Good Enough

February 15, 2019
Grades 5-8 Riley's solidly in denial when her parents send her to an in-patient treatment facility for her anorexia. The 12-year-old is eager to fix her problem and get back to her regular life of school, friends, and track, but of course, it's not that easy. In introspective journal entries, Riley traces the circuitous path of her gradual growth to a healthier approach to food and body image. Her entries describe individual and group therapy, her interactions with her fellow patients, and changes she notices about her body and eating habits, but it's the deep self-reflection about her family and friends that's the most illuminating. While the story is a tad purposeful, its journal format realistically reveals the up-and-down progress of therapy and recovery, and crucially, Petro-Roy makes the point that Riley is not cured ?rather than fixing her problem in her program, Riley developed the skills to face down her disordered thinking and make healthier choices about her habits and thoughts. Well-developed secondary characters, especially Riley's therapist, round out this supportive, honest, and empowering novel about mental health. For Petro-Roy's nonfiction exploration of eating disorders and recovery, see our review of You Are Enough, on page 48.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)