NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A poignant story of a friendship frozen between life and death, from the award-winning author of Speak.

“A fearless, riveting account of a young woman in the grip of a deadly illness.”—The New York Times

“Anderson illuminates a dark but utterly realistic world . . .This is necessary reading.”—Booklist, starred review

Lia and Cassie are best friends, Wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss—her life—and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend’s memory and feeling guilty for not being able to help save her.

In Wintergirls, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all—hope.