All i knew going in was this was gonna be about teens and eating disorders. I wasn't expecting to actually like it more than i thought i did. I was expecting something okay vut this book thre a punch and i was overwhelmed my grief. I definitely would recomment this to all teenagers who are having a hard time.

This book is super hard for me to rate. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it, because it isn't something I'd reread for fun. Instead, it really made me think. I feel like it was exceptionally well written, and did what it set out to do in a sensitive manner.

I've seen it discussed in most of the other reviews, so I'll add onto it here. Rowan isnt a likeable protagonist. She's manipulative, unwilling to heal, and cruel. This is what made me appreciate her as a character though. Her arc was done extremely well, and I grew to enjoy her chapters more than Shoshona's by the end.

Out of the two, Shoshona was definitely the more likeable. I looked forward to her chapters for the first 80% but by the end, I was looking forward to Rowan's. Her characters was also written well, and she felt completely different from Rowan.

I also loved how the girls' healing journey was written. Neither one of them went through a magical awakening where they were just better. They each had to decide for themselves whether they wanted to make the choice to get better. This was something you don't see often, and I loved it for that. I also loved that their relationship wasn't the focal point of the story. They placed their own healing above their friendship, which I appreciated so much.

This is a very unique book, and a challenging read. It dealt with very difficult topics, and although they were written well, it was still hard to read at times. I don't see myself rereading this, but it'll definitely stick in my head.

Thanks to E.J. Schwartz and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

I REALLY liked the portrayal of eating disorders in this book. It wasn't romanticized/idealized at all, as authors often do, and it was handled in a really realistic, respectful way. The main characters were super unlikable to me, which brought the quality of the book down. I love to hate on main characters, but this book just didn't make it fun for me to hate them.

Overall, the quality of the book was good, and I thought the writing style was super great for the story being told. But the quality of the main characters unfortunately did bring it down for me.

I actually really struggled with this book, I found both of the characters really unlikeable to the point that I was rolling my eyes every few minutes.
However, I think the journey that they go through as the story plays out was well written and the subtle changes were done well, so that’s redeemed it up to 3 stars!
At first I found myself wanting to know more about the other characters, but really I think that it reflects well how they didn’t really matter to Rowan or Shoshana.

I struggled a little with this one, I don’t think it’s because of the book itself it’s because I didn’t really care for either of the main characters. I do think the author was trying to portray was an important one though, and they did a good job of not glamorising the eating disorders within the book.
T.W - eating disorders, sexual assault, suicide

Reading about eating disorder treatments was interesting. I loved how the characters developed throughout the book. The ending shocked me for sure. I enjoyed this book. I liked the fact that I could relate to the characters.

Shoshana and Rowan meet at a treatment center for eating disorders. Told in both of their voices, this novel explores the deep core at the root of all types of eating disorders. I have read other fictional works about eating disorders and treatment programs and Before We Were Blue is by far the best. Shoshana is striving for perfection as an athlete and Rowan is following the example set for her. Both girls have powerful moments of insight into their disease and powerful moments of deep depression in conjunction with their disease. The ultimate question for both girls is what is more important: the relationship with the other girl or their recovery. I look forward to reading any book by E. J. Schwartz.

Trigger warnings: eating disorders and mention of suicide and sexual assault

This book felt so real. The issues mentioned in the book weren’t romanticised like they so often are in novels of this nature.

The character development of both main characters was so well written and I feel like that was such an integral part to the story.

Book is out on the 14th September

I received a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

There is no glamour to eating disorders in this book. Just straight hard points to what occurs to someone who is living with an eating disorder. Shows two different perspectives, of two completely different girls and how what they have gone through, brought them together at RR. Don't go into this book lightly, it is hard hitting and will open your eyes to something you may not know much about.

6,50 on CAWPILE

Tw / eating disorder, sexual abuse

The publisher kindly provided me with an arc through netgalley.

I find this hard to rate because I did enjoy it but also not. I liked the writing style it was very straightforward and I enjoyed that. I didn't like the characters but I also think that was the point of this story. I did like the development Rowan went through in this story, that was good to see and by the end of the book I was rooting for her. All in all a good debut novel and I will tune in for the future books of this author.

Hello and welcome to That Introvert Reader! About a week ago, I was lucky enough to receive a free electronic ARC of Before We Were Blue by E. J. Schwartz (I just got another one approved, I think I'm going to have to start posting more frequently to get through these).



I absolutely loved this book and wow I wanted to cry at points.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.

Before we begin, this review and this book contains mention of eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, and sexual assault. Please keep this in mind as I don't wish to trigger anyone.

Before We Were Blue promises you this:

Get healthy on their own—or stay sick together?

At Recovery and Relief, a treatment center for girls with eating disorders, the first thing Shoshana Winnick does is attach herself to vibrant but troubled Rowan Parish. Shoshana—a cheerleader on a hit reality TV show—was admitted for starving herself to ensure her growth spurt didn’t ruin her infamous tumbling skills. Rowan, on the other hand, has known anorexia her entire life, thanks to her mother’s “chew and spit” guidance. Through the drudgery and drama of treatment life, Shoshana and Rowan develop a fierce intimacy—and for Rowan, a budding infatuation, that neither girl expects.

As “Gray Girls,” patients in the center’s Gray plan, Shoshana and Rowan are constantly under the nurses’ watchful eyes. They dream of being Blue, when they will enjoy more freedom and the knowledge that their days at the center are numbered. But going home means separating and returning to all the challenges they left behind. The closer Shoshana and Rowan become, the more they cling to each other—and their destructive patterns. Ultimately, the girls will have to choose: their recovery or their relationship.

Yes, I can hear the Raven Cycle fans screaming at the name Rowan Parish from here. Please be quiet, I've got a sore throat and a headache.

As the synopsis above mentions, Rowan and Shoshana are both struggling with recovering from eating disorders at Recover and Relief. On the Gray (I'm sorry but why the American spelling it's k i l l i n g me) treatment plan, they are constantly watched by nurses. Rowan and Shoshana blossom into a friendship, which soon grows into something deeper, and potentially more romantic.

But staying together would mean staying together, in Recovery and Relief. Not leaving Recovery and Relief. Recovery would mean leaving this life- and each other.

Exploring their pasts, and what it means for them in the present, Rowen and Shoshana must work out what getting better means for them and their relationship.

This book also contained Jewish and grey-ace rep.

BEFORE WE WERE BLUE GOT FIVE STARS AND I LOVED IT SO SO MUCH! IT'S GOING TO BE OUT ON SEPTEMBER 14TH 2021 FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING IT!

Thank you for reading this blog post! I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope you will too.

https://thatintrovertreader.blogspot.com/2021/03/before-we-were-blue-spoiler-free-review.html

Actual rating 3.5 stars

This is by no means an easy read. Told as a dual narrative by Shoshana and Rowan, two teenagers in a treatment center for girls with eating disorders, this emotional and gripping story focuses on what it means to live with an eating disorder in modern times.

Shoshana is a star cheerleader who is a part of a reality show. A breakdown lead her to the facility, but her issues are much more wide-reaching than that. From a borderline abusive coach to social isolation to a dysfunctional family, it is impossible not to feel for her. A lot of the scenes made me angry and feel secondhand anxiety. Rowan on the other hand also has a dysfunctional family and was raped a year before the story begins. She is an abrasive and challenging personality, so much so that it made it difficult for me to empathize with her. Her and Shoshana’s relationship was a mix of genuine and honesty toxic. Their co-dependency went beyond anything healthy for about half of the book. I most appreciated the insight into the day-to-day life at the center, the side characters, and the complexity of the issues depicted. The cheerleading details and some interpersonal relationships weren’t really for me. However, having a queer and an asexual main character was amazing!

A review will be published on April 1, 2021 on http://congressionalreport.news.blog

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this complimentary book for me to review.
Told in two points of view we have Rowan and Shoshana.
Shoshana, cast member of a reality cheerleading competition and Rowan both meet in a facility for people with eating disorders where they must choose to recover. Shoshana has an overbearing mother and Rowan seems to be the complete opposite, as they say opposites attract and these girls end up creating some sort of twisted teenage companionship.

This book took me a while to get into. I also don't want to say I enjoyed it, because it was dark, with a dysfunctional friendship, eating disorders, suicide, and other triggers. Yet it was compelling, and I found myself rooting for the girls and wanting to know what happened next., At the same time, I just wanted to shake them and say " Really - you think this is a good idea?"

I thought the author gave valuable insight into eating disorders, and what can cause them, and what someone feels who is going through it.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. This story has stayed with me for days after I read it.

Before We Were Blue by E.J. Schwartz is the story of the powerful and at times dysfunctional friendship between two girls at a recovery centre for teens with an eating disorder. Rowan and Shoshana are very different but both are struggling with anorexia and have come to rely on each other , something than threatens to sabotage both their chances of recovery. Shoshana developed her disorder in an attempt to stunt a growth spurt that she is worried might cost her her place on an elite cheer team , and the reality show that features them. Rowan seems to have inherited her body image issues from her mother, who taught her the "chew and spit" technique before she even hit puberty, and she has been in and out of treatment facilities for years.
This is not an easy book to read, it tackles numerous difficult and sensitive subjects, as well as the obvious eating disorders, the author also includes sexual assault and suicide. I appreciated the inclusion of trigger warnings for these at the start of the book. I thought the description of living with an eating disorder was very well handled, and was impressed with how carefully the author avoided including specific weights etc so as not to provide information or inspiration for readers who might be struggling with a similar issue.
While the character of Shoshana felt quite relatable and easy to empathize with , I struggled much more with Rowan. However I thought having her point of view chapters written like a letter to Shoshanna was very effective in terms of giving an insight into her thought process and I really did warm to her more as the book went on. I also thought the ending was very apt for the book as a whole.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

2.75 stars.

I have mixed opinions on this book because although I thought the message this author was trying to portray is an important one, there was something about the book - or perhaps the characters - I just couldn't get on with.
For one, I should mention I have not personally suffered from an eating disorder but I have experience with people who have so for the most part, I feel this author did a good job in portraying a realistic picture of what it's like to have an ED.
I also think the writing was decent which is why I think it has something to do with how unlikeable both our main characters are. I didn't care for either them - Rowan was particularly horrible and although I liked Shoshana more, she was also not a likeable character. I also think I found it hard to connect with both of them a lot of the time. Just as I would think I was about to, either girl would do something or say something ridiculous.
I also didn't appreciate how much Rowan constantly goes on about Shosh being Jewish. It didn't add anything to the plot so to speak so I couldn't understand why it was constantly being brought up. It kind of felt weird.
I think the development of their friendship was good for the most part and I think if I was in a different mood or time in my life, I might have enjoyed this more.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝟜.𝟝/𝟝 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤
Tʀᴜɢɢᴇʀ Wᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: eating disorders, sexual assault, su!cide, negative thoughts

Iɴ ᴀ Nᴜᴛsʜᴇʟʟ: a realistic book about the highs and lows of how one views themselves

Rᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: At a recovery clinic, Shoshanna and Rowan instantly connect. Both having undergone the trials of the same eating disorder, they become fast friends and rely on one another to make it through each day.
But sometimes, putting too much faith in one person can be your downfall.

Honestly, when I first started this book I was not a fan. While I enjoyed the dual POV offered, I found Rowan toxic and unashamed at all the people that she may hurt. But Soshanna was relatable, and the only reason why I pushed myself so hard to continue it in the beginning.
And I am SO glad that I did.

This isn’t a happy book. It’s not a world where your thoughts are carefree and dragons are flying in the sky. Instead, it’s a real book. One where you see your own struggles represented, or understand the struggles that others may go through.
It doesn’t shy away from the damage that society does, nor does it try and hide that eating disorders are a common thing, that is often hidden from the world.
As someone who had struggled with one myself, I understood. The way your mind works when your body is too sick to function is harsh. Everything sucks and all the people in the world are the reason for it (so your conscious whispers.)
I found Rowan abrasive in the beginning, but as the book moved on, I got it.
When you get sick like that, it’s hard to find a reason for hope every day, and you can get so lost in your own despair that you mix up who you are versus who the disease has made you to be. And instead of letting that control her, the author allows our MCs to grow and start to figure out a way to understand themselves.
Though it was a bit of a slow start, I slowly feel in love with this book. The trouble of understanding yourself and trying to piece together a functioning human when the disease tells you you are anything but.
It’s really hard.
But the author conveyed this so perfectly.
So to the author: thank you for making me feel heard.

*thank you to the publisher,author and Netgalet for an EARC of "Before We Were Blue" in exchange for an honest review*

Rowan and Shoshana are two teen at "RR", a recovery center for teens with Eating Disorders. They have a Co-dependant relationship that messes with their recovery. Shoshana and Rowan were authenticly written. I could definitely see how defining their relationship was, it was heartbreaking to read. I do appreciate the Trigger Warnings that the author put at the beginning of the book.

As someone who went to eating disorder treatment, parts of this rang true for me. I am not sure of Schwartz's experience, but as someone who is Jewish I felt very understood by Shoshanna's perspective. I have never read a book regarding eating disorders and treatment that was told from the point of view by someone who was Jewish.
I liked the LGBTQIA+ exploration (we need more representation of this in mental health books!). The sports aspect was great as well. Rowan, while prickly to like in the beginning, I understood as a character.
But still...this book felt like an updated Girl Interrupted mixed with Wintergirls and I'd find it hard to give it to a teen..

This is unlike anything I've read before, but I also liked it a lot after I got into it more. A setting in a treatment center for eating disorders, plus the growing and messy relationship between the girls that challenges their recovery. The dual POV played well off each other, Shoshana is a likable and relatable character, especially since my daughter is also a cheerleader, so I enjoyed reading those references. Rowan is not my favorite in the beginning and her narrative is written as if she's addressing Shoshana, which I found unique and fitting. I enjoyed the character development and the representation of the eating disorders. Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!