Rating: 
Summary: An amazing book
Review: "Stick Figure" is an absolutely amazing novel. It is sad, touching, funny, moving, and sarcastic all at once (sometimes even in the same sentence). It is almost impossible to believe that author Lori Gottlieb was only eleven when she wrote the diaries that make up the book.Ms. Gottlieb's story chronicles the journey of her healthy pre-teen self as she falls deeper and deeper into the clutches of anorexia, eventually landing herself in the hospital. Although of course only she herself brought on her eating disorder, one cannot help but surmise that those around her had a lot to do with it as well - it quickly becomes manifest that she was surrounded by a menagerie of extremely shallow and dysfunctional relatives and "friends," not to mention the image-obsessed media. (The influence of said menagerie is perhaps never more readily obvious than in Ms. Gottlieb's entry "I wish...to be the thinnest eleven-year-old on the entire planet. I mean, what are girls supposed to wish for, other than being thin?") At some point during the first entry, Ms. Gottlieb comments on how the adults around her always describe her as "unique," meaning it in a way that is not altogether complimentary. When I say that this is a unique book written by a unique person, I mean it in the absolute highest regard.
Rating: 
Summary: Sticking Your Figure
Review: When you were eleven years old were you worried about what your body looked like? Well in Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self, Lori Gottlieb was not until she saw the people around her including her mother and friends dieting so they would have "girlish" figures. But everyone, except Lori, thought her diet was a bad idea. Weighing just over a hundred pounds before her diet was their first clue. When she started eating practically nothing her parents took her to the doctors. The doctor then sent her to a Psychologist. Lori ended up being admitted into the hospital diagnosed with Anorexia. This novel tells the story of a young girls battle between life and death. I really enjoyed the book. It is an easy read, and it keeps you wondering what will happen next.
Rating:
Summary: THE REAL DEAL - Funny, Smart and Totally Honest
Review: This is one of the most honest and observant accounts of anorexia -- and of female adolescence -- that I've come across. Lori Gottlieb is smart, unbelievably funny, and like most young women, confused. She shares her confusion through her hilarious diary entries -- outrageous, precocious, and raw. Her powers of observation may make us laugh (she offers her take on everything from the media and her peer group to her teachers, parents and eventually, her team of doctors) but these diaries will also strike a chord with any woman -- of any age -- who struggles to figure out who she is in our media-saturated culture. I gave it to my mother, my sister, and even my boyfriend (who said it gave him an entirely new understanding of what women go through). Bravo to Lori Gottlieb! Her book should be read by mothers and daughters, teachers and students, boyfriends and girlfriends, and book clubs everywhere ... with a lively discussion group to follow.
Rating:
Summary: As Amazing as "WASTED"!
Review: Because I struggled with an eating disorder in high school and college (I'm now in my mid-20s), I've read a lot of memoirs on this subject with particular interest. A friend who also recovered from anorexia recommended STICK FIGURE to me, saying, "You'll see yourself in this girl. And you'll LOVE her as much as you want to help her." What she meant wasn't just the very realistic depiction of obsession and distorted thinking that occurs with an eating disorder, but the fact that because these are real diaries, we see the whole girl, not someone looking back and talking only about how many hours it took to eat an apple. In other words, we see a girl who's funny and smart and as impossible as your average adolescent, who just HAPPENS to also be falling into a devastating illness. (I wonder what the author is like now -- she was HILARIOUS as a kid.) Most books about anorexics depict them as being incredibly controlling, compulsive, and monomanical about dieting - which they ARE - but that's usually ALL you see. Here, as in another great memoir, WASTED, you realize how complicated this illness can be. At times, Lori seems so "normal" -- even MORE "normal" than her friends and their dieting mothers. And you can really see how she's influenced by the attitudes around her, even though they don't "cause" her anorexia, they definitely contribute and add wry commentary on our media-driven culture. Most people gave this book five stars, and if I could give it six stars, I would! I TOTALLY disagree with the two people who thought the book didn't depict Lori's recovery realistically -- I LIVED her recovery and really related to the book's ending -- it isn't all neat and tidy. If they thought she saw herself in the mirror and suddenly ate again, then they clearly missed what was going on in Lori's mind. What's so compelling about this book is how subtle the messages are -- you're in the mind of an adolescent, you're reading her journals, and every line seems to have some significance without hitting you over the head with a profound "epiphany." Even for people who have no experience with eating disorders, I highly recommend this book. All the people in her life-- her parents, her brother, her friends, her teachers, her doctors -- actually make this a FUN book to read (tragic, too, obviously, but you'll laugh even as it's sad and frightening). The people in the book are "out there" yet so real at the same time (I think we had the same teachers!). It's not quite the Addams Family, but the Los Angeles family Lori grew up in isn't quite the Cleavers either. If you loved "Wasted," you'll love "Stick Figure." And you might even learn something -- about yourself, about eating disorders, about the confusion of being a female teenager, and about the ridiculous pressures of our society -- along the way. But mostly, you'll just want to read it over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: A very unique perspective on anorexia
Review: This story is the memoir of a Beverly Hills woman's descent into anorexia at the age of 11. Her mother's constant "real women don't eat dessert" attitude, her perfectionistic nature, and the realization of how much power she could get by not eating were the main factors I saw that lead to the disease. Strikingly first person, the story is written based on Gottlieb's childhood diaries. Therefore, it has a very unique tone to it. Her attitude that the rest of the world is crazy gives the reader a sense of what could be going on in the minds of other young girls with anorexia. It is exceptionally poignant; humorous at times and heartwrenching at others. I literally wanted to jump in the book and knock some sense into her parents, based on the way they were "handling" Lori. Her mother's comments made me jerk with agitation at some points. Of course, it was 1978 when much less was known of the disease. Fortunately, the support today is much stronger for the families of anorexics, who can then better support the terrible situation of their loved ones. What surprised me the most about this book was how Lori was such a brilliant student. In my mind, smart people don't get anorexia. It certainly shifted my thinking about who the prime candidates for this disease are. I would recommend this book to anyone who deals with girls as young as 10. It is amazing how early anorexia starts, and this book gives a great new perspective on the disease, and of some of the warning signs.
Rating:
Summary: Stick Figure Changes Minds
Review: 1978 Lori Gottlieb has a new perspective on life. Every year she wishes to be thiner, usually on her birthday. Now her wish kicks into reality! She starts to get very skinny, too skinny. She gets a disease called anorexia and her parents start to worry. Her life goes down hill from there. I love this book because it taught me a couple of lessons. Don't judge people on the outside, judge people on the inside, and never try to change yourself. For readers like myself that only like to read real, deep, sad books, I recomand this to you. A girl just like you that really hits rock bottom.
Rating: 
Summary: Touching Account of a Girl's Desent Into Anorexia
Review: Though I am currently a recovering anorexic, I read this book before/as I was sinking into the depths of anorexia. Though I liked it a lot, I was drawn to it for all the wrong reasons: it taught me tricks about how to be a "good anorexic." This memoir is just one of many of its kind on the subject of eating disorders, though Lori Gottlieb details her journey in a more humorous way than do other authors, yet allows us readers to understand that she, like so many anorexics, is just looking to fit in and be loved and appreciated. I don't believe that anorexics, bulimics or people in danger of developing an eating disorder should read this book, or any other like it, though it would be good insight for people trying to understand more about these diseases, as it will tell you what they're really all about.
Rating:
Summary: Stick Figure
Review: The book "Stick Figure" is a terrific book. It shows the perspective of an eleven-year old girl (Lorrie) going through the mental disorder of anorexia. The book is at times very sad and at other times humorous. The main difficulty I faced while reading this autobiography/diary, was that in the beginning of the book Lorrie's mother was compelling her to eat less, and when she became anorexic, her mother didn't understand why she wasn't eating. She hadn't taken the time to talk to her about her life. One thing I learned from this book was the effects the media, public displays and other adults had on an eleven-year-old girls thinking. I also learned that this illness could be developed by anyone at any age. I believe that by reading this book, you are able to put yourself in the situation of the author and understand what is happening to her through her thoughts, daily activities and diary entries.
Rating:
Summary: Stick Figure by Lori Gottlieb
Review: Stick Figure is a book thats meant for light reading. While it focuses on such a serious topic the author really tries to make Anorexia not so overwhelming. The diary chronicles the life of Lori Gottlieb as an eleven year old girl struggling with this diease and the pressure of wanting to fit in to societys image.I recommend this books to young adults ages 12 and up.
Rating: 
Summary: Flat, boring and a waste of time
Review: This book just teaches you how to have a worse eating disorder. The author creates a simplistic view of the forces behind eating disorders.
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