I went into this book with quite high expectations given how much I enjoyed Speak when I read it several years ago. However, I am not sure if my expectations were met.

The book was good, the kind of read you want to finish in one sitting, but I was not completely sold by the end. The drawback for me was I didn't find it as realistic to the subject as I wanted it to be. Also, I don't know if there was enough content for me; I almost feel like I wanted the book to be a bit longer so certain parts could have been more detailed. All in all, though, I quite enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of the YA Contemporary genre.

This was a gripping story that had me from the first page. It was really hard to put this down. Laurie Halse Anderson has truly created a literary masterpiece with Wintergirls. The story of Lia is heartbreeakingly wrought with pain, a pain I have never felt, but I understand it. This really and truly is a book I would tell everyone to read.

This is one of those books that will actually change how you see things if you can relate to it. It shows you the consequences of the actions of the girls in the book in a very straightforward way.

I was really looking forward to reading Wintergirls. The multi-award-wining Laurie Halse Anderson's reputation for good literature and the buzz around it was so strong, that I put it on my "must read next" list.

I am not disappointed. Definitely one the best books I have read in a while.

When Lia's best friend Cassie mysteriously dies in a hotel room, she has to find a way to stay in control. Whether that means manipulating her stepmother Jennifer, avoiding her over-protective mother or playing nice with her seemingly clueless father. The only people that seem to reach her is her sister Emma and a stranger named Elijah who knows what happened the night Cassie died.

Wintergirls is a story of the lengths we might go to perfect ourselves and hide ourselves from the things that we don't want to deal with. It speaks to the lies we might tell ourselves so that we can continue to hurt ourselves and those we love - until something pulls us back.

Anderson is such a gifted writer, that I would pause and re-read sentences just to take in the sheer brilliance of it. Past and present are intertwined as Lia sifts through the painful things in her past while dealing with her best friend's death. You can see her conflict between staying stuck and resolving the pain.

I read this book in practically one sitting and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that deal with challenging but important issues in a provocative way.