Letting Ana Go

Anonymous Diaries

By: Anonymous

Narrated by: Chloe Cannon

Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

In the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction.

She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn't do anything to make a change.

But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better - stronger - she felt.

But it's a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going too far....

Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind.

©2013 Simon & Schuster, Inc. (P)2019 Tantor

My favorite ED book.

This is my favorite ED book because it's so real and honest in what it's like to have one and as sad as it is there is no happy ending and that is often the sad truth to this deadly disorder.

Twist Ending !

I loved this book Soo much and the narrator kept me intrigued it made me feel like I was in the book myself

Truthful

Heartbreaking depiction of the mind with ED
IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WITH AN ESTING DISORDER GET THIS TODAY!!! Speed the word eating disorders are SERIOUS!

Chilling and raw

A vivid account of one young lady's descent into "ana." This diary being read aloud without commentary (until the very end) really makes clear how serious and tormenting this illness is. That message cannot be overstated. Give it a listen and encourage family and friends to do the same.

Letting Ana Go

Struggled to finish the book. It was a very sad, but true story. I hope that young girls including my daughter understand that they are beautiful no matter what.

Amazing book

This book is amazing. Highly recommend. This book is very informative. Would recommend for teens and young adults.

I’ve never come across an all around 5 star book..

I suffer from anorexia nervosa and, not only was it not fully developed until after my son was born, but at the age of 32. I live in hell every day, where I’m now 37, and no treatments (2 therapists, 1 stay at residential and PHP) have worked. I’ve recently been actually being able to see through the lies of the disorder but unable to stop engaging in extreme behaviors the more time goes on. I’m 37 though, not a typical teen case of anorexia. In no way am I attempting to make any offense, I am just stating, that my age group has maybe %5 of research done that teenagers get most clinical research done and typical recovery settings are not going to have any lasting effect on a mid-life adults. If I’m being honest, I don’t see a probable outcome for myself, and the way this book captures the slow decedent and the steady loss of reality just made me so sad for anyone who suffers from this awful disease and also made me feel grateful, in a way, for the bravery of this author’s work. This book was mid-anorexia for me, I’ve since declined mentally and physically, so I feel as if I could only have a simple wish (not something as huge as “I’ll never develop this disease”) but something really small, it would be that I was still able to feel any joy, whatsoever, even at the end-climax of the book, as the character in this book does. I’m moved, grateful that this book has reached so many, has educated in an absolute perfect way, sad, felt as if I was well understood and just overall just loved this book so much. Hated that this reality exists, but loved the rawness and accuracy.

Love

Love all the anonymous dairy books sad endings but still good must read if you like "go ask Alice "

Great Listen

Really shows the reality of "recovery" with anorexia. It doesn't always work all the time and those stories need to be shared. Was a good listen and put more things into perspective. I recommend reading.

Ok

Everything in Her (unnamed) life was perfect, until Her dad left home, probably because Her mother was too fat. She begins a diet with Her best friend, Jill, which, due to other unaddressed stressors in Her life, turns into anorexia.

LETTING ANA GO, written in diary format, follows Her slow plunge from first place runner to anorexia. A lot of the diary entries were repetitive and boring, day after day of her weight, calories and dieting just isn't that interesting. LETTING ANA GO does a great job showing the subtle changes in Her thinking and behavior, and is probably how a lot of teens with eating disorders feel. Obsessing about food and weight is tedious and repetitive, because that's a component of the illness. Anonymous could have done a better job with pacing, which finally picked up during the last 30% and ended strong. The ending was the best part of the story.

I'm not sure I'd recommend LETTING ANA GO to girls suffering from eating disorders, reading about food, calories and weight can't be helpful. Once She is diagnosed, there are helpful warnings, but these aren't anything teens don't already know. Parents worried about their children might get some insights into their thinking, but that's about it. The only reason for two stars instead of one is the strong ending.