Ravenous Girls is a poignant story about mental illness, family dynamics, and the complex interplay of personal desires and needs. At the heart of Ravenous Girls is a window in time in teenager Justine’s life, where she first enters hospital due to her extreme dietary restriction and subsequent weight loss. Her mother and her sister, Frankie, are highly confused and anxious.

In many ways, Justine fits into the stereotype of a person struggling with anorexia nervosa – young, female, high-achieving and perfectionistic, affected by grief, whose health consciousness tips into something unhealthy. Yet, the story is certainly not clichéd. Burton portrays the raw and often uncomfortable realities of living with an eating disorder and accessing inpatient treatment, including bed rest and refeeding.

Equally compelling is the protagonist, Frankie. Her attempts to understand and cope with Justine’s illness are both relatable and heart-wrenching. Frankie inhales recovery memoirs and attends a support group, but struggles to find Justine and her struggles within the prominent narratives. Her struggles extend beyond coping with her sister’s mental health, and typical teenage trials of shifting friendships and emerging sexuality; there is also something darker at play. Her emotional sensitivity is both a strength and a burden, while her negative core beliefs—feelings of being inherently flawed, unlovable, and unattractive—will resonate deeply with many readers. Reading this as a psychologist, I suspected that Frankie would have struggled with her mental health even if it wasn’t for Justine’s ongoing struggles. But, as the novella points out, sometimes ‘there’s room for only one person in [a] family to not be okay.’

Unlike some recovery stories, Ravenous Girls presents a non-linear recovery journey, marked by the highs and lows of treatment (mostly the lows). We see the profound impact of an eating disorder on Justine’s physical health, but also her personality and relationships with family, friends, and intimate partners. Unfortunately, I felt that the final chapters were somewhat rushed, with time jumps and more telling than showing. I honestly could have read a full novel-length version of the story, filling in the gaps of Frankie and Justine’s early adulthood.

Ravenous Girls asks profound questions about our desires and needs: Why do we hunger for certain things? What happens when we either give in to our wants, or deny ourselves what we need? This is a short but thought-providing read, and well worth your time. 
 

Review by Elise from novelfeelings.com - where two psychologists take a deep dive into your favourite books