Despite an increasing prevalence in teens and young adults, eating disorders are far from a universal experience. That said, nearly everyone has struggled to feel comfortable in their own skin at one time or another. In that regard, Nikki Lampe Nalchajian’s STARTING TOMORROW is just the sort of YA novel that parents and teens alike can benefit from reading. An entertaining mix of adolescent antics and ‘he said, she said’ drama, STARTING TOMORROW is also a powerful story that shines a light on a largely misunderstood topic.
Like so many other teens, Mackenzie “Mack” Stewart is hyper-fixated with her weight. Despite reassurance from others (including her mom), Mack’s body image issues run deep. It certainly doesn’t help that her recent weight-loss has just so happened to coincide with increased positive attention from, well, everyone. Unfortunately, Mack’s recent transformation came at a terrible cost—following her friend Shayla’s lead, Mack turned to bulimia as her preferred weight-loss strategy. As Mack is quick to point out, her “diet plan” has come with some pretty intense downsides, a list that includes hair loss, acne, and a massive strain on her friendships. In an effort to manage her spiraling thoughts (and track her food consumption), Mack turns to journaling. During her first entry, she discloses that her New Year’s resolution is to “stop doing things that are bad” for her, which includes no more binging and purging. If only progress was as easy as writing it down.
Chronicling the final four and half months of Mack’s sophomore year, STARTING TOMORROW is so much more than an ‘eating disorder’ book. Yes, bulimia factors pretty heavily into Mack’s life (especially during the opening chapters), but a myriad of other high-school-sized issues appear as soon as winter break is over. Fortunately, Mack eventually meets Dr. Skylar, and the ‘real’ work begins to take place during their therapy sessions. For her part, Nalchajian takes great care to illustrate just how non-linear treating an eating disorder (and the underlying psychological compulsion) can be. While Mack’s journey from self-destructive behavior to self-forgiveness and compassion is far from a straight line, she does make a couple of monumental breakthroughs that ultimately lead to a hopeful conclusion.
As Nalchajian’s debut, STARTING TOMORROW is a remarkably polished novel, a feat made all the more impressive considering the hard-hitting subject matter. In this regard, the use of a journal format is a brilliant move—not only does it provide a first-hand glimpse into Mack’s thought’s, every facet of her journey is all the more relatable. Some may be tempted to skim over the more traditional YA, angst-riddled passages, but those sections underscore just how interconnected with the stresses of day-to-day life an eating disorder can be.
Exploring the many facets of an eating disorder through a briskly-paced, contemporary YA drama, Nikki Lampe Nalchajian’s STARTING TOMORROW is a must-read novel for teens and parents alike.
~James Weiskittel for IndieReader