Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Year I Didn't Eat

The Year I Didn't Eat

Pollen, Samuel

Hardcover

FamilyGeneral Juvenile Fiction

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 1499808089
ISBN13: 9781499808087
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Published: Mar 5 2019
Pages: 400
Weight: 1.15
Height: 1.50 Width: 5.80 Depth: 8.30
Language: English
Fourteen-year-old Max Howarth is living with anorexia. With the help of his therapist and his supportive, but flawed, family, he's trying his best to maintain his health. But things spiral out of control, and his eating disorder threatens to isolate him from everyone he loves. Beautifully crafted and honestly written, this debut YA novel tells the story of one boy's year-long journey toward recovery.

* The raw and real portrayal of anorexia from a group often left out of the conversation. Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review

* [A] no-holds-barred debut novel based on the author's own experiences as a tween will be a significant addition to any library. Booklist, STARRED Review

In most ways, Max is like any other teenager. He's dealing with family drama, crushes, and high school-all while trying to have fun, play video games, and explore his hobbies. But Max is also living with anorexia and finds it impossible to be honest with his loved ones-they just don't understand what he's going through.

Starting at Christmas, a series of triggering events disrupt Max's progress toward recovery, sending him down a year-long spiral of self-doubt and dangerous setbacks. With no one to turn to, Max journals his innermost thoughts and feelings, writing to Ana, the name he's given his anorexia. While that helps for a while, Ana's negative voice grows, amplifying his fears.

When Max gets an unusual present from his older brother, a geocache, it becomes a welcome distraction from his problems. He hides it in the forest near their house and soon gets a message from the mysterious E. Although Max is unsure of the secret writer's identity, they build a bond, and it's comforting to finally have someone to confide in. As Max's eating disorder pulls him further away from his family and friends, this connection keeps him going, leading him back to the people who love and support him.

Writing from his own experiences with anorexia, Samuel Pollen's The Year I Didn't Eat is a powerful and uplifting story about recovery and the connections that heal us.

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