Hunger by Jackie Kessler

Lisabeth Lewis is seventeen and anorexic. When a friend confronts her about it, she decides it's time to end everything and tries to commit suicide. But she's interrupted by a young man with a package and a command, "...go thee out unto the world." The package is a Scale. Lisabeth has just become Famine, one of the Four Horsemen (women?) of the Apocalypse.

Of course, she believes it has all been a dream. However, she can't ignore the Scales that appear out of nowhere (that no one else can see) or the black horse in her backyard eating her mother's flowers. Or the riot she starts in Sydney, thousands of miles from home.

Once Lisabeth learns what real hunger is like from villagers eating dirt cookies, how can she continue to live like she has been? And how can she use this power to help instead of hurt?

An interesting concept--I've never read anything like this anyway. Lisabeth is a hard character to really like at first, but she has many redeemable qualities as the story goes on. There are amusing parts (especially when Death is singing) and the ending is especially moving.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia wakes up one morning to terrible news. Her best friend until 6 months ago was found dead in a hotel alone. She died as a direct result of her eating disorder.

Both girls have had eating disorders. Lia has been hospitalized twice, but all that did was teach her how to better hide her problem. But when she gets to 90 pounds, it's hard to hide that she isn't eating. Cassie ate too much, then purged to get rid of it. The girls encouraged each other to stay thin, even to the point of competing to see who could be the skinniest.

Now Lia's being haunted by her demons and Cassie's. Cassie called Lia the night she died and was ignored. And it seems that Cassie is more than ready to let Lia follow her to the grave.

This book is written in a way to pull you into Lia's world. However, this book is not for the faint of heart, as it talks about how Lia starves and cuts herself. The story is very powerful, moving, and emotional.