Jane in Bloom, is the story of a twelve year old girl, Jane, who loses her sister Lizzie to anorexia on the day of her twelfth birthday. This novel does not follow the typical story line of a battle with anorexia, instead it focuses on Jane and how she comes to realize that she cannot stop living because Lizzie did. The novel follows Jane as she starts to grow up, find friends, and maybe even a potential boyfriend! Jane had always felt as if she was only second best compared to her sister and when her mom leaves to “take a break” Jane thinks she was right all along. Jane and her father are on their own for the summer and when he leaves her for a business trip Ethel, his retired secretary, stays with Jane and helps her cope with her sister’s death. Ethel not only helps Jane learn to grieve and to understand her pain but move past it.  This novel explores the other side of things, what it is like to have a sibling with anorexia and how to move on.

This novel is a great pick for someone who does not want a love story or one filled with pain and sadness, but one with a touch of reality. Jane in Bloom is a fast read that is easy to get into, anyone who wants to read about the other side of anorexia should read this book!