where Holly looks at Giselle and has a realization: "Then I remember how Giselle is one of those people who can't wait for things to be over, even fun things, like concerts, or camping. I'm afraid she might just tear through her life without ever enjoying anything, except this, except pain. Still, Giselle's misery is terrible and beautiful, like stained white cotton dresses."
To go through life and experience and almost enjoy pain...THAT registers to me as a passage speaking of genuine experience. Clearly, there are many who won't connect to this passage the way I did. For others this isn't anything. It will mean nothing to finally recognize a different kind of pain, of misery and living. The image of stained white cotton dresses...
In one section where Giselle is narrating the reader is finally shown a clear view of just how far Giselle has slipped into the darkness. She is so far gone that it takes looking into the eyes of a stranger, beaten by life to recognize who she has become. "The dyed-blond, who could be ten years older or younger than me, doesn't seem to notice how freaky I look. Like me, she's sort of a she-male..." "And, for the first time in weeks, someone looks into my face, not afraid of what they'll see."
This book was really quite depressing, but it isn't too heavy. Anorexia will eat away at a person but if in the end there is peace, then isn't that what truly matters?!? I am appreciative for the lack of a happy ending. What is real is that sometimes our dark impulses really do drive us to a deep dark grave. And, maybe it is good for a bunch of whiny adolescents to read a book about the reality of things every once and a while.
On that note...I shall quiet myself.
This book isn't all rainbows and sunshine. I respect it for that. The story of Giselle's anorexia wasn't necessarily familiar to me, and at first I struggled to see any reality in it. It must be so sweet to have a single persistent voice telling you to self-destruct, to be miserable. It seems so easy. A nice little answer wrapped up in a black tulle bow. I wished Giselle were more complex. I wish her problems went deeper, there was more mystery and depth to her character. Yet still, there was such a dark, intense beauty about this book.
There is one moment toward the end where Holly looks at Giselle and has a realization: "Then I remember how Giselle is one of those people who can't wait for things to be over, even fun things, like concerts, or camping. I'm afraid she might just tear through her life without ever enjoying anything, except this, except pain. Still, Giselle's misery is terrible and beautiful, like stained white cotton dresses."
To go through life and experience and almost enjoy pain...THAT registers to me as a passage speaking of genuine experience. Clearly, there are many who won't connect to this passage the way I did. For others this isn't anything. It will mean nothing to finally recognize a different kind of pain, of misery and living. The image of stained white cotton dresses...
In one section where Giselle is narrating the reader is finally shown a clear view of just how far Giselle has slipped into the darkness. She is so far gone that it takes looking into the eyes of a stranger, beaten by life to recognize who she has become. "The dyed-blond, who could be ten years older or younger than me, doesn't seem to notice how freaky I look. Like me, she's sort of a she-male..." "And, for the first time in weeks, someone looks into my face, not afraid of what they'll see."
This book was really quite depressing, but it isn't too heavy. Anorexia will eat away at a person but if in the end there is peace, then isn't that what truly matters?!? I am appreciative for the lack of a happy ending. What is real is that sometimes our dark impulses really do drive us to a deep dark grave. And, maybe it is good for a bunch of whiny adolescents to read a book about the reality of things every once and a while.
On that note...I shall quiet myself.
June 29, 2020
So the first half of this book I didn't really like. It took me a while to get use to the writing style and the kind of weirdness of Holly and Giselle. This was a heartbreaking book about death and grief and eating disorders. I liked this because it wasn't just in the mind of Giselle who has the eating disorder, but also Holly (Giselle's little sister) and how it affects her. The ending broke my heart I really didn't expect it (let's be real, I knew it was coming but I didn't want it to).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2017
3.5
Chaotic writing and unexpected flashbacks made this book a bit hard for understanding, but I really liked the plot and idea which author had brought up.
Such an important issue as Anorexia should be talked much more about.
And I totally agree, that various diseases, mental and physical problems cause damages not only to you, but also to people who love you.
Chaotic writing and unexpected flashbacks made this book a bit hard for understanding, but I really liked the plot and idea which author had brought up.
Such an important issue as Anorexia should be talked much more about.
And I totally agree, that various diseases, mental and physical problems cause damages not only to you, but also to people who love you.
June 28, 2017
This, for some reason, took me FOREVER to get through. I didn't really understand the ending, and the sideline topics didn't interest me, but it did portray how dangerous eating disorders can get.
April 1, 2019
2.5/5 stars
January 17, 2024
"so many people love you,giselle,so why can't you, just a little?"
February 2, 2010
This book was very raw and realistic and sad. We get to see this story through two different points of views, and at first I wasn’t sure how to feel about this but in the end I found it interesting to see the illness from Holly’s point of view.
Giselle is an incredibly intelligent med student who suffers from anorexia, as you read along you start to see that it seems that she also suffers from Dissociative identity disorder(multiple personality) one part of her wants to be healthy, understands that she is very sick and that she could be very well be killing herself. Then there is the part of her that eggs on the starvation or the purging, it’s as if she has these two halves of herself battling for dominance in her mind and the half that doesn’t want her to eat always wins.
We also get to see the poor relationship she had with her father whom she blames for her self-destructive behavior and the sudden news that her mother had an affair, that her father was the other man and that because of this her paternity is in question.
We get to see Holly, the somewhat golden child fourteen year old sister who despite certain adversities is a star athlete, we hear through Holly’s voice how Giselle’s disease affects her and her family.
The writing in this book is brilliant,gorgeous.Ibi Kaslik has got this amazing way with words and that is what I like most about the book, it’s very vivid.
However it is the characters that disappointed me, I felt absolutely and completely detached to the characters by the end of the book. To me the characters were indispensable, easily replaced. You want your readers to either love or hate your characters, the emotional attachment from the reader to your character should be a strong one whether positive or negative.
I also thought that Holly’s inner monologue was much too grown up for her, the heavy prose in her chapters made Holly seem wise beyond her years,it was a bit too much, I find the character could have maybe been more relatable without it.
There seems to be no concept of time within this book either and that bothered me, I have no idea how long it was between the first chapter when Giselle is in the hospital to the last when it’s her funeral. I’ve got no idea how long she dated her boyfriend for nothing.
The last thing was I thought this book brought up too many things that weren’t necessary. I found no point and really didn’t like it at all that Sol(Giselle’s twentysomething year old boyfriend) had a thing for Holly and tried to act on it. I don’t think it did anything for the story, it was unimportant.
While the book itself is very powerful and beautifully written a book needs characters strike out at the reader and they didn't to me.I wanted to love this book but I couldn't.
Giselle is an incredibly intelligent med student who suffers from anorexia, as you read along you start to see that it seems that she also suffers from Dissociative identity disorder(multiple personality) one part of her wants to be healthy, understands that she is very sick and that she could be very well be killing herself. Then there is the part of her that eggs on the starvation or the purging, it’s as if she has these two halves of herself battling for dominance in her mind and the half that doesn’t want her to eat always wins.
We also get to see the poor relationship she had with her father whom she blames for her self-destructive behavior and the sudden news that her mother had an affair, that her father was the other man and that because of this her paternity is in question.
We get to see Holly, the somewhat golden child fourteen year old sister who despite certain adversities is a star athlete, we hear through Holly’s voice how Giselle’s disease affects her and her family.
The writing in this book is brilliant,gorgeous.Ibi Kaslik has got this amazing way with words and that is what I like most about the book, it’s very vivid.
However it is the characters that disappointed me, I felt absolutely and completely detached to the characters by the end of the book. To me the characters were indispensable, easily replaced. You want your readers to either love or hate your characters, the emotional attachment from the reader to your character should be a strong one whether positive or negative.
I also thought that Holly’s inner monologue was much too grown up for her, the heavy prose in her chapters made Holly seem wise beyond her years,it was a bit too much, I find the character could have maybe been more relatable without it.
There seems to be no concept of time within this book either and that bothered me, I have no idea how long it was between the first chapter when Giselle is in the hospital to the last when it’s her funeral. I’ve got no idea how long she dated her boyfriend for nothing.
The last thing was I thought this book brought up too many things that weren’t necessary. I found no point and really didn’t like it at all that Sol(Giselle’s twentysomething year old boyfriend) had a thing for Holly and tried to act on it. I don’t think it did anything for the story, it was unimportant.
While the book itself is very powerful and beautifully written a book needs characters strike out at the reader and they didn't to me.I wanted to love this book but I couldn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2010
From November 2006 SLJ
In her first year of med school, twenty-two-year-old Giselle Vasco seems to have it all together. But a lifetime of bitter relations with her deceased father is slowly catching up, and she falls into a downward spiral that her mother and her younger sister Holly are powerless to stop. Skinny, though, is much more than a study of one young woman’s battle with anorexia. What starts as the story of Giselle quickly develops into a rich and powerful tapestry of a whole family. When Thomas and Vesla Vasco emigrated from Hungary in the 1970s to escape communism’s rigid caste system, Vesla was already pregnant, and Thomas always had questions about whether the baby is his. His doubts color his whole relationship with his oldest daughter, and when Holly is born 8 years later, the divide becomes more apparent. Holly, a natural athlete who revels in her strength and her appetites, struggles to understand and avert her sister’s self-loathing. The chapters alternate between the voices of Giselle and Holly, and the ability to see the events unfolding through the eyes of both sisters adds a depth and a poignancy that would not have been possible with a single narrator. Ibi Kaslik’s first novel hits the mark with characters with whom teens will empathize, and tackles a relevant and painful subject with grace. A first purchase for high schools seeking fiction that frankly addresses eating disorders.
In her first year of med school, twenty-two-year-old Giselle Vasco seems to have it all together. But a lifetime of bitter relations with her deceased father is slowly catching up, and she falls into a downward spiral that her mother and her younger sister Holly are powerless to stop. Skinny, though, is much more than a study of one young woman’s battle with anorexia. What starts as the story of Giselle quickly develops into a rich and powerful tapestry of a whole family. When Thomas and Vesla Vasco emigrated from Hungary in the 1970s to escape communism’s rigid caste system, Vesla was already pregnant, and Thomas always had questions about whether the baby is his. His doubts color his whole relationship with his oldest daughter, and when Holly is born 8 years later, the divide becomes more apparent. Holly, a natural athlete who revels in her strength and her appetites, struggles to understand and avert her sister’s self-loathing. The chapters alternate between the voices of Giselle and Holly, and the ability to see the events unfolding through the eyes of both sisters adds a depth and a poignancy that would not have been possible with a single narrator. Ibi Kaslik’s first novel hits the mark with characters with whom teens will empathize, and tackles a relevant and painful subject with grace. A first purchase for high schools seeking fiction that frankly addresses eating disorders.
November 5, 2014
I picked up Skinny at the bookstore because the writing style didn’t seem awful, which is often the case with YA reads these days. You’ve got to hunt for the gems amidst the junk. I am an avid YA fan and love the well-written novels in the genre. That being said, what seemed like a promising read turned out to be a messy, tangent-prone dud. There were redeeming moments in the book, but the author had too much going on to accomplish the mission at hand. At the end of the book I was left with a sort of apathy towards the characters’ plights and ultimate outcome. It was impossible to get a clear picture of who Giselle really was and who Holly was supposed to be. The character development was shoddy and fragmented. The back-in-forth motion between POV’s did not serve the story. It just left it disjointed. Sol had no clear motives for his erratic behavior other than vague motions towards his star journalist father and being cast beneath his great shadow. Holly was all over the place, even for a 14 year old on a journey for self-discovery it just didn’t add up. Things were spliced together in attempt to reflect the disturbed notions of the mentally ill, but instead it came off as confusing and campy. Giselle’s inner struggles left me cold. I just didn’t feel the connection or the significance of her actions. Ultimately Kaslik leaves the reader with a bunch of underlying themes that turns this novel into a serious YA identity crisis.
June 21, 2012
There are merits to this book: one being that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Admittedly I was expecting a more shallow tale, judging by the cover and title. However the book deals with much heavier themes making me wonder if young adult is even the appropriate genre for this book, and would make me consider a different title even. It is also about the disability and coming of age of Giselle's younger sister, immigration, father issues, reconciling parents failures, and has some pretty intensive sexuality in it as well.
But I didn't really like it. I've read the ending three times now and I'm not really sure what happened. I wasn't crazy about the style, with excerpts from medical school textbooks, and how some chapters were only prose/character thoughts. Considering the prose didn't exactly speak to me, that's probably why it bothered me. It seemed pretentious and whiny.
That's about all I have to say. It also isn't very hopeful. But, what can you do. Not all stories are meant to uplift, some are meant to warn.
But I didn't really like it. I've read the ending three times now and I'm not really sure what happened. I wasn't crazy about the style, with excerpts from medical school textbooks, and how some chapters were only prose/character thoughts. Considering the prose didn't exactly speak to me, that's probably why it bothered me. It seemed pretentious and whiny.
That's about all I have to say. It also isn't very hopeful. But, what can you do. Not all stories are meant to uplift, some are meant to warn.
December 13, 2016
There was nothing good about this is book. The characters were unlikable and unsympathetic, the book was trying to tell too many stories at once and never successfully pulled any of them off, and it felt derivative of other anorexia fiction. The best thing about the book was the striking cover art. I will be weeding this from my library. I doubt this book would even get much traction with the readers drawn to these more "edgy", darker story topics.
July 11, 2020
This was a rough book to read. It was told from two perspectives. One a medical student with a full fledged battle with anorexia and her sister.
It was a very well told story. The sister's perspective of not understanding... and the other's battle and how she got to this point.
It was a very good perspective of what a person who battles eating disorders goes through and how it happens. Overall I felt this book was very well written.
This is just a hard subject to discuss. If you are recovering from an eating disorder this book can be triggering. So please keep that in mind.
It was a very well told story. The sister's perspective of not understanding... and the other's battle and how she got to this point.
It was a very good perspective of what a person who battles eating disorders goes through and how it happens. Overall I felt this book was very well written.
This is just a hard subject to discuss. If you are recovering from an eating disorder this book can be triggering. So please keep that in mind.
February 15, 2010
Raw & real-down to to the bare bone~
Skinny is a read that encompasses the same story told through two-different sets of eyes: one from Giselle (a 21-year old former-med student whose life spirals out of control with an anorexia problem) and her younger sister Holly (16-17ish)who is strong emotionally and physically. Giselle's the smart one, and fairly pretty...maybe, and Holly is the tom-boy: competitive, gorgeous, and fun, with a strong-head on her shoulders; she was always daddy's favorite.
Their views as sisters clash, and Giselle's problem is one that she realizes isn't her own as it affects her entire family. It's a struggle for Giselle for her own life, but also a life amongst her family, her memories, her past, her present, and her future.
It's a riveting tale, full of emotion, heartache, suspense, suprise...and more. Knowing quite a few girls facing this problem, I couldn't put down the read because of how real it felt, as if the book ran-back through those times where I had to help those girls through...and at a point where I had to tell those girls that it was their realization, and that it was their responsibility to face this...and that I'd be there to help, but I wouldn't be there to carry them. Holly tells the same thing to her sister.
I'm esctatic that Kaslik (the author) writes the persepctive from an older 'woman' -assuming since this problem is more common amongst teenagers, its refershing how she presents the reality from a 21-year old college student--who aspired to be a surgeon. Because of the age, there are some rather graphic moments of Giselle's story, and Holly's, but life is life; I didn't have a problem with it, but I know that this reading for YA could be a possible problem.
Perhaps the most rivetting effect that this read has had on me is the psyche of Giselle as she is facing this beast-this monster-this problem... we see her insanity... and what she tells herself because of this problem, and what she believes... Its that voice,against her own voice, against her sister's and her mother's... It's nothing short of compelling... it gave me goosebumps even.
I really can't say much on this read aside from the fact that I loved it, and I think girls should read it--guys too.
*The only reason I gave it four stars was because it's a bit hard to understand at first...and a few other parts, but once you figure it out, it's solid. Overall, great read, but one that should be approached with caution when recommending... I'd recommend it quite often, but again, there are people that need to be taken to consideration when assigning this to like a YA or someone of that nature... again, I dont mind a little 'stir of the norm' -- aka reality check, but eh...I'm going to be a teacher and have to be aware of these oppositions @_@ ...doesn't mean I can't asterisk that book on a reading list and pass it along 'anonymously' ;P
Skinny is a read that encompasses the same story told through two-different sets of eyes: one from Giselle (a 21-year old former-med student whose life spirals out of control with an anorexia problem) and her younger sister Holly (16-17ish)who is strong emotionally and physically. Giselle's the smart one, and fairly pretty...maybe, and Holly is the tom-boy: competitive, gorgeous, and fun, with a strong-head on her shoulders; she was always daddy's favorite.
Their views as sisters clash, and Giselle's problem is one that she realizes isn't her own as it affects her entire family. It's a struggle for Giselle for her own life, but also a life amongst her family, her memories, her past, her present, and her future.
It's a riveting tale, full of emotion, heartache, suspense, suprise...and more. Knowing quite a few girls facing this problem, I couldn't put down the read because of how real it felt, as if the book ran-back through those times where I had to help those girls through...and at a point where I had to tell those girls that it was their realization, and that it was their responsibility to face this...and that I'd be there to help, but I wouldn't be there to carry them. Holly tells the same thing to her sister.
I'm esctatic that Kaslik (the author) writes the persepctive from an older 'woman' -assuming since this problem is more common amongst teenagers, its refershing how she presents the reality from a 21-year old college student--who aspired to be a surgeon. Because of the age, there are some rather graphic moments of Giselle's story, and Holly's, but life is life; I didn't have a problem with it, but I know that this reading for YA could be a possible problem.
Perhaps the most rivetting effect that this read has had on me is the psyche of Giselle as she is facing this beast-this monster-this problem... we see her insanity... and what she tells herself because of this problem, and what she believes... Its that voice,against her own voice, against her sister's and her mother's... It's nothing short of compelling... it gave me goosebumps even.
I really can't say much on this read aside from the fact that I loved it, and I think girls should read it--guys too.
*The only reason I gave it four stars was because it's a bit hard to understand at first...and a few other parts, but once you figure it out, it's solid. Overall, great read, but one that should be approached with caution when recommending... I'd recommend it quite often, but again, there are people that need to be taken to consideration when assigning this to like a YA or someone of that nature... again, I dont mind a little 'stir of the norm' -- aka reality check, but eh...I'm going to be a teacher and have to be aware of these oppositions @_@ ...doesn't mean I can't asterisk that book on a reading list and pass it along 'anonymously' ;P
October 1, 2017
Writers who often focus on mental health topics tend to have this very vivid, metaphorical style of writing that’s both dark and flowery at the same time. I get the appeal, and I think it can make for some really striking sentences, but I don’t like books like this that are full of that kind of language when it really needs to be more direct and literal. There is a lot of dark imagery that’s very physical in books like these. For example, characters often talk about bleeding, and they might mean they feel like their soul is bleeding emotions or something like that, but they also might mean that they are literally taking some sharp object to their skin and making blood come out of their body in the real world, and when authors use language that sounds metaphorical, I don’t know whether or not the character is using self-harm behaviors, and I want to know. All of that sounds like a super particular issue, but throughout this book I felt unsure if things were really happening or if it was just a metaphor. I felt detached from the story and the characters for this reason, which definitely kept me from being able to enjoy it.
The writing of this book was completely chaotic. We move back and forth through time with few clues available to help the reader understand where and when a scene is taking place. Additionally, Sol’s character made no sense to me. It seems like he’s someone from Giselle’s past that she reconnects with and starts dating again, but I don’t understand who he is and how they know each other and why they’re together. We never learn anything about him, so we never get to understand who he is as a person and how his relationship with Giselle is significant. And it takes almost the entire book for me to feel like I have any sense of who Holly is as a person. The whole plot line about Giselle trying to find out exactly who her father was and what her parents’ stories are is, simply put, boring. It takes over the mental illness plot enough that Giselle’s anorexia isn’t really explored at all. I think I understood what was happening better than most readers could because I’ve had the disorder too, but if I had never experienced anything like what Giselle is suffering from, I imagine I would have been 100% lost, instead of just 95% lost. I really wanted a story about a relationship between two sisters and how anorexia takes over that relationship, but I didn’t get anything close to that, especially because ultimately it’s a guy that ruins their relationship instead of the illness. I hate to be so mean, but I really do feel like reading this book was a waste of time, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
The writing of this book was completely chaotic. We move back and forth through time with few clues available to help the reader understand where and when a scene is taking place. Additionally, Sol’s character made no sense to me. It seems like he’s someone from Giselle’s past that she reconnects with and starts dating again, but I don’t understand who he is and how they know each other and why they’re together. We never learn anything about him, so we never get to understand who he is as a person and how his relationship with Giselle is significant. And it takes almost the entire book for me to feel like I have any sense of who Holly is as a person. The whole plot line about Giselle trying to find out exactly who her father was and what her parents’ stories are is, simply put, boring. It takes over the mental illness plot enough that Giselle’s anorexia isn’t really explored at all. I think I understood what was happening better than most readers could because I’ve had the disorder too, but if I had never experienced anything like what Giselle is suffering from, I imagine I would have been 100% lost, instead of just 95% lost. I really wanted a story about a relationship between two sisters and how anorexia takes over that relationship, but I didn’t get anything close to that, especially because ultimately it’s a guy that ruins their relationship instead of the illness. I hate to be so mean, but I really do feel like reading this book was a waste of time, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
May 26, 2011
The main character is Giselle she has to problems one is she is a compulsive studier and to she is anerexic. She first decided she was fat and discusting when she first did drugs after dat she keepd hearing voices in her head telling her she is gross and to starve herself. She went to a clinic for a while until she started to gain weight and eat more. When she got out she ate alot. Her sister Holly is nothing like Giselle she is very healthy and athletic as well but they both have one thing in common there dad did when they were both young. Giselle found out that her mom had an affair with her dad when she was engaged to a guy named adam when she had found her dads old hidin journal. Her mom became pregnant and Adam became sick he had leporzy he ended up drowi\ning himself in the lake and Gisells dad got married with her mom. After she comfronted her mom to find out the truth she became depressed because not only did her dad die but she found out that the other guy that might have been her real dad had died as well. Holly would always running that was her way to cope with the stress of losing her dad. One day when Giselle got home she found her boyfriend kissing her sister. They broke up and thats when she began to starve herself again. She had thought she had gotten her period and felt very sick so she stayed in bed her sister found her sister laying down in a pile of her blood. Holly and her mom took her to the hospital there they found out that there was somthing wrong with her uterus and needed an operation. Afterward Giselles hair started to fall out because she was still not eating she wanted a cheesburger so she left the hospital without any of the nurses or her mom knowing. She got her handburger climbed a fire escape and went on a roof and puked. It started to rain so she was wet. Holly and her ex boyfriend found her holding a blanket and laying down on the pavement. They returned her to the hospital to then find out it was to late the air and the cold poisend her blood supply and she died weighing 76pounds at the age of 22
August 26, 2009
very small interesting differences when you realize that this in set in canada, and that the medical system is different there.
two sisters tell the story - gizelle and holly, daughters of first generation hungarian immigrants. a tale of how people deal with trauma, adolescence and being different, close to everything i know in this strange way. (at one point, gizzy is looking at potatoes and thinking how much better they would be with sour cream and butter - oh, eastern european food!) the alternating POVs confused me a lot at first, but by the end, i understood. i still in a way wish it was all from one POV - just because i want more of their story. but i think Skinny gets the balance pretty well.
there is so much in this, about family and generations, holding things back and being open, control and knowledge, living and really living.
it hurt - almost more than Wintergirls, and i'm not sure if i can explain why. there is the part that i could relate to this much better, that i felt it did a better job of explaining the hows and whys of eating disorders, that it just GOT the characters in a way that few writers get. it didn't pull back at all with the punches, and i appreciated that, because real illness doesn't try to be nice. it is often devastated and harsh.
(and by that, i mean the realities of mental illness, the ways things affect not only the patient but the family and those secondary to the family, and the struggle between recovery and disease, and why the draw to go back is there. also, the triggering - while not called that - is dealt with in a very effective and honest way.)
two sisters tell the story - gizelle and holly, daughters of first generation hungarian immigrants. a tale of how people deal with trauma, adolescence and being different, close to everything i know in this strange way. (at one point, gizzy is looking at potatoes and thinking how much better they would be with sour cream and butter - oh, eastern european food!) the alternating POVs confused me a lot at first, but by the end, i understood. i still in a way wish it was all from one POV - just because i want more of their story. but i think Skinny gets the balance pretty well.
there is so much in this, about family and generations, holding things back and being open, control and knowledge, living and really living.
it hurt - almost more than Wintergirls, and i'm not sure if i can explain why. there is the part that i could relate to this much better, that i felt it did a better job of explaining the hows and whys of eating disorders, that it just GOT the characters in a way that few writers get. it didn't pull back at all with the punches, and i appreciated that, because real illness doesn't try to be nice. it is often devastated and harsh.
(and by that, i mean the realities of mental illness, the ways things affect not only the patient but the family and those secondary to the family, and the struggle between recovery and disease, and why the draw to go back is there. also, the triggering - while not called that - is dealt with in a very effective and honest way.)
January 8, 2021
I first read Skinny several years ago when I was in high school, and I remembered liking it then so I decided to give it another read. Unfortunately, like many books I enjoyed in high school, I enjoyed it less as an adult. I really enjoy sisters and do think the book does a great job of exploring the relationship between Holly and Giselle. Those two characters are amazing, and rightfully the focus of the book.
Unfortunately, the book does have a few downfalls. The first, in my opinion, is Sol. Sol is a boring character we are given little reason to like and much reason to dislike. I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out if Giselle's relationship with him or why I was supposed to care. I found it took up way too much of the book.
Instead of Sol, we should have learned more about Eve, Giselle's ex who supposedly had an impact on her. While it's plausible we don't get much of this from Giselle because Eve's departure is something she does not want to think about, I found it confusing and irritating that it was mentioned at the beginning of the book and then almost swept under the rug for the rest of it. Furthermore, why does Giselle mention she's not into men, and then spend the rest of the book dating a guy, without any discussion of this? It seemed weird, unrealistic, and lesbophobic/biphobic.
There was also some unnecessary transphobia at the end of the book (Giselle's interactions with a trans woman). Kaslik could have communicated Giselle's disassociation in a much more respectful and interesting way.
Overall, a decent read, but I really wish it didn't have the downfalls that it does.
Unfortunately, the book does have a few downfalls. The first, in my opinion, is Sol. Sol is a boring character we are given little reason to like and much reason to dislike. I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out if Giselle's relationship with him or why I was supposed to care. I found it took up way too much of the book.
Instead of Sol, we should have learned more about Eve, Giselle's ex who supposedly had an impact on her. While it's plausible we don't get much of this from Giselle because Eve's departure is something she does not want to think about, I found it confusing and irritating that it was mentioned at the beginning of the book and then almost swept under the rug for the rest of it. Furthermore, why does Giselle mention she's not into men, and then spend the rest of the book dating a guy, without any discussion of this? It seemed weird, unrealistic, and lesbophobic/biphobic.
There was also some unnecessary transphobia at the end of the book (Giselle's interactions with a trans woman). Kaslik could have communicated Giselle's disassociation in a much more respectful and interesting way.
Overall, a decent read, but I really wish it didn't have the downfalls that it does.
April 16, 2018
I remember reading this book when I was 13 or 14 and absolutely adoring it. I decided to reread it to refresh the memory of Skinny in my mind and to see if it is still as good as it seemed then. Boy am I glad I read this again. Skinny does not disappoint.
Written in the same vein as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Bell Jar, Skinny delivers the kind of melancholy mood that I crave in a book. Skinny is chock full of passion, trauma, and heartbreak, the story of a broken girl and the strong younger sister she aches to be like. The prose itself is incredibly fluid, the storyline is dynamic and subtly yet wildly diverse. Personally, I feel that every line is perfection. Skinny is unputdownable, woven of vivid scenes and laced with very strong mood. Though I had already read this book and knew what happens, I was still hooked from page one and crying at the end.
I definitely recommend Skinny to anybody who enjoys sad stories, stories of mental illness/eating disorders, or sibling stories. This is one of my favorite books ever. I am smiling like a fool just thinking how glad I am that Ibi Kaslik wrote this book.
Written in the same vein as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Bell Jar, Skinny delivers the kind of melancholy mood that I crave in a book. Skinny is chock full of passion, trauma, and heartbreak, the story of a broken girl and the strong younger sister she aches to be like. The prose itself is incredibly fluid, the storyline is dynamic and subtly yet wildly diverse. Personally, I feel that every line is perfection. Skinny is unputdownable, woven of vivid scenes and laced with very strong mood. Though I had already read this book and knew what happens, I was still hooked from page one and crying at the end.
I definitely recommend Skinny to anybody who enjoys sad stories, stories of mental illness/eating disorders, or sibling stories. This is one of my favorite books ever. I am smiling like a fool just thinking how glad I am that Ibi Kaslik wrote this book.
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