Common Sense Media Review
By Terreece Clarke
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Eating disorder read is a great conversation starter.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Maddie works hard to be the best but always seems to fall short. She's not the smartest in class or the prettiest, but when she sets out to master the one thing she can control her life begins to spin out of control. After she cuts off friends and family who are unsupportive of her "diet" goals, Maddie finds new friends who understand her and help her on her way to her "thin and beautiful" goal. Will the "Girls without Shadows" site help Maddie realize her dream or will tragedy change her mind?
Is It Any Good?
Readers will ache for Maddie as they see the horrific and dangerous path laid out in front of her. The author has done an excellent job in showing how easily thoughtless comments and good intentions can affect and destroy a teen's self-esteem. She also captures the emotion, struggle, and image distortion eating disorder sufferers face, as well as the anguish and helplessness those who love them endure.
As a conversation starter, THINANDBEAUTIFUL.COM is better for older tweens/young teens than the lauded and more mature Wintergirls. And with the added online angle, it will also get you talking about dangerous and influential websites.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about feeling good about yourself. What are the things you like most?
How easy is it to set unrealistic expectations for yourself? Where do you think those expectations come from?
Maddie visits a website that encourages her to do more harm to herself. Do you know of real websites like this? Do you think they have a right to exist?
How much do you know about airbrushing? Research what tricks and technology advertisers use to make people look "perfect."
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Body Awareness
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Second Story Press
- Publication date : September 1, 2009
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 263
- Last updated : June 19, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate