Author Interview: Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal

Author Interview: Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal

Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal is releasing on Tuesday October 8th, and we had the opportunity to ask Lauren some questions about the book, her process of self-care, and more. Check out this poignant debut YA novel in verse about disorder recovery, community, and courage.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for the finished copy!

Light Enough to Float

by Lauren Seal
Published by: Rocky Pond Books
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Deeply moving and authentic, this debut novel-in-verse follows teenage Evie through her eating disorder treatment and recovery―a Wintergirls for a new generation.

Evie has just barely acknowledged that she has an eating disorder when she’s admitted to an inpatient treatment facility. Now her days are filled with calorie loading, therapy sessions, and longing—for home, for control, and for the time before her troubles began. As the winter of her treatment goes on, she gradually begins to face her fears and to love herself again, with the help of caregivers and of peers who are fighting their own disordered-eating battles. This insightful, beautiful novel will touch every reader and offer hope and understanding to those who need it most.

Interview with Lauren Seal

Tell us about Evie. What would surprise readers to know as they get to know her?

When readers first meet Evie, she’s deeply entangled in her eating disorder. She’s officially received a diagnosis of anorexia, an illness that requires so much work to sustain that she’s become isolated from her family and friends; she doesn’t have the time or energy to maintain relationships and doesn’t want to risk exposing what she knows are unhealthy habits. She’s lonely, anxious, and just trying to survive.

I don’t know if it will surprise readers, but what constantly surprised me was remembering how young she is. Only 14 years old. But the people around her–the doctor, the nurses, even her parents, to an extent–treat her like she’s much older. They put the onus of her treatment, her recovery, her life, all on her young, teenage shoulders. Evie gets to be a patient, a diagnosis, a problem, a confidant, but not a kid. That’s something her eating disorder took away from her, and something she slowly tries to get back.

I hope, as readers get to know Evie, and as she gets to know herself, they’ll see her strength and tenacity, as well as her resilience. She’s also funny! I’m a sucker for sarcasm and dark humor.

Light Enough to Float centers around mental health and eating disorder recovery. How did you take care of yourself when writing?

First off, I love this question. I think it’s a tremendously important one to ask.

I’ve been open about how Light Enough to Float was inspired by my own anorexia and subsequent hospitalization. During the writing, I had to dredge up memories I’d otherwise prefer stay deep, deep down, revisit old toxic thought patterns, and try to remember what different stages of recovery felt like. And that was very heavy and very hard.

I’ve been in therapy since I was 14, and currently see a lovely, trusted psychologist. When the writing brought up uncomfortable feelings, I’d go to her and she’d help me feel and process my emotions. I also have a large support network around me, friends and family that I can talk to, as well as a big, fluffy dog to cuddle.

As an eating disorder survivor, I had to make sure I was taking care of my body, too. Revisiting old thought patterns is triggering, so I kept a supply of “safe” calorie dense, nutritious foods around and made sure I kept my body fed. I also went for lots of long, slow walks and rested when I needed to.

What’s one thing you hope readers find in your story?

If it’s only one thing readers find, I want it to be hope. Hope they’ll make it out of their eating disorder alive. Hope that recovery will one day get easier. Hope that there is more to life than calories and body size and harmful thought patterns. Hope that we are more than our illnesses, that we can let them go and still be enough.