All That Fills Us by Autumn Lytle, Book Review

Book Summary:

Mel Ellis knows that her eating disorder is ruining her life. Everyone tells her rehab is her best option, but she can't bring herself to go. Broken and empty in more ways than one, Mel makes one last-ditch effort to make hers a story worth telling. She will walk her own road to recovery along the lesser-known trails of the North American wilderness.

Though she is physically and mentally unprepared to face the difficulties that lay ahead, she sets off on foot from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and heads toward Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. During the long journey, she meets strangers with their own stories, as well as ghosts from her past who can no longer be ignored. But though the land she travels threatens her success at every turn, it's her own dark thoughts she'll have to overcome in order to find peace in the life and the body she has been given.

With pitch-perfect timing and delightfully witty self-awareness, debut author Autumn Lytle masterfully leads readers on a journey down the hard path toward healing. 

My Review:

This story took me a while to get into. Mel was all over the place in the beginning and I was trying to sort her out. This is not a book for everyone, you definitely have to have a strong constitution to read about her serious anorexia and her compulsive exercising. It is not an easy topic and not everyone will be able to stomach it. While overall I appreciated the sentiment of the story, I felt like the 2000 mile trek was unrealistic. I know people can definitely overcome anorexia on their own, but as bad off as Mel was, it didn’t seem plausible she could hike across the country in her condition. But this is fiction so I can let it slide. My favorite part of the story was all of the people that Mel met along the way. I loved how she found amazing people to fill they void inside of her. I was really shocked when the book ended, I didn’t feel like there was a clear resolution. I wanted closure with her Mom, her grandma, her ex boyfriend, and her eating disorder. I found the ending to be abrupt. However overall, I enjoyed the story and Mel’s journey to healing. I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

You can pick up your own copy via Amazon.