At age 18 Stacy Black—the alter ego of author Tracy White—was hospitalized for depression and an eating disorder. Chronicled in this candid graphic memoir is her journey through institutionalization; her ups and downs with her unreliable boyfriend, Eric; her bleak, unrelenting thoughts and her battle with bulimia. Though Stacy suffers from not one but two disorders, her angst is communicated effortlessly, and readers will have no trouble relating to her. Rounding out Stacy’s account is commentary by her friends and “reports” from Stacy’s hospital files, adding depth and perspective to the narrative. Though she gives readers an upfront and unflinching portrayal, White ends on a cautiously hopeful note with the promise of college in the horizon. Through her spare, line-based art and stark, dialogue-driven text, White delivers a wallop in this “mostly true” memoir. Think a lighter Girl, Interrupted meets the artistic styling of John Porcellino’s Perfect Example (1999). (Graphic memoir. YA)
