PAPERWEIGHT
by Meg Haston
Release Date: July 7, 2015
About the Book
In the vein of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls, this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss.
Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert. Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at meal time, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid. Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn’t plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she, too, will end her life.
Paperweight follows Stevie’s journey as she struggles not only with this life-threatening eating disorder, but with the question of whether she can ever find absolution for the mistakes of her past…and whether she truly deserves to.
To learn more about this book and see our review, go HERE.
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About the Author
Meg Haston is the author of How to Rock Braces and Glasses and How to Rock Best Friends and Frenemies. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, where she writes and works as a counselor in an independent school. Paperweight is her first young adult novel.
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Guest Post
Top Five Ways to Survive a Tough Time
In my novel PAPERWEIGHT, Stevie’s eating disorder requires intensive treatment. While not everyone experiences the struggle of eating disorders or mental illness, we all go through difficult times. Here are my top five ways to survive a tough time.
1. Take a look in the (metaphorical) mirror.
Moving through a difficult time means having to take a long, hard, look at yourself—and the situation you want to change. Get honest about what you’re struggling with. This is so much harder than it sounds, but it’s a crucial first step. If you can’t get real, things can’t get better.
2. Decide what you want to (and can) change.
Once you’ve gotten real with yourself, decide what you want to change. What do you want for yourself? How to do you want things to be different? Set small, realistic goals and you’ll see your situation start to change.
3. Get by with a little help from your friends.
Make sure to lean on your friends. Having strong friendships makes it easier to get through the hard stuff, because you don’t have to carry the burden alone. Just make sure you’re leaning on people you can trust.
4. Treat yourself.
When you’re having a hard time, make sure to take time for fun. Do something to take your mind off of your problems. In short, Treat Yo Self.
5. Know when to ask for help.
Sometimes, all of the above isn’t enough, and you need a little something extra to make it through. That might be counseling, or it might be another kind of support. There’s no shame in asking for what you need, so speak up.
Giveaway Details
3 winners will each receive a copy of PAPERWEIGHT. US only.
Entering is simple, just fill out the entry form below. Winners will be announced on this site and in our monthly newsletter (sign up now!) within 30 days after the giveaway ends.
During each giveaway, we ask entrants a question pertaining to the book. Here is the question they’ll be answering in the comments below for extra entries: What do you think of the cover & synopsis?
I’ve heard about this book and the synopsis sounds really interesting. I think the cover is pretty and unique as well!
The cover and the synopsis are pretty interesting . thank you for the giveaway
The cover is pretty, and the synopsis seems like the book will be a beautifully written yet sad story. It sounds very interesting! Thanks for the giveaway!!
I love this cover! So simple but eye catching, and I think the book sounds fanatstic.
I think the cover shows the desires of Stevie to be thin and “light weight”, as well as her wanting to have the weight of the burdens she carries lifted off her soul so she’s more “light weight” emotionally as well. The story sounds beautiful and extremely sad, but I’m hoping it turns out well in the end. I suffer from mental illness myself, so I can relate to the story theme very well.
Everyone who has read this book has told me amazing things about it, I can’t wait to read it.
The cover is absolutely gorgeous and is what first drew me to the book. When I read the synopsis, I knew that I had to get myself a copy! It sounds like an incredible and heartbreaking story.
The cover is really cute and simple, which contrasts the story of the book. The synopsis is also intriguing, especially that it’s about an imperfect main character.
this is one of my favourite contemporary covers! and I’m really intrigued by the synopsis.
I love how simple and captivating the cover is. The synopsis, just like the cover, is simple and captivating. It has me dying to read the book!
I’ve seen this book promoted everywhere, and the cover always caught my attention. It’s so beautiful! Synopsis is equally as attractive.
both interesting
The cover is beautiful – I love the light delicate shade of green/blue. Both the color and the paper art do a good job of reflecting the title and synopsis. Looks like a promising read! (:
I love the cover! It is simply gorgeous and fits the synopsis of the book. The colors and design perfectly symbolize Stevie’s want to become skinnier and “paperweight”. The synopsis sounds like the book will be a journey of self-discovery. All in all, the book sounds and looks like it will be unforgettable in a good way!
The cover’s gorgeous and represents how Stevie wants to be thin and lightweight. I am really interested to read this because it sounds original and I am always interested in books about eating disorders since I have been working to help one of my friends get through her struggle with anorexia.
The cover over is beautiful and goes well with the synopsis. The synopsis is well written and thought out.
Wow the cover is beautiful and the synopsis makes me want to read this very badly.
The cover is so beautiful and reading the synopsis makes me want to read the book so badly.
What a unique, thought-provoking cover. Intriguing synopsis makes me want to know more as I see parallels w/ my own life written there.
The cover is very interesting. The synopsis has me hooked and I really want to read this book.
The cover is amazing and I can’t wait to read it!
I really love the shapes on the cover in her fingers and am interested to see what they symbolize!
The cover looks gorgeous, and I’ve heard the plot handles handles eating disorders well. I’m excited for this one.
The Synopsis sounds really interesting and the cover is absolutely gorgeous!
This looks and sound like a book I will enjoy and so will my middle school girl readers. So many love Wintergirls, Cut, and 13 Reasons Why. This will be one that will fly off my classroom shelves.
prettttyyyyy
I love the cover, I love the color especially. It sounds like it deals with real emotions and doesn’t glamourize eating disorders.
The cover seems so simplistic and beautiful, but you can tell there’s meaning. The synopsis is so heartbreaking and it makes me want to read it so badly. I want to feel what Stevie feels. I can relate to her in a way as I also went through a disorder that I overcame thankfully. This book hits close to home.
The cover is absolutely gorgeous and very fitting to my taste. The synopsis is intriguing, and seems a very thought-provoking, emotion-wrecking novel, which is the kind I like.
Cool cover! I really want to read this book. It sounds so interesting!
The cover is very nice. This sounds like a very interesting story, and Stevie sounds like a good character.