Dancing with Ana

I wnnt to thank Nicole Barker for sending me a copy of this book to review.






Melanie, Rachel, Jenny and Beth are good friends. They all attend the same high school. They were all sitting around during lunch commenting on Christine McCady and how great she looks. The girls are jealous and decide that they are going to all go on a diet.

Besides keeping busy with dieting and school, Beth has found herself occupied with a certain boy. Jeremy and Beth grew up together. Jeremy lives across the street. It wasn’t till recently when they both started to see each other as boy and girl an not just friends. Jeremy really likes Beth and thinks she is perfect the way she is. He can’t understand why she is dieting. All of Beth’s friends are impressed with how Beth looks till…Beth takes things to far.

I thought Dancing with Ana was a sad and emotional read. This is good. It made me really become connected with Beth and Jeremy. I appreciated that Beth had someone like Jeremy in her life that cared and looked out for her. It is not easy to take a subject like anorexia and incorporate it into a book, where the story doesn’t come off as too preachy or the characters are too self-centered. I thought that Nicole Barker did a good job in finding that right balance. Dancing with Ana tells a nice message that self image isn’t everything and that there is always someone who loves you for being you. Also life can throw you curve balls but with a strong support system, you can get through anything without resorting to anorexia.


Comments

Linda Jacobs said…
This sounds like something all teenage girls should read!

I'm going to look for it!
Cheryl said…
Linda - I agree that Dancing with Ana was a well written book. Your students would probably like it.

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