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k8lynn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i love the connecting stories in this one, the intertwining of trauma and grief amongst women/sisters in the family. this one was a little tough to get through but overall i enjoyed it very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Grief, Abandonment, Mental illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Eating disorder
shante9700's review against another edition
5.0
I needed more
I felt like some of the chapters were rushed but I just needed more resolve
I felt like some of the chapters were rushed but I just needed more resolve
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
A dark portrayal of the dysfunction of families, this book touches on many important but difficult subjects. The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray is the sort of book that resonates the most in the quiet aftermath of the story than it does while reading it, for me. In a good way! I found this to be a book that stayed in my thoughts as I mulled over the unraveling of this family. As it is in life, the unraveling often starts long before it is apparent, and I thought Gray did a magnificent job of showing that.
Reflection
When I say the unraveling of this family happens long before anyone noticed it, I mean that there is the “catalyst” for the story in the book, and the deep roots of dysfunction that emerge through the story. The story seems to begin with one of the Butler siblings Althea being arrested for defrauding community members. This sets off a chain of events, such as Viola’s re-surfacing eating disorder, Lillian’s struggles to stay strong for Althea’s daughters, and Joe’s re-emergence in the lived of his sisters.
But as you read, there is certainly a lot more to this story. How did Althea and her husband Proctor (who is a quietly outstanding character that is heard through epistolary communication to Althea in prison) end up in the situation they are in, arrested and bringing shame on their family? And why was Joe sent away so many years ago? There’s so much to learn about these siblings, and the things that happened in their past, both with eachother and with the parents or lack thereof in their lives. I don’t want to spoil any of the backstory but it is probably the piece of the story I thought about the most after I finished the book.
I read an interview with Anissa Gray where she talked about how this book came together. It started as a story focused on Viola, one of the Butler siblings who is gay and struggling with her relationship with her partner Eva, and also with an eating disorder despite her work with patients struggling with similar issues. Gray herself has a lot of connections to Viola, and to me Viola felt like the central character—so haunted and well-developed. Gray did a fantastic job showing the disordered eating in a very raw and difficult to read way. Later she felt like the story needed to be more about the broader issues that contributed to Viola and the other characters.
Lillian had a very compelling story as well. Though at first she seemed like the quietest voice of the sisters, the one who was holding things together, we later learn a bit more about Lillian. Why she is the quietest voice, what she went through, and why she has such a strong desire to protect Althea and Proctor’s daughters and help them through this tough time.
I would say that this book is about family dysfunction and the bonds that tether them together through the worst of times. It’s hard to say this is an uplifting book, but I did find hope and a bit of closure for the characters at the end. And more than anything, this is a book that is uncomfortable to read, and that is often why it is such an important story to read. There is nothing over-dramatized. It is an authentic story of a family in a sea of families that are struggling to make it through.
Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
Reflection
When I say the unraveling of this family happens long before anyone noticed it, I mean that there is the “catalyst” for the story in the book, and the deep roots of dysfunction that emerge through the story. The story seems to begin with one of the Butler siblings Althea being arrested for defrauding community members. This sets off a chain of events, such as Viola’s re-surfacing eating disorder, Lillian’s struggles to stay strong for Althea’s daughters, and Joe’s re-emergence in the lived of his sisters.
But as you read, there is certainly a lot more to this story. How did Althea and her husband Proctor (who is a quietly outstanding character that is heard through epistolary communication to Althea in prison) end up in the situation they are in, arrested and bringing shame on their family? And why was Joe sent away so many years ago? There’s so much to learn about these siblings, and the things that happened in their past, both with eachother and with the parents or lack thereof in their lives. I don’t want to spoil any of the backstory but it is probably the piece of the story I thought about the most after I finished the book.
I read an interview with Anissa Gray where she talked about how this book came together. It started as a story focused on Viola, one of the Butler siblings who is gay and struggling with her relationship with her partner Eva, and also with an eating disorder despite her work with patients struggling with similar issues. Gray herself has a lot of connections to Viola, and to me Viola felt like the central character—so haunted and well-developed. Gray did a fantastic job showing the disordered eating in a very raw and difficult to read way. Later she felt like the story needed to be more about the broader issues that contributed to Viola and the other characters.
Lillian had a very compelling story as well. Though at first she seemed like the quietest voice of the sisters, the one who was holding things together, we later learn a bit more about Lillian. Why she is the quietest voice, what she went through, and why she has such a strong desire to protect Althea and Proctor’s daughters and help them through this tough time.
I would say that this book is about family dysfunction and the bonds that tether them together through the worst of times. It’s hard to say this is an uplifting book, but I did find hope and a bit of closure for the characters at the end. And more than anything, this is a book that is uncomfortable to read, and that is often why it is such an important story to read. There is nothing over-dramatized. It is an authentic story of a family in a sea of families that are struggling to make it through.
Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
hilaryannbrown's review against another edition
2.0
This book had a compelling premise and explored important themes: eating disorders are not just for rich white girls, not every woman is a natural mother, and incarceration is hell for families. The voices of the three sisters weren't distinct or clear enough for this to be the gem it could have been. I also think it tried to do too much near the end - the big reveals weren't related to the inciting incident and the themes didn't come together enough for me.
kaylamathur's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
4.0
This book lives up to its completely amazing title.
xereads's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A good read for sure. I appreciated the POV from the adults but would have loved some chapters from the younger generation as well. I think this book did a good job highlighting intergenerational challenges and discussing what’s needed to overcome them. The author did a phenomenal job of describing eating disorders and the compulsive tendencies while touching on how it’s viewed in minority communities. I wish I could’ve had a little more detail about some things but I enjoyed this book and would recommend to others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
wanderingmole's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful and very sad story of a family working to find its way out of intergenerational hardship and trauma. *great on audio