All That Fills Us, (Paperback)

“I've wasted so much time wasting away. Contributing nothing, helping no one, only hurting and confusing the few people still left in my life,” Mel explains in Autumn Lytle's novel, All That Fills Us. ~ What ~ This three-hundred-and-fifty-two-page paperback targets those who like a tale of redemption when dealing with an eating disorder. With the use of slang words such as dang and heck, topics of mental health, illness, and injury may not be appropriate for immature readers. The ending includes the author's notes, acknowledgments, and advertisements. In this debut story that is written in first person, twenty-four-year-old self-absorbed Mel Ellis has an eating disorder that keeps her constantly on the move as she destroys herself and most of her relationships. Instead of going to recommended rehabilitation, she takes off on foot from Michigan, focused on going to Mount Rainier in Washington State. Through her travels, not only does she meet friends who help guide her back to reality, but also she learns how to again love herself and God. ~ Why ~ This book written by one who has dealt with eating issues has a unique writing style of a girl who is desperately seeking answers and direction as she slowly starves and pushes herself to her limit. I appreciated some of the characters Mel met on the way and how they interacted with her. ~ Why Not ~ Those who prefer not to read books about anorexia or have the disease may not want to read this one. Others who are not religious will shun its prayers to Catholic saints, Bible verses, and Hindu beliefs. I found the protagonist self-centered, immature, and sometimes obnoxious, which became a distraction to the story. ~ Wish The concept of walking over two-thousand miles with a debilitating disease seemed unbelievable from the start. I found the handwritten postcard letters hard to read and the ending abrupt. It did not include the most important part of faith in the True God: the plan of eternal salvation. ~ Want ~ If you like reading a story of a young woman on a pilgrimage to find herself, deal with her upbringing, and understand God's everlasting love, this may be for you, but I found it a tedious read. Thanks to Revell for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.