Diana Sharples's Running Lean ~ Reviewed

Running Lean
By Diana L. Sharples
Pages 400
Release Date Aug, 2013
Publisher Zondervan Publishing
ISBN 0310734975


Overview
In this YA debut from author Diana Sharples, love, self-esteem, and trust meld in a compelling story. Still reeling from the loss of his brother in Afghanistan, Calvin Greenlee pours himself into fixing his motorcycle and spending the rest of his time with his girlfriend, Stacy, who always has the right words to say. But when Stacy starts losing weight---a lot of weight---it's clear she has problems of her own. Calvin is determined to cure her---but could that only push Stacy further into danger?

Review:

Diana Sharple’s debut novel centers around Calvin and Stacey, two teenagers dealing with tragedy and emotional turmoil. The passing of Calvin’s brother as a soldier in Afghanistan leaves him with a hole in his life. A dark incident in Stacey’s past now leaves her with deep emotional scars, along with serious self-image problems. So Stacey and Calvin mutually fill the emptiness in their hearts with each other. However, Stacey’s self-image problems morph into a life-threatening eating disorder. Calvin tries to be the knight in shining armor, but she pushes his concerns away, in denial. Ms. Sharples does a fantastic job of portraying both characters, writing from the two viewpoints. Readers feel sympathy for Stacey, though they can’t help but yearn to shake Stacey out of her denial, longing for her to listen to her caring boyfriend. Though somewhat monotonous in places, this book is a strongly written novel,and enlightens the reader on the perils of eating disorders. It is a story of hope, but doesn’t fail to portray how hard it can be for friends and family when someone they love suffers through this disorder.

Reviewed by: Priya Mellott