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: A good read, but not for sufferers
Review: This book is well written and gives a pretty entertaining recount of what it's like in the life and mind of someone with anorexia, but it IS NOT FOR THOSE IN RECOVERY OR THOSE AT RISK. I hate to say it but this book taught me the ins and outs of my disorder and guided me on the path to my eating disorder. I read this book right before I went on a "diet" and suddenly I found myself underlining passages for tips on how to stay thin and avoid hunger. Even though the author tries to get across that this is a sickness this book served as a how-to book for me to lose weight, fast and unhealthly. Gotlieb does not aim to glamorize the disorder, but the mind of an anorexic is twisted sometimes. I looked through my copy of this book and could see where I highlighted passages. It made me sick. I don't mean to bash this book but i wanted to warn any parents who might order this book to AID in their child's recovery. It is not a book about recovery, but rather about the worst parts of the disorder. I think that the author had good intentions but I think it should be read by mothers and fathers who need to know what to do, say, and how to act towards their child to prevent this from happening in their family.
Rating:
Summary: Concerning Stick Figure
Review: Stick Figure is an enthralling autobiographical novel about Lori Gottlieb's struggles with anorexia, which began when she was at the tender age of eleven. Detailing the onset of this disease to her stay in an inpatient facility, the book was intensive and an extremely quick read. It was a solid and interesting, however, nothing stylistically or original stands out about it.
Rating:
Summary: If you are female and you have food issues, read this book!
Review: When I first saw the picture of the author on the back cover of this book, I thought, "How on earth could this slender, glamorous looking woman possibly relate to any of the 'food issues' and eating issues I've dealt with my whole life?" I was surprised to find that the exact opposite was true. This author shines through with a voice that sounds just like me when I was 11, and who sounds like many of the young girls and women who I encounter today. The epilogue was particularly poignant. Just remember that this book is based on the author's diaries. You're not reading about a character, and her thoughts and words are very innocent. A wonderful, wonderful book. I truly thank the author for writing it and sharing her thoughts with the world.
Rating: 
Summary: No emotion!
Review: This book was all facts and little emotion and feeling. She didn't explain the deep down feelings and the pain associated with anorexia. Very little depth into her treatment. It was an interesting book to read but if you're looking for honest and raw emotion read "Wasted : A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia" by Marya Hornbacher.
Rating:
Summary: Introduction To an Anorectic's World
Review: This was the first book I read on anorexia. I found it to be a nice introduction and helped me to learn the basics for the disorder. I think though that in this case the author either didn't potray herself correctly or the case wasn't to serious because of how easily she was able to get back to normal.. but maybe that was just her, everyone IS diffrent. I also would have appreciated a little more of the emotional side, although I realize that stuff is not what's on an anorectic's mind it would have been nice to see what she learned about herself. All in all it was a good book and a nice way to learn what you want about eating disorders. Oh yeah... and it brings up the big issue that our society has with looks and thinness which I feel needed to be addressed.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: My heart goes out to this woman. I'm usually a faithful fiction reader, but after adding Stick Figure to my collection, I'm now making it an effort to read more autobiographies and memoirs. Lori takes her readers back to 1978 and immerses us in her world and into her painful realization: she is 11 years old and fat. Although Lori's story has a happy ending, Stick Figure allows many of us to grasp the thought processes behind anorexia nervosa and possibly equip some of us with enough knoweldge to recognize the problem.
If you are suffering with anorexia or if you know someone else who has it or is on the brink, then it is imperative that you read this book. I believe that it is powerful enough to influence behaviors. Also, it is dramatic enough to make a killer DI for all you speech and debate people out there.
Rating:
Summary: Lacking...
Review: As I am in recovery myself, I expected to find something I could relate to in this book. However, I found that the case of Ms. Gottlieb just didn't ring true to life. This book does little to portray the grip of obsession that anorexia can have over one's life, nor did it describe the heartbreak that can come with this disorder. Most troubling was the book's conclusion, in which Lori seemed to realize, in a bolt-from-the-blue fashion, that her eating disorder wasn't worth it. Amazing how a person could magically get over an eating disorder so quickly! To recover from anorexia requries a lot of effort, and although I'm sure Lori Gottlieb must have put forth that effort in her own life, she certainly didn't clearly portray that in her book.
Rating: 
Summary: If you want substance this book is NOT for you
Review: I entered this book wanting to like it--experiences involving eating disorders intrigue me, besides the fact that I suffer myself. However, I found this book to fully lack substance and definitely did not mesh with my needs of a well-written thought-provoking book. All this book is is some woman's diary from when she was eleven, which I felt was quite flat and never really entered the psychological depth behind eating disorders. In the end I'm glad it only took me two hours to whip through, despite utter dissapointment. If you want a good read, I recommend Marya Hornbacher's Wasted--I can't tell you how many times I've read it and still find myself lost and found in her world.
Rating:
Summary: Gottlieb's Childhood Diary ¿ Anorexia at 11
Review: Looking through the eyes of an eleven year old girl growing up in the 70's - Lori tells her story of a battle of an eating disorder and parents that can not seem to understand or grasp what is happening to their little girl. Lori Gottlieb did an excellent job of putting questions in your head of how it is that we can let society can make one think they must look, feel, and act a certain way. Remember that this book is also referring to the 1970s and there was also a lot less information on anorexia at that time, so there are parts in the book when you will not believe the way Lori's situation was handled (with both family and medical staff). The book is both humorous and poignant with great insight on anorexia looking through the eyes of an adolescent girl. This is an extremely great book and very true in all aspects of what a person thinks when they do have an eating disorder.
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