Although the book is fictional, it is based on the wuthor's real-life experiences. This makes it more realistic than quite a lot of fictional books. The story is written in the style of a diary, from the point of view of Blythe. At the outset, she is 13, but gradually gets older as the book progresses. It is set in America. I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but Blythe's problems begin when she starts to compete with Laurie, another girl in her year who has anorexia. It spirals from there. I would recommend this book to both teenagers and adults as it's very good for an afternoon's reading. It's not too heavy, either.