Countless is the story of Hedda, a girl struggling to recover from the grip of an eating disorder.  Her anorexia has been a part of her life for so long that she’s even given it a name - Nia.  Then Hedda discovers that she’s pregnant and she and Nia strike up a truce.  Nia will let Hedda eat for the next few months for the sake of the baby.
 
This was a heartbreaking read that actually had me in tears at the end.  I know.  Me, the Ice Queen, in tears. 
 
Hedda was a really sympathetic character.  I often find it hard to empathise with characters with eating disorders, but that wasn’t the case here.  This was one of those books that wrapped me up so completely that I genuinely felt I was there.  The writing was just the right amount of descriptive to let me feel like the characters were real and that I was actually in Hedda’s dingy flat.
 
The plot first goes through Hedda’s pregnancy and then the months after where Hedda is struggling to look after herself and her baby in a depressing tower block flat on benefits.  The story deals not only with eating disorders, but also the way we as a society treat young single mothers (*narrows eyes at Daily Mail and Tory party*), about our social care system (which is actually portrayed really well) and about what it’s like to live on screw-all money a week.
 
This was unusual for a contemporary in that there was no real romance storyline, and it was all the better for it.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a romance thread, but having a guy come in being all, ‘Let my love be the cure for your eating disorder!’ would have detracted from Hedda’s journey and taken her strength away.
 
Instead of romance, we see quite a lot of Hedda’s family life and how this has affected her decisions over the years.  Although Hedda claims not to have a reason for her eating disorder, the more we see of her family, the more everything starts to click into place.
 
All i all this was a total emotional roller coaster.  As we watch Hedda fall back into Nia’s grip after her baby is born, I just wanted to reach through the pages and give her a damn good shake and scream at her to look after herself and her baby properly.  I was sobbing, like actually sobbing at the end, but don’t let this put you off.  Hedda’s story is sad and horrific but it’s ultimately hopeful.

Hedda's story is one that truly pulls you in and makes you feel for her. Throughout this book I continued to root for her as she battles between her eating disorder, pregnancy and eventually motherhood. This is the first book I have read that has dealt with all of these themes together and I feel like Karen Gregory did it in a very honest manner.

Warning: This book and review both talk about an eating disorder, please do not read on if this may trigger you in any way.

Wow. This book had a real hold on my heart and emotions from the very first pages and that grip only tightened as the story went on. I felt like I was with Hedda on her journey and so wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and take care of her.

From experiences on the unit, to counting calories, exercising and that voice in her head, Hedda’s anorexia, or Nia as she calls it, is life consuming, until she discovers that she is pregnant. When faced with this enormous life changing experience, Hedda is forced to confront her own feelings, fears and emotions. But what will her future be?

This book is so emotionally driven and it is such a raw read. I don’t have any personal experience with having an eating disorder and neither have I been a teenage mother and I found this book to be a real eye opener. It gave a really honest insight into being anorexic and how hard it is to fight your own demons. The way in which Nia was always there looking over Hedda’s shoulder, ready to pounce and spit out spiteful names at her was something that really got me because it was such a powerful way to show the world just how life consuming having an eating disorder is. There isn’t a moment in this book where Hedda’s mind isn’t somehow straying towards counting calories or comparing herself to others and it is frightening to say the least. I am thankful that I’ve read this book because I genuinely feel that I’ve learnt so much from it.

Teenage pregnancy is another topic which still seems to be somewhat taboo in the UK and that is tackled head on in this novel. There are many occasions where Hedda is receiving dirty looks or is made to feel uncomfortable and whilst we must also take on board that this will be because of her appearance too, there is something to be said for those who judge teenage mothers. At the young age of seventeen and completely isolated Hedda certainly does not have an easy time of it when Rose comes along. It was so heartwarming to read of Hedda’s journey with Rose and to see how that motherly love just blossomed over time into something so special and beautiful. Of course it is not plain sailing but Hedda’s love for Rose knows no bounds and the last few chapters and the epilogue of this book absolutely destroyed me. I think that sobbing would be an understatement.

This book is beautifully written and deals with such a raw and complex subject matter in a really authentic and meaningful way. This book is a very difficult read and I imagine that for someone with personal experience it may be too difficult. That is something that really needs to be considered on an individual basis. Personally I loved that this book didn’t have a fairytale ending. Hedda’s problems weren’t solved by a knight in shining armour and there wasn’t a happy ever after. What we ended up with was a heartbreaking story that felt real. It was worth every single tear that I shed.

Thank you, Karen Gregory, for putting Hedda’s story out there.

Firstly, this book tackles topics such as anorexia and teen pregnancy. I will be discussing those topics in the review. If you aren't comfortable with those topics than I'd suggest finding something else to read.

I thought this book was really interesting. It didn't have heavy romance which I was actually really pleased with. I didn't want it to turn into a 'love will cure you' type story. It kind of did go into that direction but not romantically. Being a contemporary, I was sure that was where it was headed.

I can't speak much for the representation of eating disorders in Countless but I do think it was well handled. I did find it interesting how anorexia was characterised similar to Room Empty by Sarah Mussi. I don't know if that's a common thing but it was a good metaphor for people like me who don't know a lot about eating disorders.

I loved Hedda's character development. It was great to see her changing for her baby and I think that was a lot more accurate than a romantic interest would've been. I know teen mums and I've seen the way their priorities just shift completely for their baby. I really loved seeing Hedda grow as a person and realise a lot of things about herself along the way. I haven't read many books about teen pregnancy but I think the representation in this book was pretty good.

I liked seeing the family relationships build towards the end. I'm a sucker for that. I loved that everyone was getting a much better understanding of each other why they were the way they were. Even though it wasn't completely perfect, it was still  nice to see that development.

I think it was a good book. Again, perhaps confronting and triggering to certain people. I really liked Hedda and I really liked watching her grow as a person. I think it was a really interesting book about something that I hadn't even really given much thought to before. It was not what I expected but I'm actually pleased about that.

I inhaled this book. I was emotionally involved from the very start and couldn’t bear to put it down. 

‘When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn’t believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don’t add up. She is young, and still in the grip of an eating disorder that controls every aspect of how she goes about her daily life. She’s even given her eating disorder a name – Nia. But as the days tick by, Hedda comes to a decision: she and Nia will call a truce, just until the baby is born. 17 weeks, 119 days, 357 meals. She can do it, if she takes it one day at a time …Heartbreaking and hopeful by turns, Karen Gregory’s debut novel is a story of love, heartache and human resilience. And how the things that matter most can’t be counted.’

I have no experience of eating disorders so I can’t speak to how truthful the depiction is. But I can say that it feels immensely, painfully, believable. And that is because Karen Gregory has experienced it and has created such vivid, rounded characters that it’s impossible not to identify with them and root for them to succeed.

I feel like I’ve had a real insight into how it might feel to have an eating disorder or to care for someone who does; that I have learned from this book. And that is the special magic of books. They can open a window into lives and experiences outside of our own bubble, they can show us what it is like and help us become more understanding and empathetic people. 

Countless has heart and warmth and humour but above all it is honest. It doesn’t try to sugarcoat or glamourise any of the issues raised or situations the characters find themselves in. Gregory shines a hard light at our damaged welfare system and at the prejudices people have developed. But she also highlights and celebrates the individuals who are working tirelessly to make a difference from inside a broken system. And it feels ultimately hopeful.

The parts of the book that chimed with me personally were the struggles with parenting and the sensitively handled look at post natal depression. Countless shows how having a child and being responsible for another human being changes you and makes you reassess everything. Hedda’s reflecting on her relationship with her parents and her struggle to form relationships of any kind rang true. There is a beautiful moment when Hedda meets another struggling new mother, Lois. I was shouting at the book to say ‘her! Pick her as your person!’. Because although Countless is heartbreaking it is also full of heart and it celebrates the power of finding your people and your self and the resilience to keep going.

It’s a stunner!

Honestly, I got this book because of the cover... But can you blame me?! It's the most gorgeous thing ever! I love the design, I love the colors, it's just perfect!

And when I started reading it I wasn't very sure if it was for me... I read a couple of books that talk about anorexia and others that talk about pregnancy and for some reason I never enjoy them much. Maybe because I can't relate, maybe because I wasn't up for it at the moment, or maybe both! But this one was surprisingly good!

I really liked this book! I couldn't really relate to the character in what was happening to her, but I definitely cared about her astonishingly much!

It's a bit difficult to say much about this book without giving too much away, but I will try to... Hedda has been anorexic for a long time now. She has been in and out of a unit. Nothing seems to make that change... Until she realizes she's pregnant and slowly starts seeing things differently.

I loved the way this book showed anorexia. It talks about control, about emotions, about love, and about self-image. We follow Hedda trough her days, we see how she thinks and how she acts. And slowly we start seeing changes. She is no longer sure of anything. She doesn't know what she wants anymore. We see her struggling about what she should do with the baby and struggling about what to do with Nia (her name for her eating disorder). We see her struggling with her family, her romantic life, finances, and therapists. And I loved how the author showed all those themes and how Hedda navigated trough them until the end.

Thigs develop at an amazing pace and each page my connection with Hedda grew. It's written in a beautifully realistic way and it's very easy and fast to read. The book was incredibly heartbreaking, and everything is as it is, without sugar coats!

It's the first book I actually enjoy about anorexia and pregnancy and I would definitely recommend it!

I give the author a lot of credit for penning a thoughtful YA contemporary that isn’t all about a fluffy romance but takes the time to deal with issues such as mental illness, pregnancy and social pressure in what felt like a genuine way.

I quite enjoyed the main character a lot and felt like I went on an emotional journey with her. Hedda has suffered with an eating disorder for most of her life, so discovering she is pregnant really forces her to try and make a mental shift in how she views food, her body and the health of her baby. It really was a heartbreaking thing to watch and as Hedda struggles at times, but her character arc is one of my absolute favourite ones I’ve ever read. No matter how frustrated you get with her actions, all you really want is for Hedda and the baby to be okay in the end.

This really is an eye-opening look at how not only mental illness but specifically anorexia encompasses your life. Gregory takes you through all the raw emotions and fears associated with the disease and places them inside sweet Hedda. Knowing very little about anorexia myself, there may well be key elements that are missed in this narrative, however for the purpose of telling Hedda’s story, I thought she did a perfect job.

I would happily pick up any of Gregory’s other books after reading this book. I thought she did a fantastic job of tackling a tough subject and creating a complex and thoughtful lead.

Countless and I had a rollercoaster of a ride, but I'm happy I queued up and waited my turn. A lot of my worries with the book were solved when I learned that the author herself had suffered from an ED, and as I have not, I took this book as educational. 

FIRSTLY, can I just say how thankful I am that this is a good book set in England? I loooove finding books that go into detail about the outside world, and when that world is ENGLAND which I understand, it's like a lovely little treat - Alice Oseman's Solitaire was rife with British humour and the most accurate descriptions of Sixth Form I've ever read. 

In the beginning of the novel, it was extremely difficult to get through, because of the sheer weight of the topic and how Gregory was not beating around the bush. It took me a while to learn, and I'm no expert, but I think I understand what "romanticisation" is now and this isn't it. I previously loved Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and thought I understood ED's to a certain extent, but with her poetic prose and a character that we never really see choosing to get better, was that romanticism? Certainly, Anderson's was much easier to get through and perhaps even enjoyable at time - I revelled in her lesson in writing and perhaps it overshadowed the topic a little bit... that is what I now understand to be a form of romanticism - please discuss with me if you disagree! 

Besides the story line, it was quite predictable in some places - especially in relation to the kind of/ maybe/ almost love interest - Robin. Robin was lovely, a "brown" young man who helped Hedda & baby as much as he could - but was just escaping his own problems. I truly endorse his ending, I'm glad he stopped running and I think in a small way he inspired Hedda, but there was a big emphasis in this book on that it was Hedda who could make the decision, nobody else, and I think that's an incredibly important fact. 

"Being well needs to be about you too, about loving your self, if it's going to be sustainable."

However, the characters were gripping. Compared to everyone else, I think Hedda was the most plain of all - and as a pregnant anorexic girl, everyone else must be pretty damn interesting. It was heartbreaking but important that she was on her own, with only the memory of Molly - her best friend who had a heart attack and died right in front of her. Sometimes I wonder if Molly was more of Hedda in Hedda's memory than she knows, she was the strength in her soul given a name - like the disease she named "Nia." Laurel got to me more than Molly, though. I'm not sure what the purpose of Laurel was, apart from to show Hedda (and the reader) her undeniable future if she carried on. She wasn't a friend to Hedda, who made it clear that aside from Molly (and perhaps even then) everyone was competition, not a friend. But Laurel broke my damn heart. She made me cry. She was so deep on "Planet Anorexia" that even though she tired from holding a baby in her arms, she insisted on walking instead of getting the bus - a "sudden burst of energy as she gets into a rhythm" of walking.

I love how there is no black and white in this book, there's no definitive moment where Hedda decides enough is enough - she drops her baby and still carries on... not believing she's a good mother, but selfishly acknowledging she needs baby Rose because she can't support herself before coming to the conclusion that Rose needs help too. Gregory introduces these themes and ideas, the concept of a "tipping point" and Molly's advice of not to "fly so high you can't get back," but then Hedda dismisses these one way or another, believing it is too late for her every time and the reader all the while simultaneously hating her situation and sympathising with her. I think it's very important for myself to acknowledge that throughout this book, it taught me truly that Eating Disorders are diseases - they're not a choice. Although Hedda made many "choices," throughout the novel they were always tainted by Nia, and although it was haunting to have that presence there that you despised - Hedda hated her too, hated her for the comfort she provided in something so morbid as killing herself. 

By the end of the book, the reader realises they have been rooting for Hedda all this time. Not because she has a baby, or because her mum never provided her with the support she needed, and not plainly because of the fate of Laurel. Although I've never been pregnant and I don't suffer with any ED, Gregory paints Hedda so that you can relate to her in some far off way - I imagine that having a baby would effect me in the same way; there was no fundamental "I must change immediately for this child," as Hedda is still a child herself, but she does learn to grow up & really understands her illness before deciding to get treatment, really deciding this time.

I find books that centre around mental health really intriguing, so I was eager to get to reading Countless. I thought Countless was an incredibly established debut novel. I couldn't put it down!

Countless is about Hedda, our main character, who suffers from anorexia. Pretty much from the offset, we find out that Hedda is pregnant. We experience Hedda's battle with what to do about pregnancy. Hedda decides to keep the baby, but realises that she'll have to start eating to keep the baby healthy.

Countless isn't necessarily an easy book to read, but I think it's an important one. Karen Gregory's writing really made me sympathise with Hedda. I wanted her to pull through and get better both for her baby and herself. I liked that it wasn't easy for Hedda. I felt like this made the book incredibly realistic. A person suffering from anorexia doesn't get better overnight. It's a battle.

I think that Hedda is a very well written character. I felt that she developed so much throughout the course of the story. She was stubborn and strong-willed, but at the same time determined to do right by her child. The only thing that really bugged me about Hedda was her mother! I understand that it must be incredibly hard to have a child that suffers from anorexia, but her mother's attitude towards Hedda frustrated me on more than one occasion!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think it's such an important read.  I thought that the representation of mental illness was outstanding. It is a painful, emotional but incredibly sensitive read.

It took me a while to get around to reading this book but boy when I did I couldn't put it down! It was so interesting to read about an eating disorder, as it's something that I've never had to deal with personally it was very interesting to read from that point of view. It's been a while since I read this so I don't remember every detail but I remember thinking that this felt like such a real portrayal of life. It wasn't an amazing happy, perfect story, it dealt with tough issues and I felt that was so important! I didn't relate a lot with the character in this book but that didn't impact my enjoyment on this book at all. I liked this book and I was pleasantly surprised!

Review part of this video - https://youtu.be/7IUoYPkSmHw

It took me quite a while to read this book. Not because it was bad - far from it. It was just a very hard read but was about a subject that is very important to read and learn about. I had heard loads of hype about this book about five months ago and the hype lasted for about a week and then I didn't hear anything after that. Well, this is me bringing back the hype, because it's out next week and I think everyone should read this.

When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn’t believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don’t add up. She is young, and still in the grip of an eating disorder that controls every aspect of how she goes about her daily life. She’s even given her eating disorder a name – Nia. But as the days tick by, Hedda comes to a decision: she and Nia will call a truce, just until the baby is born. 17 weeks, 119 days, 357 meals. She can do it if she takes it one day at a time …

Our main character, Hedda, suffers from anorexia and has done since she was thirteen-years-old. Throughout this book, we witness her realise that she is pregnant, the pain and torture that she goes through to make sure her baby is okay whilst it is still inside of her, and we see the journey that she goes through once the baby is born. 

This book was just an immense rollercoaster. Reading about anorexia is hard-hitting as it is, but reading about a girl with an eating disorder and pregnant just made me really nervous. I wanted Hedda to pull through for her own sake, but also for the baby's as well. Whenever she would ration her food or do extra exercise, I just wanted to yell at her that she has to look after her baby. I know that Nia was constantly whispering into Hedda's ear, and I know that voice is hard to get rid of but I just kept thinking about the baby.

I really did like the character of Hedda though. She knew what had to be done and even though she was slightly stubborn at first, she had amazing character development and recognised that she had a support system around her that would help her with anything. 




"Most of the time, what I'm sure of is that people will let you down so it;s best to give them a push in that direction sooner rather than later. People are pretty predictable."

- Karen Gregory, Countless





The character that I really didn't like was Hedda's mom. She just angered me so much! Does she not realise the shit that Hedda has been going through since she was 13?! I know it's hard on the people around Hedda to witness what she's doing to herself, but that doesn't mean that the parents get to disown her and basically ignore her existence. Her mom was just the epitome of unsupportive and it really annoyed me how it was blatantly obvious that she preferred Hedda's baby over Hedda herself. I just thought she was absolutely horrible. 

I also didn't really see the point of the character: Robin. Was he just there for some sort of love interest? I don't know. But yet again, *minor spoiler ahead* he was just another person to let Hedda down. Another disappointment.

Overall, this was a brilliant book. Apart from the slow beginning and my confusion of the character of Robin, I think that this is such an important book to read. Reading about a character with an eating disorder is hard as it is, but when a person with an ED becomes pregnant - which means they put on weight - what do they do? It must be so bloody hard for them to come to grips with what is happening to them, and what they have to do. They must feel so scared. And that's why this book is important. Because it explores that and brings issues to the surface. 

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Released 4th May

Countless – A review
“When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn’t believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don’t add up. She is young and in the grips of an eating disorder that controls her daily life”
Countless, the debut novel from Karen Gregory, had me completely hooked from start to finish. As a teenager, I’m not sure I would have picked this up to read. It’s very intense and covers some very difficult issues, something that might not have come up on my radar when I was younger, but I’m very pleased I had the opportunity to read it, thanks to Bloomsbury.
 Hedda, the main character and narrator, has been battling anorexia her whole teenage life. She hasn’t managed to stay out of the unit (where young people with eating disorders go to receive care and counselling) for longer than 4 months at a time since she was first admitted. Now at 17 after watching her best friend Molly die from a similar disorder, she has made a promise that she won’t go back. In fact, Molly left her a list of things to do to get out of hospital and start living her life.
Hedda gets quite a shock though, when she finds out she’s pregnant. One of the things on the list from Molly was to lose her virginity, but there was nothing about becoming a mother. Hedda has her hands full with her anorexia, which she has personified as Nia. It’s all consuming, and she spends her days counting calories, walking for miles and avoiding anyone that might try to talk to her about her feelings. How can she possibly be pregnant?
Hedda is an inspiring young woman. She struggles so deeply with Nia, pregnancy, her family and then attempting to raise a child in a dingy little flat with a neighbour from hell, but all the time she perseveres,  and never gives up. She knows deep down what is right and wrong, but admitting it and seeking help is the most challenging thing she has ever had to do.
Not only is this a beautifully written book, that I would highly recommend to young adults that enjoy real-life fiction, I would also recommend it to anyone that has battled with or knows someone with an eating disorder. It really opened my eyes to another world and shows just how all-consuming it can be. If this can help you to understand what a friend or family member is going through, I would urge you to give it a try. 
Above all, you will really feel for Hedda as she tries her hardest to beat Nia so that she can be a good parent. It’s not without its setbacks, but it’s a story of human resilience and shows what lengths a person will go to for love.

This was a beautiful and heartbreaking story, which ended with hope (thank goodness as I wouldn't have been able to function otherwise). Hedda was an authentic character who struggled through her life, the power of her anorexia and its control over her was confronting and the love she had for her daughter versus the disgust she had for herself was a daily battle. This was an excellent story that I couldn't put down. 

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for my review copy via Netgalley.

Rating - 3 / 5

Hedda was in a really difficult situation in this, and I really sympathized with her. 

There were parts in this that dragged slightly for me, but it wasn't too bad thankfully. 

Overall, An okay read.

(I received a digital copy of this book for free. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley.)

“So this is the deal I’m making: Nia and I call a truce. When the baby is safely here and I’ve found it some proper parents, then Nia can have me back. All I have to do is eat for seventeen weeks and then everything will be like it was before.”

This was a contemporary story about a girl with anorexia who discovered she was pregnant. 

Hedda was really torn in this story, alternating between trying to care for her baby and trying to listen to what ‘Nia’ (her name for her eating disorder) wanted her to do, and I could easily see why she was in such a terrible situation.

The storyline in this was about Hedda finding out that she was pregnant, and trying to keep eating until her due date. She struggled with the decision of what to do with her baby once it arrived, and in fact most of the book was about what happened to Hedda after she had the baby, and the financial struggles as well as her struggles with her eating disorder. The story felt very real though, and it was sad to think of Hedda and the situation that she was stuck in, especially as she seemed to have little support from her family. 

The ending to this was hopeful, and I felt like it was also a realistic ending. 
6.5 out of 10

This is the story of Hedda, 17 years old, aneroxic and pregnant.  She lives alone in a dingy flat, because, after multiple stays in a unit to try and help her overcome her anorexia, her mother doesn't want her around her younger sister for fear of any influencing effect.  So Hedda is alone.  Her pregnancy is the result of a one-night stand, and as she can't face the idea of having an abortion, she must find a way to overcome her food issue for the sake of her baby. 
There was so much I really loved about this book.  Firstly, the fact that it was a YA book that didn't focus on romance at all was quite refreshing.  I also found the portrayal of Hedda's on-going struggle with anorexia incredibly powerful and realistic, nothing was sugar-coated or glossed over and it opened my eyes to how all-encompassing an illness it really is.  (Incidentally, I was unsurprised to learn the author had drawn on her own past because you just couldn't make this up – though she is quick to state Hedda's story is fictitious).  At times I wasn’t to shake Hedda, at others I wanted to hug her – evidence that she really got under my skin.  I was also overwhelmed by the ending.  May be it hit me harder because I'm a mum, but Hedda's actions brought tears to my eyes. 
This books is just one of the reasons that YA is becoming more and more recognised and valued.  Every school library should have copy.

I find books like this one – serious, relentless, grotesquely eerie - difficult to rate mainly because while I appreciate the effectiveness of the point the writer is trying to make, my star ratings are influenced by enjoyment, and I did not enjoy this book. Torn between the vice-like grip of her eating disorder and the desire to keep her daughter strong, pregnant teenager Hedda is engaged in a narratively violent struggle with the anorexia she calls Nia. 

Countless is gritty, efficient and reminiscent of work by Melvin Burgess, Nick Hornby and Clare Furniss. It’s peppered with difficult choices, old habits and skewed relationships, with characters you’d expect to be central failing to step up while others take their place. There’s unexpectedly kind neighbour Robin, honest fellow new mother Lois, Hedda’s distant, critical and painfully unforthcoming parents, her perfect, detached sister Tammy, and, never too far away, the reminders of the protagonist’s eating-disorder semi-existence. It’s not a terribly diverse book, but YA readers looking for books without a romance may find the focus on character, topical issues and Hedda’s personal journey works for them. 

Gregory explores themes of love, self-esteem, family breakdown and flashbacks to the weird world of ED units, where sufferers go ostensibly for treatment but usually wind up building toxic ‘friendships’ and becoming locked in some bizarre race to be thinnest, sickest, cruellest. She writes with both immense empathy and unflinching characterisation, but the book is undoubtedly triggering and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who has had or come into contact with real-life eating disorders. Moments of hope and Hedda’s unquestionable love for daughter Rose are really the only features that make reading a book that might be gripping if it weren’t so chilling possible. 

A longer review of this book will appear on my blog closer to publication.

Countless - it felt very rushed in parts. Weeks would skip by in a paragraph or two. I felt it was a good story to tell but it could have been told so much better.

Was all I had written in my notes when I started this book. I still stand by the fact that her pregnancy was rather rushed and I would have liked to have heard more, maybe some more details on things that were skimmed over.

As the book progressed it didn't feel quite so rushed. The writing style was hard to keep with sometimes and there was a lot of flitting backwards and forwards and sometimes it lost me as to where I actually was in the story and I had to go back a paragraph or two.

I liked how there was little romance in this novel and it seemed a particularly honest story. There was no sugar coating things which I appreciated, I've never read about Anorexia before with a protagonist suffering from it and a pregnant protagonist at that so it was very interesting to watch Hedda grow in maturity through her pregnancy.

It highlighted a few important things. 1 being quite simple but something we all try to avoid. Asking for help. Hedda went through some tough times and I was with her sometimes thinking, 'oh blow it just do it yourself' but asking for help shows a quality that is rare and I liked that Hedda learnt that in her journey.

It also highlighted how young girls who become mothers are looked at in society. Hedda would mention the looks she would get, interpreted in her own mind of course but I've been guilty of thinking those things to girls like the protagonist. Sometimes it's best to judge less, we never know a persons full circumstances and that's a little life lesson I learnt from this book.

I wasn't blow away by this book but I did find myself wanting to know more. The characters started to open up and it got more interesting as it went along.

Overall it was a good book, particularly for talking openly about anorexia and showing the eating disorder for what it really is. A prison.

Although the subject matter makes this tough going at times, it's a compelling read with a believable heroine whose fate the reader feels emotionally invested in. An impressive debut