The Best Little Girl in the World

Francesca is a dancer who hopes to earn the respect of Madame, her dance teacher. At one point Madame mentions that Francesca must "firm up" in order to maintain perfect grace while dancing. To accomplish this, Francesca changes her nickname to Kessa and becomes the embodiment of pure motivation. Eating only scaps, exercising contantly and slowly falling into obsession, Kessa's life fades away. What began as simply dropping a few pounds for dance, quickly becomes a fight for her life when she begins losing too much weight. At her lowest, Keesa's weight drops below 82 pounds. Her last hope is found in a therapist, but in the end Keesa must choose to save her own life.

This book was entertaining and easy to follow. It was a quick and enjoyable read. The Best Little Girl in the World not only explores the terrifying world of Anorexia Nervosa, it also serves as a springboard into dysfunctional faily relationships which everyone experiences at one time or another.

Safe by Susan Shaw

Safe, by Susan Shaw, follows the struggles and conflicts of 13 year old Tracy as she stumbles through the after effects of a tragedy. It begins as she walks home on the last day of school and takes us through her difficult summer. We follow her through the ups and downs of her turbulent emotions. We watch her as she begins to use the piano to unravel and understand her emotions. We observe her struggle to find normality and safety in her newly troubled world. The reader is drawn in as she stumbles through her difficult friendships and learns to ask for help. Shaw never overcomplicates, and her down to earth writing style is quite enjoyable. Throughout the book the reader will be drawn through many different emotions and feelings that will both surprise and entertain. A simply written book with a warm message, Safe is a good read for anyone interested in a touching story.

Lessons From a Dead Girl

Lessons From a Dead Girl is a book about friendship, love, and revenge. The author, Jo Knowles, presents two young girls Leah and Laine who build and then destroy their friendship. Laine is a sweet middle class girl, while Laine is rich and spoiled. Their friendship began as they followed in the footsteps of their older siblings who were friends. The girls are inseperable until one day when Leah asked Lainey to never to leave her alone with a particular man. Without explanation, Lane makes this promise. Too soon, Lainey breaks her promise and the friendship began to fade. Lainey must struggle with the weight of her broken promise in denying Leah's request, as Leah commits suicide. Lainey must face her own guilt and grief.
This book was both captivating and sad. It was hard to put down. Each of the girls must face the importance of friendship and promises made and broken. Both girls make tough decisions, making this sad story a page turner.