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! If you loved Wintergirls, you should definitely check out her other novels as well.
I’ve collected several authors and titles that explore the topics of eating disorders, self-harming, grief, and friendship in this list.
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess
“Sometimes my inside hurts so bad that I need to make the outside hurt worse so the inside will stop.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Cutting Edge of Friendship
Sadie and Elana have always shared everything—but now, they’re keeping secrets that could destroy them.
On the night of the fireworks, something terrible happened to Sadie—something she can’t even put into words. Instead, she turns to cutting, the only way she knows to cope.
Elana has secrets too. She’s been texting Hunter, making plans to meet in secret, and never questioning why he insists on hiding their relationship.
As their lives spiral deeper into danger, Sadie must find the strength to fight back—not just for herself, but for Elana—before a predator can strike again.
Absolutely gripping! The Cutting Edge of Friendship pulled me in from the first page, and I couldn’t look away until the girls were safe. Sadie’s resilience is fierce and unforgettable, and the novel’s raw, unfiltered emotion hits hard. This story doesn’t shy away from the truth—it reveals, with painful honesty, how self-harm can become a desperate response to trauma.
If you enjoyed Wintergirls, you won’t want to miss this thrilling story about the complicated nature of friendship and cutting.
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.
Thinspo by Amy Ellis
“I’m not broken. I’m fine.”― Amy Ellis, quote from Thinspo
Like The Stone Girl, this 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.
I enjoyed the snarky troll comments by “Anonymous” on Jenni’s blog. Thinspo is a top choice for fans of Wintergirls.
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 Wintergirls will love 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 Sheimel, 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 liked Wintergirls, you should have a look at this powerful story about anorexia, eating disorders, and insecurity.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
“People should know about us. Girls who write their pain on their bodies.” ― Kathleen Glasgow, quote from Girl in Pieces
This wonderful novel was the kind of story that kept pulling me away to a quiet room to curl up with a cup of tea and a lamp until I finished. I had to know what was going to happen to Charlie. I had to know whether or not she was going to be okay in the end. Because although she seemed to be making progress, this guy in her life wasn't a good choice for her. And then her friend from the hospital shows up, and she doesn't seem to be a good direction either. And if you've ever known addiction or seen someone struggling with recovery from anything, you know that the line is so easy to cross.
For Charlie, crossing the line might have devastating consequences because she has her tender kit, and it's full of glass. It's not tender but slashes and cuts.
So I read and worried and loved this young girl, who was so alone and hungry and living on the edge. I wanted someone to help her. Someone good.
This YA book about self-harming and cutting―and this girl―will stay with me for a long while. Fans of Wintergirls won’t want to miss this best-selling novel by Kathleen Glasgow.
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
“Before we were the Monsters of Brickhouse Lane—before everyone from Connecticut to California knew us by that tagline, and blogs ran pictures of our faces, and searching our names led to sites that crashed from all the traffic—we were just girls, and there were only two of us.” ― Lauren Oliver, quote from Broken Things
Once there were three friends who were writers and obsessed with a fantasy novel about a magical world. But one of the girls was murdered, and everyone thought the other two killed her. They didn’t.
Five years after Summer’s death, the friends are reunited and put on a path to find out the identity of the real killer.
I’ve included Broken Things in this list of books if you liked Wintergirls because it’s about friendship and loss—two important elements of Wintergirls. This mystery is told in alternating viewpoints. I wanted to know what happened to Summer. Who murdered her and why? What happened that day in the woods? The dark plot twisted and kept me guessing until the end. You will love it.
(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 liked Wintergirls and 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 Books If You Liked Wintergirls
If one of these books doesn’t appeal, Goodreads also offers a great book list: Books Similar to Wintergirls, as well as Eating Disorders Book Lists. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including eating disorders, self-harm, substance abuse, mental illness, and others.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.