One night, while perusing the aisles of the neighborhood convenience store for a midnight snack, she finds a new product. A chocolate bar called “Eat and Love Yourself”. On a whim, Mindy buys the curious candy, not knowing that with every piece of chocolate she eats, she will be brought back to a specific moment of her past -- helping her to look at herself honestly, learn to love her body the way it is, and accepting love. Perhaps, she will even realize that her long lost high school best friend, Elliot, was more than just a friend…

    You must mind the one taking care of you, but she's not your mama." Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent nine years of her life in fourteen different foster homes, living by those words. As her mother spirals out of control, Ashley is left clinging to an unpredictable, dissolving relationship, all the while getting pulled deeper and deeper into the foster care system. Painful memories of being taken away from her home quickly become consumed by real-life horrors, where Ashley is juggled between caseworkers, shuffled from school to school, and forced to endure manipulative,humiliating treatment from a very abusive foster family. In this inspiring, unforgettable memoir, Ashley finds the courage to succeed - and in doing so, discovers the power of her own voice.

    Then she became one—and she fell into the grips of a powerful eating disorder that began poison her life from the inside out.Something Spectacular is Gleissner’s raw, personal chronicle of the devastating effects bulimia exacts upon her life during her time as a Rockette. As her disorder takes over, she begins to lead a dual life: happy-go-lucky on the outside; tortured by obsessive, self-destructive voices on the inside. Immersed in an environment in which even talent is secondary to appearance, Gleissner hides her disorder by any means necessary—lying, cheating, and stealing with no regard for the consequences of her actions—until she hits rock bottom and is forced to face the truths behind her disease. Her intensive odyssey of self-discovery ultimately gives her the strength to reshape her self-image, embrace her sexuality, and break free of the malignant hold bulimia has on her life.The first book to give voice to the pervasive but often unaddressed problem of eating disorders in the dance industry, Something Spectacular is a gripping exposé of the insidious nature of eating-related diseases—and a profound account of one woman’s journey toward self-acceptance and recovery.

    Eye-opening and utterly gripping, Koren Zailckas’s story is that of thousands of girls like her who are not alcoholics yet but who routinely use booze as a shortcut to courage and a stand-in for good judgment.With one stiff sip of Southern Comfort at the age of fourteen, Zailckas is initiated into the world of drinking. From then on, she will drink faithfully, fanatically. In high school, her experimentation will lead to a stomach pumping. In college, her excess will give way to a pattern of self-poisoning that will grow more destructive each year. At age twenty-two, Zailckas will wake up in an unfamiliar apartment in New York City, elbow her friend who is passed out next to her, and ask, "Where are we?" Smashed is a sober look at how she got there and, after years of blackouts and smashups, what it took for her to realize she had to stop drinking. Smashed is an astonishing literary debut destined to become a classic.

    Until she meets Owen Armstrong.Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

    Here is a tableau of female self-denial: medieval martyrs who used starvation to demonstrate religious devotion, "wonders of science" whose families capitalized on their ability to survive on flower petals and air, silent screen stars whose strict "slimming" regimens inspired a generation. Here, too, is a fascinating look at how the cultural ramifications of the Industrial Revolution produced a disorder that continues to render privileged young women helpless. Incisive, compassionate, illuminating, Fasting Girls offers real understanding to victims and their families, clinicians, and all women who are interested in the origins and future of this complex, modern and characteristically female disease.

    You've heard it before. I'm just a girl who doesn't eat as much as she should. See, I have goals, big ones, and nobody is going to stop me, not even a boy named Emmett. He has good intentions and he's hot as hell, but he doesn't understand what it's like to want something so bad that you'll do anything for it. I'm going to become a model, even if it kills me. Dream big or go home, that's what they always say, right?Paint Me Beautiful, a New Adult/Contemporary Romance Novel Recommended for Ages 18 and Up.From the Bestselling Author of the Never say Never Trilogy (Tasting Never, Finding Never, & Keeping Never)

    So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special… even if that means betraying her sister.But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship —and her sister—before it’s too late?

    Cat purr vibrating through your skin 22. Jumping on a trampoline in the rain 23. Raw cookie dough 24. Getting yourself all freaked out after a scary movie 25. Dancing like an idiot when no one is watchingWhat happened to the girl who wrote those things? I miss that girl. She used to be bold and fun. Now she's a big chicken loser.How could so much change so fast? Let's see, you could be the plain Jane daughter of two gorgeous famous people, move to a new school, have no real friends, and your mom could get sick, and, oh yeah, you could have the most embarrassing secret in the world. Yep, that about does it. So, the real question is, how do I get that girl back?

    Hospitalized for anorexia, she wonders about the point of it all. Her frigid mother and ineffectual father seem oblivious to her struggle. Her beloved brother is too busy screwing up his own life to take note of hers. Living on the loony ward seems not to be making any difference at all, and Anise feels like a prisoner. Her only free choice is to turn to her journal--the place where she can make scathing observations about her family, other people, the world; the place where she can dream, and where she can decide whether to live or die.

    To stop the name calling, she decides to go on a crash diet. A very strict and unhealthy diet. A diet that works all too well. After all, it’s easy to lose weight when you don’t eat, right? Kaitlyn quickly discovers that the rewards of being thin are fantastic. Boys in school take notice. Her popularity soars. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn restricts her diet even more. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn’s unhealthy weight loss falls under the radar since her family has other problems. Big problems, life-changing problems. But when Kaitlyn's weight loss reaches a critical phase, as her family rallies around her, Kaitlyn will discover that there's more to life than being popular and thin. But will this revelation come too late? **Acclaim for the Novels of Elaine Babich** "Heartbreaking and touching. A powerful story of a teenager's struggle with anorexia, told in a straight forward and powerful way, without talking down to the reader and without being overly sentimental. YOU NEVER CALLED ME PRINCESS is an honest look at what could happen when a young girl decides to lose weight at all costs. Should be mandatory reading for any parent who suspects their child might have an eating disorder. I believe the novel will show the reader that there are answers to their problems, and that they are not alone. Highly recommended. An important novel." —J.R. Rain, author of MOON DANCE and THE BODY DEPARTED "An intriguing debut, and an excellent read. Gripping and touching, a story written from the heart. Elaine Babich has fashioned a story that many young girls could relate to. In the end we are left with a poignant glimpse into the beauty of family and the love of life and the wonder that connects us all." —Summer Lee, author of ANGEL HEART and KINDRED SPIRITS "Elaine Babich has created such a vivid tale of teenage angst and redemption—one that will stay with me for a long time." —Aiden James, author of CADES COVE and PLAGUE OF COINS "In RELATIVELY NORMAL, author Elaine Babich weaves a compelling book of angst and illness in the believable, first-person voice of Kaitlyn Simmons, a fifteen-year-old girl from a dysfunctional family. Kaitlyn, who is only semi-recovered from a serious eating disorder, is diagnosed with serious epilepsy and other health issues. The heroine comes to terms with her disease as she adjusts to her medications, backslides into her eating disorder again, explores relationships with boyfriends (age-appropriate), and handles problems with a girl bully. Her coming-of-age story of self-discovery, acceptance of her imperfect body, and a surprise twist at the end will leave readers with a smile and hope for every teenage girl to overcome debilitating ED illness and difficult family issues. I loved this book and want to recommend it to teenage girls, especially. The heroine is likable, and one to whom YA readers will relate. High moral values, with exploration into body image and excellent life lessons, with no preachiness. Five stars!" —Eve Paludan, author of LETTERS FROM DAVID and TAKING BACK TARA "This is a great story of the trials and tribulations of a young girl struggling through more than just your average teenage troubles. An inspiring tale, Babich has delivered a masterpiece! Two thumbs up!" —Jen Ashton, author of WHOLE IN MY HEART

    It is a journey of discovery and a chronicle of the very difficult lessons Tracey learned and must abide by every day of her life.

    But Lucy’s is bigger and dirtier than most. It’s one she’s been hiding for years—that her mom’s out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She’s managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they’d be disgusted by the truth. So, when her mom dies suddenly in their home, Lucy hesitates to call 911 because revealing their way of life would make her future unbearable—and she begins her two-day plan to set her life right.With details that are as fascinating as they are disturbing, C. J. Omololu weaves an hour-by-hour account of Lucy’s desperate attempt at normalcy. Her fear and isolation are palpable as readers are pulled down a path from which there is no return, and the impact of hoarding on one teen’s life will have readers completely hooked.

    He is bright and articulate. He's also an alcoholic and in rehab instead of high school, but he doesn't remember how he got there. He's not sure he wants to remember. Something bad must have happened. Something really, really bad. Remembering sucks and being alive - well, what's up with that? I have it in my head that when we're born, God writes things down on our hearts. See, on some people's hearts he writes Happy and on some people's hearts he writes Sad and on some people's hearts he writes Crazy on some people's hearts he writes Genius and on some people's hearts he writes Angry and on some people's hearts he writes Winner and on some people's hearts he writes Loser. It's all like a game to him. Him. God. And it's all pretty much random. He takes out his pen and starts writing on our blank hearts. When it came to my turn, he wrote Sad. I don't like God very much. Apparently he doesn't like me very much either.

    The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.