Title: Elena Vanishing
Author: Elena and Clare B. Dunkle
Pub Date: May 19th, 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Page Count: 288
While I originally thought this memoir was about anorexia, it's about a lot more than that. It's about anxiety, fear and how self-hatred can push people to do terrible things. - Nova @ Out of Time
Anorexia is something that I care about. One of my friends is [or was] anorexic. I haven't seen her for two years since she moved away. I actually wrote a song about anorexia but never got to send it to her because we lost contact. When I first heard of this book, I requested it immediately. It wasn't a book that I'd heard of prior but the synopsis had me wanting it.
In a way, I'm lucky to not be able to relate with Elena on the same scale. I've never been anorexic but at the same time, there was something about this book that I could still identify with. The first thing I want to say is that this book features a lot of Elena's inner voice. This is the voice that calls her fat, ugly, useless and a bunch of negative things. And this wasn't just a once in a while thing; the voice would literally be on every other page, criticizing Elena's every move. The reason this memoir stuck out to me is because of how real that voice is written and how much it made me feel. Every time Elena did something, the voice had something to say. If Elena ate something, the voice would goad her to throw it up and call her names.
The battle of anorexia and anxiety isn't an easy one. Books where the characters get over it through a love interest or counseling aren't the real deal. This book is told through a five year timeline. It takes five years for Elena to muster up the courage to come to terms with what's been going on in her life. The interesting thing is that through the book, we see her change gradually. For the longest time, Elena just gets worse and worse, refusing treatment and help. And the more we read, the more we realize that this book isn't just about anorexia; it's about anxiety, bulimia, purging and self-hatred. It's also about rape.
This book is purely about Elena. The way it's told is a little confusing because it jumps time. It also features characters from the years Elena moved around. It's realistic because a) we often lose touch with people after a while and b) since she kept moving, new people had to be introduced while the old ones were left behind.
The writing was real. Seeing as Elena is writing about herself, I didn't expect anything less. There's a kind of writing that can only be achieved through personal experiences and while no one can say that it's worth it to go through so much, I don't think just anyone could've written a book this real. This book made me cry multiple times. Can you imagine reading the thoughts of a girl who's as hopeless as you once felt? Some of Elena's thoughts were reminiscent to my own and just reading them made me want to cry all over again. There was so much hopelessness in Elena's thinking because she went from, "maybe I'll listen to the doctors" to "I'm fine! I don't need help."
I was also sent into rage multiple times. The nurses and doctors at the clinics were disgusting. They mistreated her and lacked the patience to help her. Instead, they bossed her around and talked down. I actually wrote a mini rant in my notebook because how can someone working at a clinic [where it's meant to help people] mistreat the patients?
But it was the ending that really brought the waterworks. Elena is forced to come to terms with what's been going on and while it's only a chapter, it made reading the entire book worth it. I can't even begin to explain why this book is necessary. I can learn all about anorexia from symptoms to documentaries with dull voice overs but it pales in comparison to a book where the authors have faced it head on and are telling their story.
Author: Elena and Clare B. Dunkle
Pub Date: May 19th, 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Page Count: 288
Seventeen-year-old Elena is vanishing. Every day means renewed determination, so every day means fewer calories. This is the story of a girl whose armor against anxiety becomes artillery against herself as she battles on both sides of a lose-lose war in a struggle with anorexia. Told entirely from Elena's perspective over a five-year period and co-written with her mother, award-winning author Clare B. Dunkle, Elena's memoir is a fascinating and intimate look at a deadly disease, and a must read for anyone who knows someone suffering from an eating disorder.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Chapters Indigo
While I originally thought this memoir was about anorexia, it's about a lot more than that. It's about anxiety, fear and how self-hatred can push people to do terrible things. - Nova @ Out of Time
Anorexia is something that I care about. One of my friends is [or was] anorexic. I haven't seen her for two years since she moved away. I actually wrote a song about anorexia but never got to send it to her because we lost contact. When I first heard of this book, I requested it immediately. It wasn't a book that I'd heard of prior but the synopsis had me wanting it.
In a way, I'm lucky to not be able to relate with Elena on the same scale. I've never been anorexic but at the same time, there was something about this book that I could still identify with. The first thing I want to say is that this book features a lot of Elena's inner voice. This is the voice that calls her fat, ugly, useless and a bunch of negative things. And this wasn't just a once in a while thing; the voice would literally be on every other page, criticizing Elena's every move. The reason this memoir stuck out to me is because of how real that voice is written and how much it made me feel. Every time Elena did something, the voice had something to say. If Elena ate something, the voice would goad her to throw it up and call her names.
The battle of anorexia and anxiety isn't an easy one. Books where the characters get over it through a love interest or counseling aren't the real deal. This book is told through a five year timeline. It takes five years for Elena to muster up the courage to come to terms with what's been going on in her life. The interesting thing is that through the book, we see her change gradually. For the longest time, Elena just gets worse and worse, refusing treatment and help. And the more we read, the more we realize that this book isn't just about anorexia; it's about anxiety, bulimia, purging and self-hatred. It's also about rape.
This book is purely about Elena. The way it's told is a little confusing because it jumps time. It also features characters from the years Elena moved around. It's realistic because a) we often lose touch with people after a while and b) since she kept moving, new people had to be introduced while the old ones were left behind.
The writing was real. Seeing as Elena is writing about herself, I didn't expect anything less. There's a kind of writing that can only be achieved through personal experiences and while no one can say that it's worth it to go through so much, I don't think just anyone could've written a book this real. This book made me cry multiple times. Can you imagine reading the thoughts of a girl who's as hopeless as you once felt? Some of Elena's thoughts were reminiscent to my own and just reading them made me want to cry all over again. There was so much hopelessness in Elena's thinking because she went from, "maybe I'll listen to the doctors" to "I'm fine! I don't need help."
I was also sent into rage multiple times. The nurses and doctors at the clinics were disgusting. They mistreated her and lacked the patience to help her. Instead, they bossed her around and talked down. I actually wrote a mini rant in my notebook because how can someone working at a clinic [where it's meant to help people] mistreat the patients?
But it was the ending that really brought the waterworks. Elena is forced to come to terms with what's been going on and while it's only a chapter, it made reading the entire book worth it. I can't even begin to explain why this book is necessary. I can learn all about anorexia from symptoms to documentaries with dull voice overs but it pales in comparison to a book where the authors have faced it head on and are telling their story.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent sed malesuada nisl. Phasellus bibendum augue orci, at ultrices neque cursus nec. Nunc facilisis odio quis pulvinar blandit. Curabitur quis ante ac quam sodales gravida. In sit amet ipsum at lorem iaculis aliquet. Vestibulum interdum, sem eu laoreet convallis, felis dolor pretium mi, quis lobortis orci nunc sit amet turpis. Maecenas a tincidunt nulla. Nullam malesuada nisl sed erat eleifend pretium vitae eu felis. Ut in risus libero. Sed sodales sem nec pellentesque aliquam. Quisque vel tristique diam. Vestibulum egestas mi nec sem sodales ultrices. Vivamus venenatis eleifend dapibus. Donec feugiat iaculis lorem sit amet tristique. Quisque at odio vitae neque sodales accumsan. Aenean velit tortor, pulvinar quis fermentum vel, consequat sit amet massa
Wow, this a heavy subject. But also fear, anxiety, and self-esteem issues are things I think everybody faces at least sometime in life. Learning from it someone who's been through first hand is moving. I can't imagine writing something like that from such a deep and intimate perspective. That must be so brave, to pour all that out for others to read. I definitely respect this author.
ReplyDeleteOh definitely. This book is so open and honest and there's so much respect for the author because of it. Talking about something like anorexia and anxiety is a tough thing but this book was amazing.
DeleteUgh. This reminds me of the me from many years ago. The me that would look in a mirror and see someone ugly. The me that would make something (like a drawing, an essay) and feel it's never enough, that I suck, that I would never amount to anything. It's definitely not easy. When you have such a low self-esteem, it would always feel like despite all the compliments and positivity in your life, it would still feel lacking. I'm kind of afraid to read it because of that, because I feel I would relate too much ^^;;
ReplyDeleteFaye at The Social Potato
I saw this book on some book hauls on Youtube. It sounds pretty heavy, but ultimately something I'd really want to read. I do love memoirs and I think they're important. And I love that it's not just about anorexia but a lot of other things as well - I'm sure we can all relate in some way to those kinds of feelings.
ReplyDelete