When Friendship Kills

A teenage girl dealing with her parents' divorce who moves to Seattle and forms a close but problematic bond with a classmate. She becomes intensely focused on dieting and body image, hiding her eating habits from her mother. After a collapse at a volleyball game, Lexi is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and undergoes a recovery process that includes hospitalization and therapy. The story follows her struggle, relapse, and ultimate attempt to reclaim control over her health with family support.

A popular, high-achieving student who befriends Lexi and shares her interest in dieting and modeling, masking an eating disorder of her own. Her relationship with Lexi is pivotal, but Jennifer's struggles intensify, leading to a tragic decline and eventual death from a cardiac arrest after a party incident. Her storyline underscores the hidden dangers of peer influence and untreated eating disorders.

Lexi's mother, recently separated from Lexi's father. She is preoccupied with her divorce and attempting to balance work, parenting, and her daughter's health. Kathryn's concern and support become crucial in Lexi's recovery, and she ultimately pushes for treatment and open communication with Jennifer's mother.

Lexi's younger sister, who witnesses the upheaval of their family and supports Lexi through the crisis. Jill's perspective provides a sibling anchor in the story, highlighting family dynamics and the desire for normalcy amid turmoil.

Lexi's father who visits Chicago and navigates custody and reconciliation efforts. He pursues involvement in Lexi's life and is part of the family decisions surrounding her treatment, reflecting complicated parental roles in a post-divorce family.

Jennifer's father, a figure within Jennifer's family who appears in the narrative as part of the parental landscape around Jennifer's illness. His presence adds to the family dynamics and the varying responses to Jennifer's condition.

Jennifer's mother, who initially dismisses the possibility that her daughter could have an eating disorder. Her perspective shifts as the severity of Jennifer's condition becomes clearer, and she faces the consequences of denial as the crisis unfolds.