More Than You Can Chew
Grade 8 Up–Marty has always been a fighter; she played on the boys' football team at school and battled feelings of love and hate for her alcoholic mother while at home. Now a senior, she brings every ounce of her aggressive attitude to Silver Lake, the facility where she is being treated for her eating disorder. While she is scornful of most of the therapy sessions and the staff, she does give credit to some, including Jackie, who offers hugs whether or not they are wanted. She also has her parents to contend with, especially her father, who does not show up for their first family session. The therapists gradually start to chip away at Marty's anger, and another patient, eight-year-old Lily, also helps bring out the teen's compassion and eventually her desire to live. Marty's anger seems more of a literary device to gain readers' attention than to provide actual character development. The metaphors are a bit heavy-handed and often cause the book to read like a soap opera. Finally, even though Marty receives postcards from her best friend while in the hospital, readers get no real sense of their relationship. Tokio's novel realistically depicts Marty's anorexia, but it has its share of problems.–Kelly Czarnecki, Bloomington Public Library, ILCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.