I'm conflicted. This book is incredibly well-written. Truly superb writing. However, I'd hesitate to recommend this book. First off, a trigger warning about detailed and graphic descriptions of eating disorder behaviors (which is  likely discernible to the reader by the title/book jacket alone). That aside, I found the depiction of eating disorder treatment to be mostly unrealistic. Parts of the experience are spot-on, but the cluelessness of the treatment center and its methods were extreme. Recovery is grossly simplified - I'm sorry, but it takes a lot more than just slightly eating more food to recover, much less regain menses in most cases. 

I really appreciated that it was a non-straight protagonist struggling with sexuality issues connected with her eating disorder, but ultimately felt like it ultimately fell into the very cliche it calls out (emaciated white girl who suppresses sexual desires into anorexia), which is a minority of those who struggle with eating disorders.

Twin sisters and the bond that ties them together is explored in Diana Clarke's "Thin Girls," but it's more than just their birth. One has an eating disorder, while the other has always been the "perfect" daughter.

Food and eating disorders are the bad guys, first with one and then the other, following Lily and Rose from children to adults. It's a dark tale that includes hospitalizations, deep emotions and self-discovery. One ends up in a battered relationship, while the other finally acknowledges her homosexuality.

Each sister does what the other can't do. They know they aren't making healthy choices, yet the sisters don't have the strength alone to fight their inner demons.

Did I mention that this is a dark tale? It demonstrates that love can't be simply labeled and tucked into a pretty box with a bow. It is never pain-free or all rainbows. It can hurt emotional, and too often physically, as two sisters learn. 

But it's also a tale of learning to live, and that having someone else in your life, whether by choice or birth, is worth the effort.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

Rose and Lily are twins. They struggle emotionally and physically with food. Rose develops an eating disorder and Lily starts binging, and everything gets worse.

Lily and their dad form an intervention, and Rose goes off to rehab. Meanwhile, Lily forms an unhealthy relationship with one of her students' fathers - who happens to be married.

As Rose tries to heal she feels like she and Lily are drifting apart. 

This is a powerful and resonating story. Sad and times...eye opening. Would recommend.

Wow, this was a tough read, but a great one. We follow two girls through this body issues/eating disorders, and I think most women will find something to relate to her, although some parts may be triggering. I thought the ending was perfect- definitely pick this one up!

Before I get into my thoughts on Thin Girls, I need to issue a warning. This is NOT a book everyone should read. If you have a history of eating disorders and especially anorexia, you should know there will be MANY triggers in the book and even this review.

However, I enjoyed Thin Girls very much. It’s the story of twin sisters, Lily and Rose, very close as twins often are. In their teens, Rose felt like a bit of an outsider, until she started getting thinner and thinner and suddenly became part of the popular crowd. As Rose lost weight, Lily gained and became the outsider.

“Anorectics experience extreme weight loss. But you lose more than that. Hair, fingernails, teeth. You lose your friends, family, yourself. You lose your sense of the world. Of what is important beyond the non-eating. And, eventually, you lose it all. She’s greedy, anorexia is.”

Rose narrated Thin Girls, providing a very unique perspective. Debut author Diana Clarke did a thorough (and eye-opening) job of portraying Rose’s relationship with food and starvation. As the book opens Rose has been in a treatment facility for nearly a year, and has learned all the tricks to appear as if she’s maintaining her weight. Only when she realizes Lily may be in trouble and need her for a change, does Rose take the steps she needs to be released.

I enjoyed the twin relationship in this story and appreciated that Clarke not only explored the close bond, but also the toxicity, especially for Lily. I thought Rose and Lily’s parents were painted in too broad of strokes, making them sort of non-characters. They were just too flat and difficult to believe. There were also a few tangential aspects of the story that felt a bit contrived, but I cared enough about the twins to roll with it. I’m glad I did because those were minor flaws compared to the rest of the story and the commentary on society’s judging of women’s bodies. Plus, I really liked the ending. 

Note: I received a copy of this book from Harper (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I received an electronic advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest unbiased review.   
I was really excited to get this book, as I have read many books on eating disorders and I enjoy reading them.  However, I was unable to finish this book.  The writing flowed okay, but the characters and their eating disorder 'quirks' didn't come across as relatable, real people.  I tried several times, but had a hard time engaging with this book.  Others may have a better time with it than I did!  This book just came out, so pick it up and see what you think.  
Thanks to the publisher for giving me a chance to read and review.

Twins, Rose and Lily, both develop unhealthy relationships with food. Rose becomes anorexic and Lily goes in the other direction--overeating.  We meet Rose in her treatment center to overcome her anorexia. Told back and forth in time, we learn about the unhealthy habits they learned from their mother. Both girls make bad choices in their relationships in life—Lily starts to lose weight in undesired ways. I enjoyed aspects of this book, but overall I didn’t appreciate the sisters’ saga and found it dull. I am glad to see eating disorders addressed in fiction. 
Goodreads review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3417159345

This is an emotional story about twin girls that suffer from different eating disorders, one overeats and one is anorexic. The reader feels for both as they grapple with the issues under the surface.  Rose and Lily's stories alternate between the past and the present, but the timelines blend together seamlessly.

We follow twins Rose and Lily. The book is set in the now with flashbacks to the past. Growing up, Rose and Lily were one, they had the same emotions and did everything together. While in High School, Lily made friends with the popular crowd which had a downstream impact to their relationship. Rose began to not eat but Lily starts to eat more. In the present, Rose is in a rehabilitation center and relies on Lily to tether her to her normal life. During Lily’s visits, it becomes clear Lily needs help. 

I struggled to get through this in the first part of the book. I very much did not like the celebrity that came to Rose’s rehabilitation center. She was very snooty, privileged, and clearly a bad influence. But the latter half of the book was beautiful. There was great social commentary on diet culture and body image. There are plenty of people out there that associate eating disorders with thin girls but never understand that eating disorders are real for all body sizes. With the twins having very similar struggles but on opposite sides of the spectrum, you get to see both sides. It’s heart breaking yet hopeful. 

Please research TW for this book if you are questioning the content. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Phenomenal. One of those "read it in one sitting" books that spoke to my heart and experience so much, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I don’t even know where to begin with this review.. I was completely blown away by Diane Clarks debut novel and felt like I couldn’t  get through it fast enough! This book explores deep and unsettling themes that may not be for everyone. Trigger warnings include: eating disorders and domestic abuse.

This story is about identical twins Lily and Rose Winter who become not so identical  after a middle school diet ends up being the beginning of Rose’s anorexia and Lily’s finding comfort in food. Narrated by Rose, we are taken deep into the world of anorexia. The book alternates between the past and present up until the time she was admitted to an inpatient facility to recover. Rose desperately tries not to gain any weight while in the facility, meanwhile Lily meets a new guy who pushes her to lose weight. When Rose realizes her sister is in a controlling and dangerous relationship she fakes her recovery in order to be discharged. 

This story was so brilliantly written and is truly not like anything I’ve ever read before.  I recommend it to anyone who is interested in mental illnesses and would like to know what it’s like to be inside of the mind of someone with anorexia.

An amazing story of sisters and the bond that connects them. Poignant and heart wrenching at times it's also filled with hope to fix the wrongs in their lives. Can they do it? Read this wonderful book and find out. Happy reading!

THIN GIRLS is an absolutely superb novel that knocked me off my feet. What I thought would be an interesting but perhaps not groundbreaking novel about eating disorders turned out to be a nuanced, enveloping, and heart-wrenching story from an amazing new author. We follow two twin girls back and forth through time as one of them, Rose, develops anorexia and the other, Lily, has her own myriad issues with food and while they are identical as children, due to these disorders, they grow apart both emotionally and physically. Important to say that this book has many trigger warnings related to anorexia, dieting culture, self-image, and eating disorders in general. It's a tough read, one I had to put down numerous times, but it's such a fantastic and important novel. 

While the book is devoutly anti diet culture, it still buries the reader deep in the minds of women who are negatively impacted by it, and that is not so easy to shake off after you stop reading. What makes this book so wonderful is the characters - we grow with them, know them inside and out, and feel their successes and failures. Rose, who we meet as she recovers during a year long stint in an anorexia facility, is a character for the ages. Her narration is the heart of the book, and the author's explanation of the disease through her eyes is the most realistic I've ever read. The book is long, and solid, and I almost want to describe it as epic. It's an experience you have to give in to, and the reward will be great.

Wow. This was a very powerful and heavy book. I enjoyed it.
I can’t relate to the eating disorder or bisexuality - but the book was written in such a way that this issues were brought to light in a touching way.
I hope to read more from the author.

This book took me way too long to read - which I think has given me the impression that it's too long. In reflecting on it, I don't think that's the truth, just my skewed perception.

This book reminded me forcefully of The Lightness - in it's portrayal of treatment centers, the young girls who are at those centers, the bonds and friendships that are formed, the lack of parental authority in any form. But with twins, instead of one girl. It also had short paragraph breaks that incorporated random trivia, as The Lightness did, though it did not strike me as effective here as it did there. Thin Girls is at least queer, where The Lightness is at best queer bait.

There were some lines and ideas that hit really well, and others that missed for me entirely. Part of the girls' stories seemed added only to add to their uncanny, their allure, but at the point the allure had already been well established. The see-sawing between the twins, their problems, their relationships, was well-done, and one misdirection in the text was expertly executed, which made for a nice surprise.

In the end - I don't know that this is one I'd recommend, except to someone thinking of reading The Lightness. Read this one instead.

An amazing debut about twin sisters - Rose and Lily.  Moving back and forth in time, it's a story of eating disorders, despair, love, twin-ness, sexuality, and love.  Rose, in the present,  narrates from inside the treatment facility where she's spent more than a year and later, after she leaves, from Lily's apartment and then Grace's house.  She's anorexic- a thin girl- while Lily has gained weight even as she lost it.  The novel tracks how these two got to this place.  Rose was always less accepted by others than Lily until Jemima issued an eating challenge- one apple a day as the only food ingested.  As the years pass, you'll see Rose's weight go down while Lily's goes up but you won't understand the full picture until the end. Lily's involvement with Phil, a married and horrid man, is the catalyst for Rose to improve.  Jemima seems like the queen of the mean girls but hold judgement.  No spoilers for this, which I read in a gulp.  I know it will be triggering for some and that some will question Clarke's motives in writing it but it's not exploitative, it does not encourage disorders and it's sensitive on a number of levels.  It's also beautifully written.  Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.  I'm looking forward to more from Clarke, who is a writer to watch.

Synopsis (Goodreads)
Rose and Lily Winters are identical twins. They have struggled with body and image since childhood and high school finds them turning to food - or not - to battle the waves of insecurity and the yearning for popularity. When Rose stops eating, Lily’s response is to start eating for two - consuming everything Rose won’t or can’t.

The book starts with Rose celebrating her one-year anniversary in a rehabilitation facility for anorexics. Lily, her sole visitor, is the only thing tethering her to a normal life. But Lily is struggling, too. A kindergarten teacher, she dates abusive men, including a student’s married father, in search of the close yet complicated companionship she lost when she became separated from Rose. 

When Lily joins a cult diet group led by a social media faux feminist, whose eating plan consists of consuming questionable non-caloric foods, Rose senses that Lily needs her help. With her sister’s life in jeopardy, Rose must find a way to rescue her—and perhaps, save herself.

Thoughts
Moving back and forth from present day to the past, the author skillfully explores how Rose and Lily develop their unhealthy relationship with food in an attempt to suppress pain. This book is most definitely not for everyone. It is a dark and haunting read and I felt weighed down by Rose’s narration. At times I struggled to keep reading as it was so painful and agonizing - the ways in which Rose talks about her self and struggles with her sexuality and the ways in which Lily compensates for Rose by overeating and allows herself to be abused by men. 

I am glad I read this. It has given me a better understanding of eating disorders and how social media, toxic diet culture and the relationships with our caregivers, family and friends contribute to their development. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring the same.

Severe triggers warnings, this probably goes without saying but: anorexia (it includes tips and tricks), bulimia, physical abuse, abandonment, alcoholism, binge eating

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thin Girls by Diana Clarke is a dark, provocative story of two twins; one who doesn’t eat and one who eats for two. This book explores some pretty deep and intense themes and might not be for everyone. Trigger warnings include: eating disorders, rape, and sexual violence. ⁣
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Lily and Rose Winters are identical other than a mole on Lily’s back. Lily’s personality is warm and bright, while Rose is awkward and finds it hard to make friends. The twins are just trying to fit in with the popular girls, so when queen bee, Jemima, suggest they try the ‘apple a day’ diet, the twins go along. Lily gives up in a day. But Rose sticks with it, and when Jemima praises her for losing weight, Rose keeps going. The chapters alternate between adolescence and the twins’ current life. Fast forward to their early 20s... Rose is admitted to an inpatient facility an is desperately trying not to gain. Lily, who began overeating when Rose stopped eating, is dating a new guy who has pushed her to lose weight. Rose realizes her twin is being controlled, and manages to fake her way to getting discharged. Rose has to help Lily, but save herself at the same time by confronting her sexuality, insecurities, and past family history. ⁣
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Like I said, this is not for everyone. I loved it, because the author presented these topics in an authentic way. They were not romanticized or glamorized. I wouldn’t say this book had a happy ending at all, but the ending was very conclusive and I thought it was a great stopping point. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review!

I found this book to be very dark with practically every ill that affects society icluded in it.  The first part about the facility that (didn't) work with anorexics seemed to drag on forever and then once Rose got out of the facility to help Lily who was a victim of abuse from her boyfriend, the story just got heavy.  It was not until the end wihen Rose got back together with Mim that there was a little bit of light.  I think the book might have been more effective if the author had not tried to pack so much into it.  I did finish the book, but it was a slog as I was surrounded by eating disorders, abuse, abandonment, alcoholism, and rape and just wanted to finish the book and be done with it.

A story of twin sisters, both obesssed with their bodies and their food. They grow up enmeshed, each other's best friend. There is a popular girl in school they each vie for, and eventually Rose, the anorexic, wins this girl's affection. Simultaneously, their parents split up. Mom moves away and Dad becomes a depressed drunk. Both girls become obsessed with their bodies and food. Rose becomes emaciated, and obsessed with losing weight and Lily becomes obese and obsessed with men.

Rose lives part time in an eating disorder unit, yet when she notices that Lily is becoming abused by her lover, she decided to break out and 'save' her. The second half of the book focuses on their relationship as they live together and each tries to mother the other, but not her own self.

A lot of eating disorder tricks (warning for those who are susceptible) and stories of abusive boyfriends and misogynistic men. These women live in a very insular world, which is what addiction does to people and the lengths they will go to remain attached to their addiction.