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Diary of an Anorexic Girl
Morgan Menzie takes readers through a harrowing but ultimately hopeful and inspiring account of her eating disorder. Her amazing story is told through the journals she kept during her daily struggle with this addiction and disease. Her triumphs and tragedies all unfold together in this beautiful story of God's grace. Features daily eating schedule, journal entries, prayers to God, poems, and what she wished she knew at the time. It's the true story of victory over a disease that is killing America's youth.
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 1, 2011
I believe this book clearly showed me a realistic point of view "of an anorexic girl." I praise this book that it was not all about her eating disorder - it was hardly even about that - but it was about Blythe trying to keep the hold on her friends and family.
I was amazed to see that she was still having insecurity issues about her body, as her future lover and husband left her at the dance for another "little heavy" girl. She thought it was because she wasn't skinny enough. She thought her boobs weren't big enough. At the end, Tim just wanted a person to have fun with.
She tried so hard to hide her disorder for three years, she thought everyone already knew it and was trying to help her in their own secret way. She always kept telling herself that it was "normal to lose a few pounds before Thanksgiving... Everyone does it" and that nothing was wrong with her.
She was always battling with herself with the thought that she was battling everyone else.
Isn't that what life is about? It isn't about us fighting our own anorexia, It's not about holding back food, it's about us telling ourselves and everyone we love that we're fine when clearly something is wrong. We're not battling our family and friends, we're battling our body, our intelligence, our past, our present, our plans, our religion, our income, our status, our career, we're battling all the things that make us who we are.
We think what we're doing will lead us to a happy life when we're actually killing our body and our self. But if we just be ourselves, love ourselves, listen to the ones who truly love us, everything will work out
Blythe always asked god "Where are you? Everyone is telling me I'm sick; why won't you heal me? I've done everything you asked! Why are you doing this to me?"
Blythe always thought god would come down and save her and ridden her of this disease. God didn't answer and when she was about to sit on her death bed, she finally told her family and friends of what was happening to her; That she was sick, that she was unhappy, that she hates herself, and that nothing she does feels good enough for her or for them. Everyone was shocked and with their help, she was saved and she thanked god for finally saving her.
I was amazed to see that she was still having insecurity issues about her body, as her future lover and husband left her at the dance for another "little heavy" girl. She thought it was because she wasn't skinny enough. She thought her boobs weren't big enough. At the end, Tim just wanted a person to have fun with.
She tried so hard to hide her disorder for three years, she thought everyone already knew it and was trying to help her in their own secret way. She always kept telling herself that it was "normal to lose a few pounds before Thanksgiving... Everyone does it" and that nothing was wrong with her.
She was always battling with herself with the thought that she was battling everyone else.
Isn't that what life is about? It isn't about us fighting our own anorexia, It's not about holding back food, it's about us telling ourselves and everyone we love that we're fine when clearly something is wrong. We're not battling our family and friends, we're battling our body, our intelligence, our past, our present, our plans, our religion, our income, our status, our career, we're battling all the things that make us who we are.
We think what we're doing will lead us to a happy life when we're actually killing our body and our self. But if we just be ourselves, love ourselves, listen to the ones who truly love us, everything will work out
Blythe always asked god "Where are you? Everyone is telling me I'm sick; why won't you heal me? I've done everything you asked! Why are you doing this to me?"
Blythe always thought god would come down and save her and ridden her of this disease. God didn't answer and when she was about to sit on her death bed, she finally told her family and friends of what was happening to her; That she was sick, that she was unhappy, that she hates herself, and that nothing she does feels good enough for her or for them. Everyone was shocked and with their help, she was saved and she thanked god for finally saving her.
May 22, 2010
Unrealistic and full of boring fluff. Nothing like the horrors of a real anorexic. Couldn't even get through it. Although i'm a practicing christian the religious undertone didn't help either.
April 26, 2018
Finally finished this. It was kinda meh. It never truly committed to anything. The main character felt like she would either be on end of the spectrum or the other. The lines felt too clean cut. I've read better versions of the same story. I gave it 2.5🌟.
July 26, 2010
A one-day read for me. Certainly a first book, but it was enjoyable enough.
"I want a man to shake me out of my comfort zone and bring to life everything in me that I thought was dormant or never existed.... I want him to pine for me and paint pictures of me and never love anyone else but me. I know this is a lot to ask, but isn't that what love is: a lot to ask?"
"Nobody truly knows me, but I suppose that's the way it is for everyone. Or at least I hope so. We seem to have the tendency to put on a front in the best interest of ourselves, but eventually these fronts weld themselves to us until we no longer recognize our own soul in the mirror."
"I want a man to shake me out of my comfort zone and bring to life everything in me that I thought was dormant or never existed.... I want him to pine for me and paint pictures of me and never love anyone else but me. I know this is a lot to ask, but isn't that what love is: a lot to ask?"
"Nobody truly knows me, but I suppose that's the way it is for everyone. Or at least I hope so. We seem to have the tendency to put on a front in the best interest of ourselves, but eventually these fronts weld themselves to us until we no longer recognize our own soul in the mirror."
December 30, 2012
I have anorexia myself, this book shows exactly what's its like. Definitely a hard book to put down. I'd recommend it to anyone, even if they don't have or know someone with an eating disorder.
February 25, 2013
This book got great reviews, but I thought it was a trite and tired "journal" account of one suburban middle-class girl's experience with anorexia.
June 21, 2019
Menzie's telling of the battle Blythe has with food and body image is one that could've been plucked from the histories of many women. Caused by the desire to compare of the need to be liked equally or more than someone, body image issues have affected many people to this scale and worse.
As Blythe enters her curiosity of her schoolmate, its alarming how casually she portrays the sting of this disease. When she expresses her desire to beat her classmate in eating fewer calories it could almost be swapped for any casual rivalry. What woman can't look back and think of the feuds she had with herself as business transactions rather than an awareness of self? She so casually talks of "doing better" which in this case means eating less and losing more weight, and when phrased like so its easy to see how she evaded recognizing her actions as dangerous or unhealthy. That she had a best friend who was passive in her concern is alarming despite Blythe's ability to fudge the truth.
This experience, built on reality, is one that many experience unbeknownst to themselves and like she did, we find ways of using the disease to punish others. More than once she mentions eating even less to prove a point. You almost feel her suffocation in wanting to be left alone wit her "plan" but having to dodge the landmines of family, friends and the constant presence of food.
At the beginning of this story she mentions going to the beach and feeling too undesirable (possibly even to herself) to disrobe in front of everyone else in their bathing suits.
Its those feelings we've all had. Feelings of judgement, lacking the ability to interest anyone, or having to compare to other who may get more attention than we could,
Menzie's story is almost too accessible in that its painfully easy to read, it absorbs your attention as you quickly see Blythe's degradation into illness and it leaves a feeling of discomfort in oneself. How many times were your innocent thoughts truly unhealthy?
Compelling, heartbreaking and so easy to connect to. If you have a long weekend and a strong will, read.
As Blythe enters her curiosity of her schoolmate, its alarming how casually she portrays the sting of this disease. When she expresses her desire to beat her classmate in eating fewer calories it could almost be swapped for any casual rivalry. What woman can't look back and think of the feuds she had with herself as business transactions rather than an awareness of self? She so casually talks of "doing better" which in this case means eating less and losing more weight, and when phrased like so its easy to see how she evaded recognizing her actions as dangerous or unhealthy. That she had a best friend who was passive in her concern is alarming despite Blythe's ability to fudge the truth.
This experience, built on reality, is one that many experience unbeknownst to themselves and like she did, we find ways of using the disease to punish others. More than once she mentions eating even less to prove a point. You almost feel her suffocation in wanting to be left alone wit her "plan" but having to dodge the landmines of family, friends and the constant presence of food.
At the beginning of this story she mentions going to the beach and feeling too undesirable (possibly even to herself) to disrobe in front of everyone else in their bathing suits.
Its those feelings we've all had. Feelings of judgement, lacking the ability to interest anyone, or having to compare to other who may get more attention than we could,
Menzie's story is almost too accessible in that its painfully easy to read, it absorbs your attention as you quickly see Blythe's degradation into illness and it leaves a feeling of discomfort in oneself. How many times were your innocent thoughts truly unhealthy?
Compelling, heartbreaking and so easy to connect to. If you have a long weekend and a strong will, read.
January 28, 2022
It’s a Christian based book aimed towards teenage girls. There was a lot of God talk.
Two quotes I can appreciate:
“Living in my thoughts for the last few years has cultivated a fear of anything in the real world. I am afraid of meeting new people, doing less than excellent, of having fun, of being in any kind of relationship, and of getting to know myself. I’m afraid of what I might find but I’ve got to look or I’ll never really live.”
and
“I’ve found that I’m a better listener now that my own worries aren’t constantly buzzing in my head.”
Two quotes I can appreciate:
“Living in my thoughts for the last few years has cultivated a fear of anything in the real world. I am afraid of meeting new people, doing less than excellent, of having fun, of being in any kind of relationship, and of getting to know myself. I’m afraid of what I might find but I’ve got to look or I’ll never really live.”
and
“I’ve found that I’m a better listener now that my own worries aren’t constantly buzzing in my head.”
December 16, 2017
This book gives a very clear and quite startling look at how easy it is to slip into a mental illness like this and not even realize it has happened. How easy it is to be like "it works for her, why not for me." And it also shows the path is not straight to recovery, and it isn't easy.
I also have to say, I love that the entries are on inconsistent days, it makes this so much more relatable and easy to read.
I also have to say, I love that the entries are on inconsistent days, it makes this so much more relatable and easy to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2020
I really liked the Christian aspect of this book. But as someone who is living with anorexia, I feel like the book didn’t really dive deep into the illness and what it’s TRULY like. It wasn’t as exciting or intriguing as I had hoped for. I don’t regret reading it though but it’s just not something I’d find myself reading again.
July 15, 2018
Sweetly told
if you know someone like Morgan/Blythe you will love this, if you are like her, you will cry. It’s a look back over an honest mess, and it was a privilege for her to share it.
if you know someone like Morgan/Blythe you will love this, if you are like her, you will cry. It’s a look back over an honest mess, and it was a privilege for her to share it.
June 2, 2020
Reflects exactly how your mind begins to wire itself when you have an eating disorder. Hard to fully understand from the outside looking in, but if you've ever struggled with an eating disorder, you will feel completely heard.
June 4, 2018
This book was so good. It was an eye opener of how bad it really is when you have anorexia. I never realized how big of a problem anorexia is.
March 13, 2019
story about a very real topic in the world that is overlooked a lot. One could learn a lot from this book.
June 9, 2020
Good read, but it felt kind of superficial. I was hoping for more depth to the emotional side of the struggle. But still a really good book.
January 22, 2024
Beautiful story regardless of the main issue with the main character. It ends beautifully and it was so interesting to read
August 10, 2025
Really not that great.
September 15, 2016
Diary of an anorexic girl is a great book! It shows you what girls with this food disorders go through. How they think and/or see themselves on a daily basis. This book will be very descriptive, it’ll have numbers of how much she weights, quantity of how much food she eats per day, and it’ll also have plenty of things about god as well. In this book the name of the girl is
Blythe, but only in the book since this is based on a real life story. Her real name is Morgan.
Blythe tried hiding her food disorder for exactly 3 years, she thought everyone already knew what she was doing. Everyday she would tell herself before a certain event “it’s normal to lose a few pounds,” so she lost them, even a little more than she had planned sometimes. She was always battling with herself; with the thought that she was battling everyone else.
She thought she was doing well leading herself to a happy life, when she actually was just killing her own body; killing herself. But if she would've just never paid attention to the girl in the cafeteria, never care about guy's attention but would've just loved ourselves, listen to the ones who truly loved and cared for her, everything would of work out and gone to a better finish.
Blythe, but only in the book since this is based on a real life story. Her real name is Morgan.
Blythe tried hiding her food disorder for exactly 3 years, she thought everyone already knew what she was doing. Everyday she would tell herself before a certain event “it’s normal to lose a few pounds,” so she lost them, even a little more than she had planned sometimes. She was always battling with herself; with the thought that she was battling everyone else.
She thought she was doing well leading herself to a happy life, when she actually was just killing her own body; killing herself. But if she would've just never paid attention to the girl in the cafeteria, never care about guy's attention but would've just loved ourselves, listen to the ones who truly loved and cared for her, everything would of work out and gone to a better finish.
September 5, 2014
I read this book in one day and the more I read, the worse it got.. First of all it's really unrealistic. If a book is about an eating disorder, I completely understand that not EVERYTHING has to be about the eating disorder itself, but in this book it's just suddenly mentioned in a sentence, things like "but I couldn't go with them because I don't eat after 8p.m.", okay, so you decided this when?
Someone who develops an eating disorder thinks about foot/calories/excersising all the time, even if only subconciously. But the way the diary was written, it was really 'not a big deal'. A disorder like this is consuming, taking over thoughts. Plus, Blythe was infact sometimes eating food (that would definitely trouble someone with an eating disorder) with her friends while she was (according to the book) in a severe state of her eating disorder without even complaining/being scared etc. It seemed more like a girl with a diet that is not taken all too serious.
What I especially didn't like at all was this one scene (SPOILER ALERT), where there was a concentration camp surviver telling Blythe she looks just like these people looked in the camp. We all now how they looked like, how emaciated and scarily thin they were. If Blythe looked like that, the people around her would react IMMEDIATELY, that's what most people would do. You wouldn't just go and say something like "Are you alright? You look a bit sick".
Secondly, no one except her grandmother seemed to really say something to Blythe while she was losing weight. And really no one really noticed her eating behaviour (it was mentioned only once as far as I can remember), and when Blythe was on vacation with her friends (which was a couple of times in the book) there didn't seem to be any problems at all, nothing was mentioned in the diary.
The ending was ..ugh.. I don't know where to start. I really understand if someone says that God/religion helped someone to get through a hard time, if your faith motivated you to fight, but Blythe just SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE seemed to realize that she wants to be healthy, just like that.
I'm sorry but this book is nothing like an eating disorder looks like to me.
Someone who develops an eating disorder thinks about foot/calories/excersising all the time, even if only subconciously. But the way the diary was written, it was really 'not a big deal'. A disorder like this is consuming, taking over thoughts. Plus, Blythe was infact sometimes eating food (that would definitely trouble someone with an eating disorder) with her friends while she was (according to the book) in a severe state of her eating disorder without even complaining/being scared etc. It seemed more like a girl with a diet that is not taken all too serious.
What I especially didn't like at all was this one scene (SPOILER ALERT), where there was a concentration camp surviver telling Blythe she looks just like these people looked in the camp. We all now how they looked like, how emaciated and scarily thin they were. If Blythe looked like that, the people around her would react IMMEDIATELY, that's what most people would do. You wouldn't just go and say something like "Are you alright? You look a bit sick".
Secondly, no one except her grandmother seemed to really say something to Blythe while she was losing weight. And really no one really noticed her eating behaviour (it was mentioned only once as far as I can remember), and when Blythe was on vacation with her friends (which was a couple of times in the book) there didn't seem to be any problems at all, nothing was mentioned in the diary.
The ending was ..ugh.. I don't know where to start. I really understand if someone says that God/religion helped someone to get through a hard time, if your faith motivated you to fight, but Blythe just SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE seemed to realize that she wants to be healthy, just like that.
I'm sorry but this book is nothing like an eating disorder looks like to me.
January 12, 2014
A really quick read, and it was alright. I mean, I appreciate the author sharing her struggle, but if I had never read the book, I don't think I would have missed out on much. There really wasn't anything that stood out in it. It's, more or less, like every other subpar eating disorder book I've read.
Menzie focuses a lot on the emotional side of anorexia, but the reader never really gets the chance to fully understand why Blythe does what she does. This probably could have benefited from more plot development (let's face it, it was a little one note) and character development (because, honestly, Blythe was kind of flat; sure, she allegedly got better in the end, but I didn't fully believe that character growth).
The spirituality aspect wasn't overdone, which I was thankful for. It didn't really get preachy at any point, it didn't say that religion is the only thing that can help "cure" anorexia. Spirituality was simply an aspect of Blythe's character.
All in all, this was okay. I wouldn't recommend buying the book, but if it happens to be at the library, go for it.
Menzie focuses a lot on the emotional side of anorexia, but the reader never really gets the chance to fully understand why Blythe does what she does. This probably could have benefited from more plot development (let's face it, it was a little one note) and character development (because, honestly, Blythe was kind of flat; sure, she allegedly got better in the end, but I didn't fully believe that character growth).
The spirituality aspect wasn't overdone, which I was thankful for. It didn't really get preachy at any point, it didn't say that religion is the only thing that can help "cure" anorexia. Spirituality was simply an aspect of Blythe's character.
All in all, this was okay. I wouldn't recommend buying the book, but if it happens to be at the library, go for it.
November 1, 2014
This book is so great! At times it's hard to read it, because it gets a little bring, but right when your ready to put it down and give up, the writer pulls you right back in. I love this book so much. Some days I can sit and read it for a good hour, because it's so good. It's mainly about a teenage girl how wants to be skinny, and she plans to loose a few pounds, but gets dragged into anorexia. At first nobody notices, but when they do, they say something about it. She sees a counselor that helps her overcome it, or so she thinks. I haven't gotten to the end yet, I'm a little over half way done, so I'm not quite sure how it ends. I'm sure it will be great. I would recommend this book to others, because it shows the truth about Anorexia. It proves how hard it is to deal with it. Most people don't know, and a true life experience is the perfect thing to share with other people, so they know what it's like. All other people usually see is a person who doesn't eat because they don't want too, or they want to look good, but really, that's not how it actually is.
January 9, 2012
Had I never picked up this book, I wouldn't have missed out on much. I appreciate the author's goal, aparently to share her own personal struggles with anorexia. Certainly such elucidation of the anorexic's internal turmoil should educate readers otherwise unexposed to the concept. That being said, the story, in its diary format, spent so much time painting a picture of the anorexic's emotions that it left out large chunks of actual story. This description of an anorexic's battle against her own mind falls flat without a solid plotline provide the backdrop for her battles. Perhaps this book would appeal more to readers who have been personally touched by such challenges. I imagine they will take comfort in simply reconizing firsthand the thought patterns of the protagonist - in knowing they are not alone. Because I imagine this to be true, I added an extra star to my original two-star rating.
February 17, 2013
I haven't ever read anything about eating disorders and this was a interesting glimpse into the life of a person suffering from anorexic nervosa. This might sound callous but I felt more sympathetic for her parents than I did for her.
Another interesting point.... At the back of this book is a list of points to keep in mind when approaching someone with an eating disorder. I think that this is a great list that should also extend to obesity.
-avoid talking about food and weight; those are not the real issues
-listen to them; do not be quick to give opinions and advice
-do not take on the role of the therapist
-do not make meal times a battle ground
-be patient ; recovery takes time
-do not comment on their weight or appearance
Another interesting point.... At the back of this book is a list of points to keep in mind when approaching someone with an eating disorder. I think that this is a great list that should also extend to obesity.
-avoid talking about food and weight; those are not the real issues
-listen to them; do not be quick to give opinions and advice
-do not take on the role of the therapist
-do not make meal times a battle ground
-be patient ; recovery takes time
-do not comment on their weight or appearance
May 13, 2014
The ending was a little much for me. She doesn't really describe her recovery process; she talks about it like something that just "happened" and then everything was okay. That may very well have been her experience, but whatever that was, I would have liked her to go into more detail about it. I think describing recovery is even more important than describing the details of the disease. Or if you didn't recover, then talk about that. But I don't know anyone who has recovered from an ED where it hasn't been a huge struggle, even after she decided that yes, she really wanted to get better. Menzie definitely describes the struggle before that point, but not after, and I wanted to know specifically what happened after.
August 27, 2009
I've started to absorb as much information on Anorexia as I could and thought this book would be a good insight from someone who actually dealt with the disease.
Other then the rather boring diary entry writing format the book kept its pace but I felt it could have been much more emotional. It's hard to connect with the main character Blythe, but it's made understandable through her symptoms of paranoia, however I still cringed watching her weight constantly drop.
Over all it's not made if you can stomach the typically teenage girl issues that sometime cloud the more serious problem at hand.
Other then the rather boring diary entry writing format the book kept its pace but I felt it could have been much more emotional. It's hard to connect with the main character Blythe, but it's made understandable through her symptoms of paranoia, however I still cringed watching her weight constantly drop.
Over all it's not made if you can stomach the typically teenage girl issues that sometime cloud the more serious problem at hand.
December 19, 2011
Easy, quick read with a teen girl voice written in journal entries.
Blythe is a typical teen girl who wants the attention of the cute boy, fit in and enjoy high school. Unfortunately, she catches on to the notion that if she's skinnier all her dreams will come true. This scary idea takes her down a path of self-destruction, manipulation and deception. All along she is asking God for help.
I feel for Blythe. I don't understand her need to starve herself or exercise for so long. But I did come to understand aneroxics more. At the end of the book are tips such as what NOT to say to someone you suspect has an eating disorder. Very enlightening.
Rating: PG
V: no
S: no
L: no
Blythe is a typical teen girl who wants the attention of the cute boy, fit in and enjoy high school. Unfortunately, she catches on to the notion that if she's skinnier all her dreams will come true. This scary idea takes her down a path of self-destruction, manipulation and deception. All along she is asking God for help.
I feel for Blythe. I don't understand her need to starve herself or exercise for so long. But I did come to understand aneroxics more. At the end of the book are tips such as what NOT to say to someone you suspect has an eating disorder. Very enlightening.
Rating: PG
V: no
S: no
L: no
January 30, 2012
An emotional and spiritual story of Blythe and her struggle with anorexia. Morgan is Blythe but felt it easier to write her story with a fictional name. She sees a girl in school on the path to anorexia and the attention that the boys give her and decides this is what she will do too. It is written in a subtle way, not too much detail about her anorexia but more about how it affects her relationships with her parents , friends and with God. Her parents notice and seek help for her but she thinks she is ok and devises ways to pretend she is recovering. It's not until she actually "wakes" up one day and sees what this disease is doing to her that recovery can begin.
March 7, 2014
I read this for the first time awhile ago (think in terms of years) but I enjoyed it when I did read it. However, it struck me that the writing was awfully young for the intended audience. Very interesting, though. I am fascinated by any and all accounts of eating disorders, on account of my own struggles with one... and I am glad that I picked up this book to read. It was a slightly less dense account of anorexia - by that I mean the author was a younger girl when she struggled with and overcame her ED, and it was not so doom! and gloom! as some other accounts of eating disorders that I've read have been.
October 16, 2015
I wish the author had either written this as a memoir or fictionalised it further. As it is, it feels like the hybrid that the author admits that it is. Her story probably reflects the average struggling girl's story better than a lot of books out there (that is, she didn't starve herself to the point of hospitalisation, etc.), but some parts - I'm thinking in particular of the letter at the end - are positively cringe-worthy.
As a side note - I'm not a huge fan of religious fiction to begin with, but I did appreciate that this wasn't straight propaganda. Props for subtlety.
As a side note - I'm not a huge fan of religious fiction to begin with, but I did appreciate that this wasn't straight propaganda. Props for subtlety.
December 12, 2017
Morgan Menzie's Diary of an Anorexic Girl, which is based on her experience, is a gripping story of identity development in adolescence and her struggle with an eating disorder. This book has helped me navigate my own body image, but I warn you that the content is a bit heavy. Readers beware that this book describes Menzie's experience with anorexia in vivid detail, so this book is not for the faint of heart.
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