Skinny by Ibi Kaslik

890 Words2 Pages

“It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder - seven million women, and one million men.” (“South Carolina Department of Mental Health”). Skinny by Ibi Kaslik is about two sisters, Holly and Giselle, whose lives and relationship are impacted by the others’ state of condition. Giselle is a medical student who wanted to see what would happen if she stopped eating, and because of this she developed anorexia. Holly is an eighth grader who was born deaf in her left ear. The story jumps back and forth, changing every chapter, from Giselle’s point of view to Holly’s. This helps show the reader how one sister affects the others life. Skinny by Ibi Kaslik shows how family problems can have a great effect on the lives of the people within the family. Kaslik first introduces Giselle while she is in an institution for people with eating disorders. Giselle’s mother and Holly are visiting her and are told that Giselle is being released early, (she had only been in treatment for six weeks) and was ready to go back home. After a little time of being home, Holly starts to realise how Giselle is eating and acting: I hate watching her sit around all day on the couch, too tired from her sugar high to do anything except stare at the TV. She talks about going back to school, but it’s hard to imagine her pulling herself together to even leave the house. How is she going to be a normal person and go back to school while she still like like a scarecrow and eats crap? So I decided to do something about it: I got a garbage bag from under the sink and started throwing all her junk food into it. Then I walked over to her and snatched the tub of ice cream from her hand.(Kaslik 20) Holly’s action, which in the public’s eyes seems l... ... middle of paper ... ...l anyone. Holly feels like she can not tell anyone but her sister because she will be put into hospital. Therefore, family problems can have a great effect on the lives of the people within the family. Kaslik shows this by making Giselle and Holly’s verbal and physical fights, and their creation of imaginary friends. But in the end no matter how you deal with stress, whether by loss of appetite or jumping off a bridge, family is family, and they are always there for each other even if they feel like the family is separated. Works Cited Kaslik, Ibi. Skinny. New York: Walker & Company, 2004. Print. Parenting and Child Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. . South Carolina Department of Mental Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .

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