She is brutally candid about the day-to-day specifics of the anorexic life, a rare item when eating disorders are so secretive. What makes Hornbacher's account different from the others is not just the early onset of her anorexia, but the way in which she tells the reader about it. The book was quick to receive both critical acclaim and commercial success, and people were genuinely surprised at the quality and honesty in the writing considering the author was so young. However, eating disorders have no set time to appear and aren’t picky about who they prey on - an explosive fact that often seems ignored. To some, the idea that her battle began at the age of seven might seem shocking. The duration of her battle is all the more surprising when you consider she wrote the book at the age of twenty-one. Originally published in 1998, Wasted is an autobiographical account penned by journalist Marya Hornbacher, who dealt with an eating disorder for fourteen years. This memoir was beaten to the number one spot only by Clare Beeken's 2001 account of her journey from anorexia to compulsive over-eating and back again struggle that was made into the movie 'Catherine' by Maureen Dunbar.

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia was declared in 2015 to be one of the top ten eating disorder books of all time. Written by Jojo Persky and other people who wish to remain anonymous

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Wasted by marya hornbacher