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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Slight spoilers ahead!
I have always been interested in reading a book written in the perspective of an anorexic teen, but I haven't come across many good books yet. This one had a fantasy aspect, but still, the anorexia nervosa was ever present. It also kind of dawned on me how warped the disease really is, but let me talk about the book first.
It's really short, I read it in two lunch breaks at work, and it throws you right into the plot. I found that a little irritating at first, but oh well. Some things didn't work for me too great, some things seemed hurried to me. But it was very entertaining. Oh, how much I wanted Lisa to overcome the Thin Voice (which is later discovered to be similar to the voice of the Horseman of Death, coincidence? I think not.).
I also own Rage, and I'm looking forward to reading it (also because it's a little thicker than Hunger) because the whole story of the Apocalypse intrigues me. But are the Horsemen always on Earth? I was under the impression that they rise out of Hell once the Apocalypse start, but apparently not.
At this point, I have to say that I really liked Lisa's friend Suzanne and James, Lisa's boyfriend. They tried to reason with her about her sickness and only later when she once again realized how fat she apparently is (and obviously isn't) she realized she needs help - and that's what gripped me. Many victims of anorexia never reach that conclusion on their own, much like an acquaintance of mine who was forced to enter rehab a few years ago.
I have always been interested in reading a book written in the perspective of an anorexic teen, but I haven't come across many good books yet. This one had a fantasy aspect, but still, the anorexia nervosa was ever present. It also kind of dawned on me how warped the disease really is, but let me talk about the book first.
It's really short, I read it in two lunch breaks at work, and it throws you right into the plot. I found that a little irritating at first, but oh well. Some things didn't work for me too great, some things seemed hurried to me. But it was very entertaining. Oh, how much I wanted Lisa to overcome the Thin Voice (which is later discovered to be similar to the voice of the Horseman of Death, coincidence? I think not.).
I also own Rage, and I'm looking forward to reading it (also because it's a little thicker than Hunger) because the whole story of the Apocalypse intrigues me. But are the Horsemen always on Earth? I was under the impression that they rise out of Hell once the Apocalypse start, but apparently not.
At this point, I have to say that I really liked Lisa's friend Suzanne and James, Lisa's boyfriend. They tried to reason with her about her sickness and only later when she once again realized how fat she apparently is (and obviously isn't) she realized she needs help - and that's what gripped me. Many victims of anorexia never reach that conclusion on their own, much like an acquaintance of mine who was forced to enter rehab a few years ago.
I picked up an ARC of Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger back at BEA in May. Somehow, it slipped off my radar until early in October, when I found the slim ARC on my shelf. I was looking for a light read, something quick to get me back in the groove. At only a hundred -and-some-odd pages, I figured it would be perfect.
Light read….haha! I assumed this would be a quick adventure story about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with a little gender twist. Instead, Hunger reminded me a lot of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls.
Seventeen-year old Lisabeth is dealing with a lot of demons and has taken control of her life the only way she knows how- by not eating. Her mother is cold and criticizing. Her father is distant. Her best friend just accused her of having an eating disorder. And her boyfriend thinks her friend is right. But the most important person in her life is the Thin Voice. The Thin Voice demands that she not eat. It reminds her how fat she is. It has convinced her to completely reject food. One night, as she attempts to overdose on her mother’s pills, she summons the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Death assigns her to take her rightful place among the horsemen- as Famine. She then rides across the world witnessing gluttony and starvation, seeing people at their best and their worst.
This is not only a book about an eating disorder. Jackie Morse Kessler has woven an important story that deals with eating disorders, depression, family alienation, and friendship. The eating disorder has torn Lisabeth’s life apart, in more ways than she can comprehend. Seeing people across the world who are faced with starvation and gluttony Lisabeth begins to see what she is doing in her own life.
I really enjoyed Hunger. It wasn’t the light and fluffy read that I expected, but it sucked me in. Kessler paints an accurate picture of how an eating disorder affects the victim and their family and friends. The global implications, seen when Lisabeth is traveling the globe, are thought-provoking and I think will serve as a great conversation-starter. This would make a fantastic choice for literature circles. I also think it will attract reluctant readers because it isn’t too thick. It’s the perfect length.
Highly recommended.
Light read….haha! I assumed this would be a quick adventure story about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with a little gender twist. Instead, Hunger reminded me a lot of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls.
Seventeen-year old Lisabeth is dealing with a lot of demons and has taken control of her life the only way she knows how- by not eating. Her mother is cold and criticizing. Her father is distant. Her best friend just accused her of having an eating disorder. And her boyfriend thinks her friend is right. But the most important person in her life is the Thin Voice. The Thin Voice demands that she not eat. It reminds her how fat she is. It has convinced her to completely reject food. One night, as she attempts to overdose on her mother’s pills, she summons the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Death assigns her to take her rightful place among the horsemen- as Famine. She then rides across the world witnessing gluttony and starvation, seeing people at their best and their worst.
This is not only a book about an eating disorder. Jackie Morse Kessler has woven an important story that deals with eating disorders, depression, family alienation, and friendship. The eating disorder has torn Lisabeth’s life apart, in more ways than she can comprehend. Seeing people across the world who are faced with starvation and gluttony Lisabeth begins to see what she is doing in her own life.
I really enjoyed Hunger. It wasn’t the light and fluffy read that I expected, but it sucked me in. Kessler paints an accurate picture of how an eating disorder affects the victim and their family and friends. The global implications, seen when Lisabeth is traveling the globe, are thought-provoking and I think will serve as a great conversation-starter. This would make a fantastic choice for literature circles. I also think it will attract reluctant readers because it isn’t too thick. It’s the perfect length.
Highly recommended.
This book had a good message, and a good idea, but i found it was very depressing and morbid. It made me think. It was pretty good, but personally, i didnt like it.
Offensive. Why was this written? If I had read this as a teen I would’ve been sucked even more into the ED experience than I already was. Avoid this book at all costs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
The writing was a bit sub-par to what I was expecting, but the idea was just as good as I'd hoped.
I feel Lisabeth, along with just about every other character, was just a bit underdeveloped. Some important information was left out. I'm not sure if that's because we'll get the answers in the next book or the writer/editors were a bit lazy/sloppy.
However, the concept and much of what mattered was handled very well. The learning about herself through being the horseman was well done. Yeah, the ending was really cliche and easily seen, but it was real and felt good when it happened.
I feel Lisabeth, along with just about every other character, was just a bit underdeveloped. Some important information was left out. I'm not sure if that's because we'll get the answers in the next book or the writer/editors were a bit lazy/sloppy.
However, the concept and much of what mattered was handled very well. The learning about herself through being the horseman was well done. Yeah, the ending was really cliche and easily seen, but it was real and felt good when it happened.
A quick read, but a highly engaging one! The concept was what drew me in, an anorexic girl becoming Famine, and even though the author herself said it had been done before, I was amazed at how she pulled it off. The brutally honest depictions of anorexia and bulimia, the personalities of the other Horsemen ("thou art Famine, yo") and even the horses, and Lisa's personal strength evolving over the course of the story as she came to realize her problems are what kept me going. As the story progresses, Lisa manages to find the strength within her and evolves from a fearful girl with an unhealthy obsession with food to a stronger person with the courage to begin tackling her problem.
Sometimes the prose is a bit purple, and it gives me the vibe that the author is a fanfiction graduate -- a quick glance at her profile confirms this -- but I'm willing to overlook that if she keeps up the engaging storylines. I've already ordered Rage, which deals with War (who meets an unfortunate end in this installment). Rage deals with cutting, which I think the author will treat just as honestly as the eating disorders presented in this book. I commend her for bringing up such delicate topics and treating them with the honesty and treatment they deserve as a counter to the teenagers who try to make them seem glamorous.
Sometimes the prose is a bit purple, and it gives me the vibe that the author is a fanfiction graduate -- a quick glance at her profile confirms this -- but I'm willing to overlook that if she keeps up the engaging storylines. I've already ordered Rage, which deals with War (who meets an unfortunate end in this installment). Rage deals with cutting, which I think the author will treat just as honestly as the eating disorders presented in this book. I commend her for bringing up such delicate topics and treating them with the honesty and treatment they deserve as a counter to the teenagers who try to make them seem glamorous.
Unfortunately, I didn't like this book very much at all. I felt cheated by the description on the back, as the book promised to be a tale about a girl who becomes Famine, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (an interesting idea), who also struggles with a eating disorder, but rather this book was all about the eating disorders, with very random insertions of the Apocalyptic elements, and I felt let down by the fact the book wasn't more imaginative in its treatment of the Riders of the Apocalypse.
I feel this book would have been better played without the supernatural element. If the author had instead focused solely on the psychological and physical issues, the story would have flowed more believably, and the allusions to the Horsemen wouldn't have felt as forced, and frankly, out of place.
I feel this book would have been better played without the supernatural element. If the author had instead focused solely on the psychological and physical issues, the story would have flowed more believably, and the allusions to the Horsemen wouldn't have felt as forced, and frankly, out of place.
Hunger is what you get when you mix anorexia and the 4 Horsemen mythology. I try not to read books with such subject matter because it can be rather depressing but I've heard rave reviews about this series so I thought I'd give it a try.
I did like our heroine, Lisa and I thought that the treatment of anorexia was done pretty well in here. Readers get to see what kind of a life Lisa has and how it's damaging to her body. I did find it a little iffy that she was given this role in order to "learn a lesson". I didn't think too much of it until after reading the sequel and felt that there was a similar theme going on. But on the bright side, the books focused on the growth of the characters and how their experiences as one of the Horsemen influences their real lives.
The length of the novel also made it hard for me to be truly invested in the story and Lisa. I couldn't really be involved in her story; I felt very much like an outsider looking in as opposed to being part of the story myself.
I did like having the other three Horsemen (Death, War, and Pestilence) making appearances as well -- and how they each gave Lisa some advice. Death, in particular, was charming with his sense of humor. Not a bad story, definitely worth giving a try.
I did like our heroine, Lisa and I thought that the treatment of anorexia was done pretty well in here. Readers get to see what kind of a life Lisa has and how it's damaging to her body. I did find it a little iffy that she was given this role in order to "learn a lesson". I didn't think too much of it until after reading the sequel and felt that there was a similar theme going on. But on the bright side, the books focused on the growth of the characters and how their experiences as one of the Horsemen influences their real lives.
The length of the novel also made it hard for me to be truly invested in the story and Lisa. I couldn't really be involved in her story; I felt very much like an outsider looking in as opposed to being part of the story myself.
I did like having the other three Horsemen (Death, War, and Pestilence) making appearances as well -- and how they each gave Lisa some advice. Death, in particular, was charming with his sense of humor. Not a bad story, definitely worth giving a try.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I bought it on whim because I liked the idea of a story about a teenaged girl with anorexia becoming Famine. I thought the book might be funny or at least something else. I never expected the book to take me in like it did. It was clear from early on the the author knew a lot about having an eating disorder and the distorted thoughts was very real. The book surprised me with it seriousness and heavy subjects and how well written it was. It's a small book, but it was a good length for it. The ending was not what I expected and I mean that in a good way. I'm intrigued enough by this world to want to read the rest of the books in this series.