Name: Lighter Than My Shadow
ISBN: 9780224090988

Katie Green

A beautiful, heartbreaking and ultimately heart-lifting graphic memoir. Like most kids, Katie was a picky eater. She'd sit at the table in silent protest, hide uneaten toast in her bedroom, listen to parental threats that she'd have to eat it for breakfast. But in any life a set of circumstance can collide, and normal behavior might soon shade into something sinister, something deadly. One day you can find yourself being told you have two weeks to live. Lighter Than My Shadow is a hand-drawn story of struggle and recovery, a trip into the black heart of a taboo illness, an exposure of those who are so weak as to prey on the weak, and an inspiration to anybody who believes in the human power to endure towards happiness.

Lighter Than My Shadow

Deepika Ramesh

That's a poetic title, isn't it? 

The illustrations -- they seem subdued -- scream of Green's struggle. Her loud, diabolical thoughts and some unsettling images tear through the screen and enter my head seamlessly. It's inspiring to see artists illustrating their battles with eating disorder and memories of abuse. As much as it is cathartic for them, it creates a safe space for the readers to purge out too.

Nora 

Couldn't put it down, a beautiful and touching work - I can't imagine the emotional effort it took to draw and write out her story, but I'm glad she did.

Maggie Gordon

Oomph... this was one heavy hitting memoir. Lighter Than My Shadow is about Katie Green's experiences with mental illness, eating disorders, and sexual abuse. She chronicles her life from early childhood until adulthood, detailing the various struggles she encountered, and illustrates just what an iterative and challenging process recovery is. This narrative pulls no punches, and doesn't dress up the pain and trials of dealing with these disorders. Suitable for mature teens (with content warnings), and probably quite educational.

Nadine 

#YA #memoir 
Very sad autobiographical look at an eating disorder and the difficulty and slow circuitous route of recovery. The illustrations are excellent with immense depth. 
I'm just a little concerned about who the target audience would be as I'd worry about putting it in just any teen girls hands given the incidence of imitation.

Alex

A poignant, heart-lifting graphic memoir about anorexia, eating disorders and the journey to recovery Like most kids, Katie was a picky eater. She’d sit at the table in silent protest, hide uneaten toast in her bedroom, listen to parental threats that she’d have to eat it for breakfast. But in any life a set of circumstance can collide, and normal behaviour might soon shade into something sinister, something deadly. Lighter Than My Shadow is a hand-drawn story of struggle and recovery, a trip into the black heart of a taboo illness, an exposure of those who are so weak as to prey on the vulnerable, and an inspiration to anybody who believes in the human power to endure towards happiness. ‘Even at its most heartbreaking it never feels sombre ... Inspiring, plucky and, in the end, consoling, it’s hard to put down’ Observer

Lighter Than My Shadow

Reviews

Highlights