Massive by Julia Bell

'Massive' is an intriguing story which takes the reader on the journey of Carmen's crazy and deeply sad life.

Carmen's mother forces her to suddenly move from Yorkshire to Birmingham, whilst her step father is away on business; she leaves her school and friends behind and enters a world focused entirely on weight loss. Carmen is forced into an acute awareness of her mother's illness; a life-long battle with eating disorders. As the reader, you dislike her mother for her constant 'fat' and 'piggy' comments aimed at her daughter. It isn't until Carmen herself begins to consciously fast or make herself sick ,that you realise how deeply such an illness affects others around the sufferer.

I read this story having seen the picture of the weighing scales on the cover. 'Massive' takes a frightening look at bulimia, an issue which troubled one of my own close friends whilst at college. This sensitive portrayal of a life-changing issue is well-worth a read; I couldn't put the book down, reading it in its entirety over a weekend!

Aside from the bulimia, this story touches on the realities of teenage life; under-age drinking and sex, a bitter parental divorce, truancy, bullying and family feuds. 'Massive' covers each of these issues sensitively through the eyes of the teenager.

Miss Robinson