Customer Reviews

Insatiable - The Compelling Story of Four Teens, Food and Its Power

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm glad this book was written. I couldn't put it down, and it was really moving. It's obvious that someone who really understands eating disorders wrote this. My only complaint is that it could have been written better. The scenes are choppy, jumping from scene to scene - character to character - every 2-3 pages or so. The writing style just seemed kind of plain and boring to me too. And even though the accounts of the eating disorders seemed so very real, the characters didn't come to life at all. Still, I would recomend this book to anybody who has an eating disorder or even is just unhappy with their weight. I wish I'd had this book to read when I was 12.

The title of "Insatiable" drew me in immediately, but the painfully crude and rudimentary writing forced me to stop reading it less than halfway through.

As as recovering anorexic/bulimic of almost 10 years, I usually devour books on the subject- but "insatiable" is just too unrefined to stomach (eh, no pun intended). The first chapter alone left me feeling as though someone just came and robbed me of 20 IQ points. I tried to give it a chance and read through a few more, but it just didn't hold my interest in any way- I was distracted by the terrible writing the entire time.

Save your money and buy something else. ANYTHING else. This was the worst book that I've ever read.

I read this book back in high school (not too long ago) and enjoyed it. I read it two or three times. Having struggled with eating disorders, I could relate to different instances that the characters portrayed, although the author makes certain instances more dramatic then they might be in reality. The book, however, is not overly dramatic, and gives insight about what may go on in the minds of those who struggle with food issues, from different angles. Insatiable includes the story of four fictional characters, all who deal with life by either over-eating, hardly eating, or binging/purging. This book is a good one for a person struggling with an eating disorder. I didn't feel it was as "triggering" as many other books out there. When you are caught up in an eating disorder, your emotions regarding food and weight are very strong and very real, which makes this book relatable and insightful. I remember sitting in my bedroom in tears from something that happens to the character Jessica, because I could relate so much to it, and it opened my eyes--hit me with reality. Also, one of the characters who I couldn't relate to as much decides to go to therapy, and though I didn't have the same story, it inspired me to think about getting help. I didn't act on it for years and still struggle after multiple treatments, but treating eating disorders are about small steps, and books like this are small steps that get a person to think just a little bit deeper about what they are doing to themselves, as well as their family and friends.

This book got off to a fairly good start; the situations are catching. However, I think that the author tried to include a little too much. Jessica-anorexic AND a smoker; Hannah-bulimic AND dealing with being an asexual lesbian; Samantha-anorexic AND a cutter, and so on, and also in making Phoebe, the friendly, intelligent binger, and Jessica, her polar opposite (a cold, rather empty-headed anorexic) her best friend. The ending was also very predictable in the way things worked out: one by one three of the four girls start therapy, then the fourth one dies. It's rather unrealistic. Too many eating-disorder books end in Therapy Happily Ever After.

The scenes in which each girl succumbed to her disorder were fairly thrilling and very well written. The thoughts were absorbing and you could really identify with them, even if you had never felt them before, as when I read about Hannah throwing up. Eliot captured in great detail the gist of each disorder and the forced lifestyle that follows, but I think she's too into happy endings.

Brittany W. Miller Place, NY.

Insatiable by Eve Eliot was a good book, and makes you want to keep reading because its a story about real girls dealing with serious issues.

One reason that I liked this book was because it was about 4 girls dealing with eating disorders, and since I went through that I could understand where they were coming from. For example:Phoebe goes to see a Psychologist because she cant stop binge eating and her anorexic friend Jess thinks shes grossy obese.

Another reason I liked this book was because it showed how serious the eating disorders are, and how the girls actually start to believe food is bad for them. For example: Sam, couldn't eat anything other than lettuce or apples because she believed all other food was so disgusting and bad for her. Seeing other types of food would actually make her sick.

One reason I didn't like this book was because it jumped around between the girls lives so you had to keep track about who they were talking about. They would start talking about Jess' problems right in the middle of Sam having a break down.

I read this book in about 3 days, and while I was reading it, I couldn't stop because I wanted to find out what would happen to the girls next, and how sick they would get. I wanted to see how they're lives end up. This book kept me hooked, and it will keeped you hooked too.

Anorexia, bulimia, constant overeating --- INSATIABLE covers the ABCs of eating disorders. Through four teens, Eve Eliot shows real teens the trials and tribulations of these diseases.

First there's Samantha who starves herself to be in control. Her boyfriend Brian has dumped her, and according to her, it was because she was too fat. She vacuums her room up to five times daily, getting rid of the piles of dust that accumulate between cleanings. Is there anything wrong with this? Apparently Samantha doesn't yet realize there is.

Next comes Hannah. The death of her mother causes her to turn to bingeing and purging, which she knows is wrong, but she can't help herself. Often confused about friendships, Hannah decides that it is time to make a change in her life and chooses to "come out of the closet." She now feels even more alone in her plight, alienated from family and friends, and must deal with her teenage troubles alone. How will she fare in the vicious teenage world?

Then there's Jessica. She lives for fashion, always paying attention to the latest styles. She is a normal teen --- except for her starvation problem. Diet Coke and coffee are all she allows herself. She doesn't attend English class after a while, because it's on the second floor, and she isn't strong enough to walk up the stairs. One of Jessica's biggest fears is becoming overweight, like her best friend Phoebe, even as she finds comfort in her friend's obesity.

Phoebe finds comfort in food. She promises herself to diet, but it never happens. She often sneaks down to the kitchen to "have a little snack," but that turns into a three course meal. Her father repeatedly tells her to lose weight, but her fight against food is never ending.

These four teens are engaged in a constant struggle against the one thing that every human needs to live --- food. Will they win or lose? INSATIABLE exposes the dangers involved with eating disorders. Within the stories, Eliot adds important facts that teens need to know about anorexia and bulimia, making the novel both informative and interesting. Pick up this novel to learn more about the world of eating disorders, and how four teenagers fared with their own personal battles.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Marx

I read Insatiable last year (2002) on a camping trip and it made my trip 10x more interesting. This book really made me think about how unconfident and unsatisfied these girls are with their bodies. It was quite sad, but it is reality. I could feel my stomach turn while I was reading this book. It was so real that it scared me.

I would like to also point out that for this book, the way it was written was a good idea. Even though the author jumped around, it made sense since all their lives were happening at the same time, but they hadn't the chance to intertwine themselves with each other!

A fantastic book

Wow. I reccommend this book to anyone dealing with an eating disorder personally, or knows someone dealing with one. I've been struggling with food issues myself, and have been struggling with Anorexia and Bulimia since I was thirteen (I'm almost fifteen now). This book taught me so much about life and everything teenagers will need to face. I felt like I was reading a novel about myself. My Anorexia was shown through Samantha and Jessica, my Bulimia through Hannah, and my binge-eating through Phoebe. I am literally obsessed with this book. I would like to write personally to Eve Eliot, but haven't been able to find her e-mail address. (?) Ravenous was also an excellent book of course, but I enjoyed Insatiable more. Keep up with the great work, Eve Eliot! I'll love you forever!

This book is a definate must read for anyone who has every struggled with or even only wondered about an eating disorder. It very realistically portrays the horrors that a teenager with an eating disorder must face every day. This is one of the best books I have every read, every time I have read it.

I think this book is a great book to smack reality into young teens about how eating disorders are. And it makes young teens who have eating disorders feel as if they are not alone and its ok to get help and at the same time tells you the dangers of eating disorders. I think it is a great book and i would recommend it to anyone i know.