Honestly, this one was difficult to read, but I think it is a really important story. Should definitely be aware of trigger and content warnings before going in.

Thin Girls can be lesson to to how dangerous fads can be to adolescent children.Sisters Rose and Lily react to adolescence differently. Rose joins a clique whose leader is obsessed with diet fads. She becomes anorexic spends her days recounting her behavior in a clinic, where routine gives her comfort. Lily reacts by exploring dangerous relationships as a way of self destruction. When Rose learns her sister is in danger , it’s the turning point that changes not just her life but her sisters.

cannot believe this was a debut. but also, every content warning under the sun applies here so be mindful before you pick this one up.

I was very excited to read this novel and it did not disappoint. Rose an Lily are memorable characters and the writing itself reminded me of Lionel Shriver at her best.

This book took me a while to go through since I needed to be in the correct mental "place" to take on something so intense. It's a heavy narrative that deals with a wide range of serious issues, such as coming out, eating disorders, toxic family dynamics, violent relationships, and bullying. The prose has a dreamlike, almost storybook feel. Although I don't believe everyone would enjoy this style, I found it enjoyable. It reminded me of an adult adaptation of Laurie Halse Anderson's WINTERGIRLS.

In every aspect, Lily and Rose are a pair, until one of them stops eating and the other can't get enough. A mixture of flashbacks and present-day events make up the narrative structure. In the current day, Lily is overweight and getting involved with a married guy, while Rose is in a rehabilitation facility attempting to mend her addiction with food. The twins' high school years are depicted in flashback, when we see Lily's slide from popularity and Rose's struggle to control her feelings for Jemima, the school's undisputed leader. This unusual style of writing is handled with such skill on her part.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

Thin Girls is a book that takes on incredibly difficult subjects, from eating disorders to abuse to abandonment. Based on the lives of a set of twins, who begin as the same size and then begin to diverge as one twin eats anything and the other stops eating when she begins extreme dieting. Lily is the "normal twin" whose weight climbs as the novel begins, while Rose is the anorexic twin who has been in an inpatient treatment program for about a year without significant improvement. The only motivation for trying to be released is when Rose recognizes cause for concern at decisions that Lily is making. This plays out partly through the eyes of life in the treatment facility and then once Rose rejoins the real world.
There is great exploration of all the many contributing causes of eating disorders and other issues relating to female mental and physical health.
I think overall the message of this book is a good one. But it was quite ambitious in scope and through the middle section was really dragging. I think it could have been shorter and would have packed a bigger punch.
#ThinGirls #NetGalley #HarperCollinsPublishers

I regret taking so long to pick this one up after having it on my Kindle for so long, because I couldn't put it down. These poor, poor twin girls (who grow into women throughout the course of the book) are bound together inextricably in often unhealthy (and sometimes scary) ways. Definitely a content warning for anyone who struggles with disordered eating.

I appreciated the themes that this book dealt with. I tried listening to the audio book. However, unfortunately, I was unable to finish it because it wasn’t captivating.

**Thank you Netgalley for e-arc. **

This book is dark and it deals with a lot of heavy subjects. Most of the characters are destructive towards one another. This changes at some point but it gets a little annoying.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. First, it's a really hard subject. I think most females have struggled with body image at one time or another, so it's easy to identify with the characters in the book. It really explains anorexia and bulimia in detail. Sometimes it's hard to understand why someone would put themselves through that, and this gives some idea as to why.

The author's writing style is very beautiful and unique. There is a lot of detail in this book. Sometimes I felt like she went off a little too far and could have kept things shorter. But then I would appreciate how well the writing flowed.
3.5

THIN GIRLS blew me away! This book is edgy, dark, and compulsively readable, and I loved how the author, Diana Clarke, did not shy away from the brutal realities of eating disorders. The decision to start certain chapters with weights was shocking but commendable; it showed how easy it is to ignore a few missing pounds at the beginning of a loved one's eating disorder, but how quickly the illness can spiral. The twin aspect was good, if a bit obvious, but I truly enjoyed the ways the girls interacted with one another, and how their journeys mirrored one another.

The scenes in the rehabilitation facility were the strongest: I loved the camaraderie of the girls and the painful ways they fought for control and independence without going too far and attracting unwanted attention. Much like THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET, the characters of THIN GIRLS are all independently interesting, but together create an absolutely unputdownable cast.

My one complaint with this book is that some of the "action" dragged 50%-75% of the way through. The book I once couldn't put down became a bit of a slog when the prose became repetitious and the characters lost their way a bit. That said, the ending totally redeemed this book, and I would absolutely read this author again.

THIN GIRLS is edgier than I expected; a much-needed debut centered around dieting culture. I enjoyed reading this book.

I’m judging a 2020 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

Clarke takes on the difficult examination of women, friendship, our bodies, what it means to be constantly in a body that requires and wants and needs and poses a danger to itself.

This was definitely a tough read. Not bad at all, just heavy. It is triggering, it is dense, but it is beautifully written.

Thank you to Harper Books for a free e-arc of this title for review.

Please consider reaching out to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) or a trusted friend, family member, or loved one if you need help with eating disorders. Support is out there. For those in the U.S., NEDA has a confidential helpline (800-931-2237) and chat (go to https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/). They also have educational resources (including for those worried about someone else) and an eating disorders screening tool.

Thin Girls seemed like it'd be right up my alley, and parts of this book certainly resonated with me. Namely, the undercurrent of ways in which our culture can encourage unhealthy dieting, skewed ideas of "wellness," a poor relationship with food, and negative body image. And then, in turn, how individuals can facilitate these things in others. It's truly a nasty cycle, and that was portrayed in this book.

I hesitate to recommend Thin Girls, though, given how potentially triggering it may be. It's not just the content. (I didn't feel the same way about the Girls at 17 Swann St.) But the details on how to starve oneself (and "get away" with an eating disorder)... Sometimes it felt like this book veered into How To territory. (My relationships with food, exercise, and my body are three I've been working on for some time, but I think I can say with confidence that this would have been a harmful book for me to have read 10 years ago, maybe even five.)

If you think you are up for the subject matter, you might like the way in which the author places you in Rose's world, and discusses these very real issues. But please do take care of yourself and be mindful as to whether reading this book is harmful to you.


Content warnings: Anorexia, binging, purging, pica, reference to orthorexia and excessive exercising, extreme dieting, self harm, death from eating disorder, homophobia, domestic abuse, cheating, sexual assault, alcohol abuse

This was such a difficult read. Rewarding, yes, but difficult. Personally triggering, sometimes to the point that I’d have to set this book down for a day.. So brutally honest and unflinching. Rose and Lily Winters are one of the most interesting pairs of twins I’ve ever encountered in literature, brought to life lovingly and expertly by Clarke. The way they could taste each other’s emotions but also be so clueless of each other’s situations... brilliant and heartbreaking. There are so many images and lines and moments that will stick with me for a long time, just like the urge to end stigma against mental illness will stick with me for the rest of my life. A stunning saga of recovery. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the galley.

Thin Girl is still on my mind, after finishing this novel a few weeks ago. This book offers an honest glimpse into anorexia, its deep, dark, obsessives bottomless pit that takes over and distorts the relationship with food towards deathly outcomes. Beautifully told through a life of identical twin girls, with the closest bonds possible. Full of heartbreak and hope, this book is a MUST READ. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the e-book for review. All opinions are my own.

I’m not going to lie. If you struggle with eating disorders, maybe skip this book. Perhaps it’s all the ash in the air (which makes me nauseous), but while reading this novel, I went through weird binging phases which was reminiscent of old toxic eating habits. But it’s also been incredibly ashy and there was just a massive heatwave, so I haven’t been able to work out, so that’s most likely the reason behind my terrible eating. If anything, this book had me hyper-focusing on my relationship with food, which is probably one of its many intentions.

One of the more popular thematic concerns in the 21st century is the body. Maintaining and sustaining a corporeal form isn’t all that it’s chalked up to be. However, Thin Girls follows our protagonist, Rose, who has a twin sister. I’m fresh off of the Brit Bennett train, so literary fiction with twins piques my interest.

The novel opens with Rose in a rehabilitation facility for anorexia. She describes herself as an anorectic and a part of the thin girls. This is her community. This is her tribe. But that wasn’t always true. Before she was a thin girl, Rose was a twin. This a pattern for Rose. She defines herself by others, and at her worst, by what she’s not. The narrative continues to flip between the present (the rehabilitation timeline) and the past (from childhood and onward). The two plots have us exploring Rose’s traumas and the development of her eating disorder.

One of the shining aspects of the novel is the twin-thing. Our characters, Rose and Lily can feel each other’s pain and taste the other’s emotions. So when Rose begins to starve herself, Lily eats. As Rose begins to lose weight, Lily starts to gain. Although this trope seems contrite, Clarke’s take is refreshing and works. The flavor emotions the siblings’ experience brings a breath of fresh air into a trope that’s overdone, especially when both of the characters have EDs.

This novel explores sexuality, eating disorders, trauma, suppression, and how childhood and family affect us in adulthood. This novel is intense. The descriptions of the body are often jarring, bleak, and gross. Clarke is talented at incorporating smell into this novel, specifically rancid smells. Often times I found myself saying "ew" out loud and needing to look away from the page.

Despite rave reviews from my bookseller friends, I was hesitant when starting this novel. Some of my favorite works that explore the body are Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Danarembga and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. One examines what happens to the body-psyche after generations of colonialism and the other follows the top 10% wasting itself away out of existence. The bar is high.

I’m pleased that this novel surpassed all of my expectations with its clever narrative structure, unique usage of found text, and its commentary on behavior. The sheer amount of animal behavioral, psychological, zoological, and diet research that went into this novel blows my mind. This novel is written and organized with so much intention; every image had a purpose to drive the story and theme.

Read this, if you don’t have an eating disorder that’s at risk of being triggered.

This was a beautiful debut novel. I absolutely loved it. The story was incredibly original and heartbreaking. The relationship between the sisters was complex and I could not put the down. I cannot wait to read more by Diana Clarke.