Starving for Attention

Rating:
Summary: A Hopeful Read
Review: Although this book is quite old, I really enjoyed it. I thought it may be out dated in the way that the anorexia was treated and thoughts of the disorder in general, but I didn't find much of that. The book shows just what an eating disorder can do to a relationship and how much hiding and lying an anorexic does in order to keep the disorder going. I really enjoyed that it ended with hope and a recovery.

Rating:
Summary: Authentic portrayal of why girls have eating disorders
Review: As any anorexic knows, eating disorders really aren't about food or weight; they're about control. Growing up in a household constantly under a spotlight, with a strict parent with overly high expectations is a disaster waiting to happen. Thank you, Ms. O'Neill, for having the courage to tell your story. Maybe more people will realize that anorexia ISN'T caused by being rich or spoiled or "wanting attention!"

Rating:
Summary: must read for those who feel no one understands
Review: I first read this book in college, when i was in the middle of what would turn out to be a very long battle with anorexia. After reading this book, for the first time, i felt like i was not alone in this fight. I highly recommend it to anyone that feels like no one understands what they are going through.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful to anorexics, but doesn't flatter her father
Review: I saw the Boone family in a live concert in my hometown. When I first saw this book by Cherry Boone O'Neil, the oldest Boone daughter, I was intrigued and wanted to read it.

Although I do not suffer from anorexia (in fact, I would like to lose a few pounds) my heart went out to Cherry Boone's plight. She lived such a public life as the child of a very famous man, and felt like her life was being controlled. Her description of the struggle with anorexia and the motivations behind it are heart-wrenching.

She also shows (helpfully or unhelpfully, depending on the reader) the challenges of growing up in an extremely strict home. The book does not flatter Pat Boone at all, although it does show him admitting that his own attitudes didn't help her problem. Whether or not her anorexia came from her home life can't be proven or disproven in the book -- perhaps some people with anorexia didn't have the same problems she did. I don't know.

However, it is good to know that she overcame the problem and is now helping others who have problems with anorexia. And I am sure that it will help others who struggle with this baffling condition.