23/04/2013 - What's Eating You? By ButterflyDoll on Wattpad

What's Eating You?

In today's world, skinny is beautiful. Skinny people get it better, because they are beautiful. Where ever you look, you'll see a skinny woman, or a fit man. But what happens when you don't have that Ideal body? Do you work out? Diet? Starve yourself to the point where you can count your ribs? What will you do to achieve that "beautiful body?" Follow one girl on her journey struggling with a eating disorder. Feel the pain she does when she looks in the mirror and feels so wrong about her body. Learn how society warped her mind to believing there is something wrong with her. Learn the meaning of true beauty.

I love this story. It's so provocative, and raises many questions about the idea that skinny is perfect. What happens when someone takes their obsession with being skinny too far? What made them become obsessed? Was it the media? Bullying? A death?

ButterflyDoll explores the hot topic of eating disorders through the eyes of main character Jacky, and everyone around her who loves her. In chapter 1, right off the bat the voices are taunting Jacky, telling her things that are far from true. We see her reaction, feel her panic, and you can't help but feel sorry for Jacky.

In chapter 2 we get a brief glimpse into the head of Jacky's boyfriend, Tate. He knows Jacky has an eating disorder, but he doesn't know if he should tell anyone about it. We, as the reader, sympathise with Tate, and the position Jacky is putting him in.

What I love most about this story is that I can relate to it, as I'm sure many teenage girls can. I know at once in my life, I have fantasised about being skinny, and more than once I have experienced that self-doubt about my body. I have asked myself over and over again if I'm fat, if I could lose weight, but then reality sinks in. I simply don't have the motivation or obsession with becoming skinny. Reading Jacky's story is enlightening, showing me just what could have happened if I'd decided to diet, and ended up taking it too far.

With help, Jacky is eventually able to move on. Unfortunately, that means moving away, leaving everything she's ever known.

I won't say much more here for fear of giving too much away, but I definitely recommend giving this a go if you're up for it. It's thought-provoking, well written and I love how it deals with a topic most people shy away from. Overall, I give this book a Thumbs Up (:

Read it here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/1256757-what%27s-eating-you