Purge: Rehab Diaries

Nicole Johns

Mar 2009 · Sold by Seal Press

About this ebook

Purge is a beautifully crafted memoir that has a Girl, Interrupted feel. 

In this raw and engaging account of her months in rehab, Nicole Johns documents her stay in a residential treatment facility for eating disorders. Her prose is lucid and vivid, as she seamlessly switches verb tenses and moves through time. She unearths several important themes: body image and sexuality, sexual assault and relationships, and the struggle to piece together one's path in life. 

While other books about eating disorders and treatment may sugarcoat the harsh realities of living with and recovering from an eating disorder, Purge does not hold back. The author presents an honest, detailed account of her experience with treatment, avoiding the clichéd happily-ever-after ending while still offering hope to those who struggle with eating disorders, as well as anyone who has watched a loved one fight to recover from an eating disorder. 

Purge sends a message: though the road may be rough, ultimately there is hope.

Ratings and reviews

This book tries so hard to be Marya Hornbacher's 'Wasted', it's painful. It is difficult to read without cringing at the attempt to take on Hornbacher's style, and the whole talking to the reader as if they're experiencing it instead of the autho thing is poorly imitated. The author is obviously very amateur and does not hold her own writing style. The whole thing reads like a 'look at me, I was every bit as sick as Marya'. I would have much preferred to read about her story in a way that reflected herself.

I loved this book i got it because some.one i love is battleing an ed and i knew nothing about it. This book helped me see inside the head of a woman with an ed an see the pain and angwish not to mention the health risks that come along with it i recommend this book to any one who wants to know what an ed looks like threw the eyes of a strong woman fighting to stay alive.

This book is amazing. It sucked me in! I could not stop reading. It had me in tears, and laughing..as someone with an eating disorder, I can absolutely relate..this book gets 5 stars from me. I loved it.

About the author

Nicole Johns received her MFA from the University of Minnesota and a BA in English from Penn State University-Erie. Her eating disorder developed in high school and worsened in college. The summer after starting the MFA program, Nicole spent three months in treatment for her eating disorder. Nicole currently lives in Minneapolis with her fiancé, Brady Johnson. She has been in recovery from her eating disorder since 2005.