Skinny Boy

December 1, 2007
Adult/High School-Grahls story opens when he was a 15-year-old athlete who had been bullied by his own conscience into excessive dieting and exercise. This routine brought the formerly pudgy teen down to 110 pounds and, through the brutal cycle of recovery and relapse, he reached a weight of less than 103 pounds. In this engaging account, Grahl explores the internal and external pressures that brought him to that point, and he discusses the treatment and relationships that eventually helped him break out of his destructive cycle. Although the dialogue between the author and the people he encountered is at times stilted, the strength of this memoir lies in the passages describing his personal struggles and his internal dialogues. His anorexia is itself an exceptionally well-developed character, in turns chastising him for weaknesses and praising him for imagined successes. The voice of the disease and the voice of recovery compete for Grahls attention, reinforcing the idea that to succeed one must find strength from within. The overarching themes of finding faith in oneself and defeating ones demons will appeal to many teens faced with the pressure to succeed at all costs. This book will be especially appealing to those dealing with an eating disorder, either their own or that of a loved one, and the attention to eating disorders among young men will certainly be appreciated.Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.