Thin Girls: A Novel

Twin sisters battle with body image, bad relationships, and a cult diet group in this “dark, poignant, and gripping” debut novel (Associated Press).

“Stunning . . . gorgeously crafted. . . . A brutal, and unrelenting examination of what it means to be a woman in a body, wanting, needing, wanting, needing so much.” —Roxanne Gay

Rose and Lily Winters are twins, as close as the bond implies; they feel each other’s emotions, taste what the other takes in. Like most young women, they’ve struggled with their bodies since childhood, and high school finds them turning to food—or away from it—to battle the waves of insecurity and the yearning for popularity. But their connection can be as destructive as it is supportive, a yin to yang. When Rose stops eating, Lily starts—consuming everything Rose won’t or can’t.

Within a few years, Rose is about to mark her one-year anniversary in a rehabilitation facility for anorexics. Lily, her sole visitor, is the only thing tethering her to a normal life. But Lily’s own struggles, while less apparent than her sister’s, are equally profound. A kindergarten teacher, she dates abusive men, including a student’s married father, in search of the close yet complicated companionship she lost when Rose entered rehab. When Lily joins an extreme cult-diet group—led by a social media faux feminist—and begins to lose weight at an alarming rate, Rose determines to become well enough to leave the facility to save. And perhaps save herself.

“As gripping as a thriller. . . . Incisive social commentary rendered in artful, original, and powerfully affecting prose.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A lightning bolt of a book, one that electrifies with its powerful insights.” —Danielle Trussoni, bestselling author of Angelology

“The sisters’ bond is strongly palpable. . . . This page-turner makes for an illuminating, ultimately hopeful look at the constant struggle women face regarding their body image.” —Publishers Weekly

© 2024 Harper (Ebook): 9780062986702

Release date

Ebook: 11 June 2024