Nothing

Robin Friedman's novel, Nothing, traces the 88 days before his collapse as well as its aftermath. The story, told in alternating chapters by Parker and his younger sister, Danielle, feels inevitable and at times, frustrating. As Parker binges and purges, no one notices. The disease takes over his life, and he gets no help. He withdraws from family and friends. Friedman does an excellent job of showing the insidious nature of eating disorders. Parker's interior monologue is filled with isolation, self loathing, and insecurity. Although everyone else sees him as highly successful, the reader learns the terrifying truth. Unfortunately, there are some missteps. Parker's father's diagnosis of male breast cancer is strange at best, and makes us question how much Friedman trusts the reader. She also shows the worst stereotypes of a Jewish family. The Rabinowitz family's blatantly superficial Jewish experience, constant black tie events and named parties infuse a cynical tone to the text. Also, Parker often refers to Julianne, his non-Jewish girlfriend, as a shiksa. This uncomfortable, outdated language may have been used for humor, but it leaves the reader with less empathy for Parker. The best part of this book is Danielle. Her honest narratives, written in effective delineated prose, are filled with love, fear, and envy. Her scant comments harness the vulnerability and fear we all have when dealing with this disease. It is through Danielle that the reader experiences the breakdown and salvation of this Jewish family. Nothing offers a compelling discussion, recommended for readers 14 and up. Reviewed by Sara Aronson

It is a rare occurrence for me to read a book all the way through in one sitting, yet that is exactly what happened with NOTHING. I could not put it down. It is the story of a high school senior struggling with bulimia. What makes this story unique is that the bulimic student is a boy. As he struggles with his illness, his younger sister struggles with her own feelings of inadequacy. It's tough for her to be the kid sister of a shining star. Both Parker, age seventeen, and his sister, Danielle, age fourteen, narrate the story, which alternates between their voices. Parker writes in prose, while Danielle expresses herself through free verse. It sounds contrived, but it isn't. The result is a beautiful portrait of the very real pressures that teenagers face. It is a story that is human, touching, and real. The alternating narrative provides not only perspective to Parker's situation that readers wouldn't see if he were the sole narrator, but it also deftly, carefully, almost imperceptibly shows the effects of Parker's illness on his family. This narrative device also helps provide a window into the causes of his bulimia. Lastly, the free verse in particular adds a sense of beauty and melancholy that helps the reader relate to these two souls in a way that brings them to life and depicts an authentic teenage experience. Parker and Danielle's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rabinowitz, are good people. They love their kids. They want what is best for them. They try very hard to be good parents. And they fall into the trap that many parents fall into with their kids - they push too hard in the name of doing what's best. These characters are on the periphery of the story, but they are still real human beings. Friedman also creates friends for Parker and Danielle who ring true. The girlfriend/boyfriend relationships of the older kids are realistic without being risqué. The reader doesn't get too close to them, but then, neither does Parker. It is an effective way to help the reader feel how isolated Parker and Danielle both feel. There is a countdown that accompanies each change of narrative. This device shows the passage of time within the story, but also effectively elevates a sense of suspense. As the book begins, the reader is told that Parker's narrative takes place "88 days before." The closer the story gets to that fateful day, the more that Parker and his family fall further apart. His bulimia and anxiety accelerate, Danielle's angst and identity struggle worsens, Mr. Rabinowitz struggles with his own challenging health problems, and Mrs. Rabinowitz struggles to keep it all together. Parker's girlfriend struggles, too, with his ever-increasing emotional distance from her. Yet because the story is so layered with each of these issues, it is impossible to predict just what will happen at the story's climax. NOTHING grabs you from page one, draws you into the lives of these characters, and does not let go, culminating in a finale that is as satisf

On the outside, Parker seems to have everything going for him: he's wealthy, he's attractive, he's a track star, he's a journalist, he's active in his community, and he's a good student. However, Parker doesn't like everything that he's doing, and he doesn't like how he looks on the outside. He keeps his emotions locked up inside, where no one can see them. His father wants him to become "a nice Jewish doctor," but that's not Parker's dream. Although his parents have made him see a college consultant regularly since he was a freshman, he's still not sure what he wants to do after high school. When the pressure (from his overbearing father, from his coaches, from his friends, from himself) gets to be too much, he turns to food. After going on shopping sprees at the grocery store, he eats until he's uncomfortably full, then throws up. Binging and purging takes a toll on both his body and his mind. He feels tired all of the time. He loses weight. He loses muscle. He loses strength. He stops hanging out with his friends. He argues with the girl he likes. Danielle wishes she got a fraction of the attention Parker gets from their family and classmates. At first, she does not realize that that very attention has pushed Parker to hurt himself. Then, though Parker tries his best to hide what he's doing, Danielle begins to suspect something is wrong. She wonders if she should speak up, then wonders who will listen to her. As other matters at home complicate things, Danielle's narrative offers additional insight into Parker's character as well as their family life. Nothing by Robin Friedman is written in first-person narrative, alternating between Parker's point of view and Danielle's point of view. While Parker shares his thoughts in straightforward prose, his younger sister Danielle uses verse. Throughout Nothing, Friedman treats the subject matter gently and compassionately. This novel is well-researched and will appeal to both genders, thanks largely to the dual narrative. I say it time and time again: Sometimes, it's easier to read about something than talk about it. Hopefully, after reading this book, teenagers who worry they or someone they know might have an eating disorder will turn to someone for help.