Looking for the best YA books about eating disorders? As an award-winning author and blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I know how stories can open conversations about recovery and resilience. Here are my top three recommendations, each offering a unique perspective on recovery, identity, and survival:
The Stone Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel - a slim, compelling novel about a young girl struggling with an obsession about a boy and food.
The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess - a heart-wrenching mystery about a grieving teen’s search for answers about her anorexic sister’s sudden and tragic accident.
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous - a diary of a young athlete who joins her best friend in a deadly game of food restriction and excessive exercise.
These must-read books portray pro-ana culture, anorexia, and binge eating disorder through compelling storytelling. Stories have power. They remind us that we’re not alone, that others have walked similar paths, and that healing is possible.
So which YA books about eating disorders should you read for Eating Disorder Awareness Month? Below, you will find reviews of all my favorites in this category, which includes binge eating disorder and bulimia, as well as anorexia.
The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess
“It’s easier to think about food and the physical pain inside my body from not eating than the other pain of not having Kat. My sister would totally understand this. She would. As long as I’m connecting to her this way—our familiar, hungry old way—she’s with me.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Delinquent Hero
Wow! The Delinquent Hero grabbed me from the first page and never let go!
Pitched as an action-packed murder mystery, this gripping YA novel is so much more—a raw and unforgettable exploration of sisterhood, eating disorders, and devastating loss.
At its core is Molly, desperate for answers after her older sister, Kat, lands in the hospital. The investigation unfolds in real time, peeling back layers of secrets, regrets, and the painful bond they’ve always shared. For Molly, reconnecting with Kat means slipping into their old patterns—the kind that consume and starve in equal measure.
"I'm not very hungry. I am, and I'm not. I am hollow, but this feeling seems less about food and more about Kat. At any rate, I do not want to eat."
What makes The Delinquent Hero truly unforgettable is its heart-wrenching puzzle—not just unraveling what happened that night, but understanding Kat herself. This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it forces you to feel every ache, every unanswered question, every desperate search for why.
A tragic and beautifully crafted novel, The Delinquent Hero has sparked conversations across book clubs and reader communities—solidifying its place as one of the most talked about and memorable YA books of the decade. If Wintergirls left you breathless, The Delinquent Hero is an absolute must-read.
Hollow Beauty by Khristina Chess
“I’d always called my body ‘athletic.’ Words like ‘stocky’ and ‘muscular’ described my figure. I was the fastest girl on the track and cross country teams. Muscular, stocky girls weren’t beautiful, though. Skinny girls were. Girls like Erica Miller.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Hollow Beauty
When tall, gorgeous Brody asks Olivia to prom, she’s ecstatic—until he casually suggests she use the next two months to lose some weight.
But how thin is thin enough?
What starts as a few skipped meals spirals into a dangerous obsession—hours spent scrolling pro-ana and thinspo forums, tracking calories like a lifeline, and watching the number on the scale plummet. The more weight she sheds, the more she disappears.
Ross, the new prep cook at the diner, sees her differently. He doesn’t suffer the same suffocating self-doubt, and the only time Olivia feels like herself is when she’s riding dirt bikes and cave-hunting with him. But with Brody, romance feels more like devour or be devoured.
She’s almost perfect for prom. Almost thin enough.
Until the unthinkable happens.
What makes Hollow Beauty special is the realistic portrayal of how Olivia falls into the self-esteem trap of trying to change herself for someone else. I worried about her. I loved seeing her journey and choices as the events escalated toward the story’s climax. It’s a great positive message.
If you’re searching for an authentic book that exposes the slippery slope of pro-ana culture and the brutal consequences of chasing perfection, this is a must-read. Fans of Thinspo will enjoy this one.
The Stone Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel
“The blade finds its way to her hip bone. Sethie’s favorite part, the part where the bone protrudes: the skinniest place on her body.” ― Alyssa B Sheinmel, quote from The Stone Girl
This wisp of a book is a quick read, and its petite size seems to reflect the super-skinny shape of the heroine, Sethie Weiss. She’s such a disconnected character she’s almost hard to like. She’s so cold, made of granite, and not in touch with herself in any way. She makes bad choices. It takes awhile to realize that Sethie’s pain is part of this perfectionist state she’s iced herself into, and the things she does and says are linked to her illness.
Sethie focuses her love on Shaw, but he’s not good for her. As the relationship deteriorates, her weight drops, and health declines. The third person voice fits with the detachment she seems to have with herself, her body, and her situation.
In the end I rooted for her. I wanted her to become a real girl again.
If you’re looking for the best YA books about anorexia and eating disorders, you should take a look at this powerful story.
Thinspo by Amy Ellis
“I’m not broken. I’m fine.”― Amy Ellis, quote from Thinspo
Like The Stone Girl, this pro-ana novel is short, and the format makes it a fast read. Jenni shows her story through a series of blog posts, text messages, and statistics about her weight and calories consumed. For someone who does not know the lingo, words like thinspo and pro-ana might be confusing at first, but this novel immerses the reader into Jenni’s world and her obsession with food and starving.
I enjoyed the snarky troll comments by “Anonymous” on Jenni’s blog. Thinspo is a top choice by readers looking for YA books about eating disorders, especially pro-ana and pro-mia.
Coywood Creek by Khristina Chess
Anorexia and bulimia aren’t the only eating disorders. Meet Zoey, a teen with binge eating disorder who finds herself at the end of the world with plenty of snacks—for now.
"With an unremarkable click, like a period at the end of a sentence, the world ended."― Khristina Chess, quote from Coywood Creek
With that chilling opening, Coywood Creek takes off—an addictive dystopian novel that’s equal parts humor, heart, and survival.
At first, Zoey brushes off the blackout, the dead cell service, and the eerie northern lights. But as reality sets in, she knows one thing: she can’t stay in her parents’ condo alone. She sets out for Coywood Creek, hoping to find safety with her uncle and grandmother. Instead, she finds something else entirely.
Holy macaroni—this book is a page-turner! Zoey is sharp, relatable, and hilarious, navigating the collapse of civilization with her signature sarcasm (and a bag of OREO cookies). Her banter with Kent made me laugh out loud, even as the novel’s deeper themes—resilience, uncertainty, and survival—kept me hooked. But more than anything, Coywood Creek forces you to ask: How fragile are we without our technology?
If you’re searching for the best YA books about eating disorders, don’t miss this unforgettable story!
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous
“If you want to change something, change it. Don't just sit around sighing all day like a balloon losing air.” ― Anonymous, Letting Ana Go
The main character is an athlete, a long-distance runner, a good kid. The book, written in the form of a journal, begins with the end of her parents' marriage. Divorce is hard on kids, even teenagers. This seems to be the triggering event for what happens next.
Within the span of a year, she and her best friend Jill descend into compulsive restrictive eating, exercising like mad to burn calories, and even laxatives. Jill is a ballerina. She has to be as tiny as possible to win lead parts. The main character is trying to fit into a size 2 dress for homecoming.
I couldn't put this book down. It was a fast read. There were some some parts that seemed unrealistic, but it didn't slow down the story for me. If you're interested in YA books about eating disorders, Letting Ana Go is tragic and gripping.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
“Eating was hard. Breathing was hard. Living was hardest.” ― Laurie Halse Angerson, quote from Wintergirls
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson is the touchstone YA novel for eating disorders and self-harming. This book is stark, beautiful, and also painful. At times the book is disorienting, but this seems to align with Lia’s state of mind. In addition to wrestling with an eating disorder and self-harming, she struggles to come to terms with the grief and loss of her friendship. A girl is dead.
While reading this story, I often felt confused and even uncomfortable, which was the point, I think. Lia’s guilt and anorexia is palatable. Laurie Halse Anderson writes beautifully and gives the reader an understanding of someone living with an eating disorder.
In fact, Laurie Halse Angerson is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
Bonus Round: The Merry Recluse, Appetites: Why Women Want, and Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
In addition to those recommendations, one memoir writer stands above the crowd: Caroline Knapp. Her struggles with anorexia are woven through her writing in The Merry Recluse, Appetites: Why Women Want, and even to some extent in Drinking: A Love Story. Her work is funny, honest, challenging, and all-around amazing. I give her 5 stars all around and devoured everything she wrote:
"What is this drive to be thinner, prettier, better dressed, other? Who exactly is this other and what does she look like beyond the jacket she's wearing or the food she's not eating? What might we be doing, thinking, feeling about if we didn't think about body image, ever?" ― Caroline Knapp, quote from Appetites: Why Women Want
Ultimately, Caroline Knapp overcame her struggles with anorexia and adopted a dog, writing another great book, Pack of Two.
I was deeply saddened by her untimely death in her early forties.
If you enjoy memoir, you should check out Caroline Knapp’s work.
(Bonus Round) Wasted by Marya Hornbacher
Okay, one more memoir writer should also be included: Marya Hornbacher. I read this one more than twenty years ago, but I remember how poignant and biting her voice was. Hornbacher doesn’t hold anything back. Her experience with anorexia, bulimia, mental illness, and everything else was painful, but she survived and shared it with us. She’s a brave person.
If you are someone who struggles with food or body image issues, do not take four decades to learn the lesson that I have learned: you are enough. You are small enough, good enough, smart enough. The number on the scale does not define who you are or who you will become.
Other YA Books about Anorexia and Eating Disorders
In addition to the books about anorexia and eating disorders mentioned here, Goodreads offers some great book lists: Thinspo Books, YA Eating Disorder Fiction, and Best Books about Eating Disorders. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens, such as self-harming.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.