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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
SPOILER ALERT!
She is Famine. She is Anorexic. Featuring Curt Cobain as Death.
When I first got a hold on "Hunger" and saw that it revolved around the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I was really interested in reading it. Lisa Lewis finds out that she is Famine, one of the Riders of the Apocalypse. Cool. And then I started reading it. When I was half way through the book I still waited for something to happen to get the story going. Nothing. The writing is poor, even childish at times, and it annoyed me. I also hate books with lead characters who do not own a backbone, because they, again, really, really, get on my nervs. But what absolutely pissed me off is the fact that the author failed to use enough from the vast mythological lore related to the Riders (exept that there are four of them and that they ride horses!), or God-forbid, think of something on her own which could get this story convincing. I struggled through this one, and DIDN'T finish it, which says a lot, concidering it only has 117 pages.
All in all, reading "Hunger" felt like reading a highschool fantasy literary assignment, and a bad one at that. I'm taking the sequels (I was REALLY interested, honestly :) ) of my to-read list.
She is Famine. She is Anorexic. Featuring Curt Cobain as Death.
When I first got a hold on "Hunger" and saw that it revolved around the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I was really interested in reading it. Lisa Lewis finds out that she is Famine, one of the Riders of the Apocalypse. Cool. And then I started reading it. When I was half way through the book I still waited for something to happen to get the story going. Nothing. The writing is poor, even childish at times, and it annoyed me. I also hate books with lead characters who do not own a backbone, because they, again, really, really, get on my nervs. But what absolutely pissed me off is the fact that the author failed to use enough from the vast mythological lore related to the Riders (exept that there are four of them and that they ride horses!), or God-forbid, think of something on her own which could get this story convincing. I struggled through this one, and DIDN'T finish it, which says a lot, concidering it only has 117 pages.
All in all, reading "Hunger" felt like reading a highschool fantasy literary assignment, and a bad one at that. I'm taking the sequels (I was REALLY interested, honestly :) ) of my to-read list.
Page 42:
I just started this and, as much as I like the writing style and the idea behind this whole series, one thing isn't sitting right with me: Kurt Cobain as Death? If this is true, I will be rating this book/series down due to blatant disrespect for Cobain... So far, it's looking good... But we'll see.
Page 49: This book is about to get a one star for implying that Kurt Cobain would ever use the word "Yo."
Finished: This book was good, it moved along nicely and had very few lulls in the plot, which was kind of a given seeing how short the book is... The only thing I really disliked, besides the blatant disrespect for Cobain, is the fact that we don't really have the chance to connect to Lisa, the main character. Despite other characters in the book saying "You're not acting like yourself," or "this isn't you," we don't really KNOW who Lisa IS. All we get is that she's a sick, anorexic girl who wants to be normal but who was she before that? Who IS Lisa?
I'm hoping that the second instalment allows us to get to know the main character on a deeper level.
I just started this and, as much as I like the writing style and the idea behind this whole series, one thing isn't sitting right with me: Kurt Cobain as Death? If this is true, I will be rating this book/series down due to blatant disrespect for Cobain... So far, it's looking good... But we'll see.
Page 49: This book is about to get a one star for implying that Kurt Cobain would ever use the word "Yo."
Finished: This book was good, it moved along nicely and had very few lulls in the plot, which was kind of a given seeing how short the book is... The only thing I really disliked, besides the blatant disrespect for Cobain, is the fact that we don't really have the chance to connect to Lisa, the main character. Despite other characters in the book saying "You're not acting like yourself," or "this isn't you," we don't really KNOW who Lisa IS. All we get is that she's a sick, anorexic girl who wants to be normal but who was she before that? Who IS Lisa?
I'm hoping that the second instalment allows us to get to know the main character on a deeper level.
This book reminds me heavily of fated by browne. it's not bad. I mean it could have been better. It could have been much better if it dropped the eating disorder angle and just did a dead like me angle. or if it dropped the last "everything is better now look at my art" chapter. It could have been better, but that doesn't mean it's not good. it just means the author got too into message and gave up plot and style to moralize, not my thing, but not a travesty.
It started off really good and really emotional, but then it just kind of... fizzled.
Full review on the blog soon: http://irissel.blogspot.com
Full review on the blog soon: http://irissel.blogspot.com
****Real rating 3.5****
I am a lover of stories about the four horseman, so when I seen this book that combined an interest of mine and the topic of mental health that is often glamorised or stigmatised, I was intrigued and nervous as to how it was going to go. But all I can say is that the only disappointing thing about the book is how short it was. Kessler twists a simple story of a girl with an eating disorder and spins it into a story about self-acceptance, the realistic notion that everyone has an inner battle with themselves and mythology without every taking it away from the fact that the character in it is struggling with her eating disorder. She doesn't glamorise Lisa's weight or actions, she doesn't stigmatise her habits or thoughts. A personal opinion however, was that for me there was just too many consecutive pages of Lisas negative thoughts that I found hard to read. That being said, I was impressed with how much I did enjoy the book and I cannot wait to read the rest of the horseman tales.
I am a lover of stories about the four horseman, so when I seen this book that combined an interest of mine and the topic of mental health that is often glamorised or stigmatised, I was intrigued and nervous as to how it was going to go. But all I can say is that the only disappointing thing about the book is how short it was. Kessler twists a simple story of a girl with an eating disorder and spins it into a story about self-acceptance, the realistic notion that everyone has an inner battle with themselves and mythology without every taking it away from the fact that the character in it is struggling with her eating disorder. She doesn't glamorise Lisa's weight or actions, she doesn't stigmatise her habits or thoughts. A personal opinion however, was that for me there was just too many consecutive pages of Lisas negative thoughts that I found hard to read. That being said, I was impressed with how much I did enjoy the book and I cannot wait to read the rest of the horseman tales.
While the message behind the story was worthwhile, the execution was only really worth 3 stars.
Iniciei a leitura deste livro com a dúvida se iria ou não gostar. A sinopse pareceu-me que seria mais uma história com uma moral muito fácil de extrair e de baixa qualidade literária.
Infelizmente, não me enganei. O livro tenta descrever a luta de uma rapariga com a anorexia. O que, visto de uma posição de saúde, foi fracamente descrita. As coisas não são tão claras. Creio que a autora limitou-se a mostrar a parte da contabilização de calorias e de exercicio fisíco. É uma patologia mental, com distorção corporal grave e consequências fisícas importante. E o que vemos é uma jovem a contar calorias que faz comida para a amiga bulimica e se exercita até dizer basta.
Relativamente à ideia dos cavaleiros do apocalipse: achei piada à ideia. Mas não passou de isso mesmo. Teve piada. Porque raio iria ser selecionada uma mmoça anoretica? Para aprender o valor da comida? Porque lida com a fome de uma maneira melhor? Não consegui perceber.
Não consegui ligar-me a nenhuma personagem. Não achei o desenrolar da história interessante. de certa maneira, muito previsivel. E raios! Claro que no fim a moça do nada diria "Eu preciso de ajuda! Oh vou curar-me!". Cansou-me...
Bottom line, uma história simples e fácil de ler. Só mesmo para quando não se quer pensar muito.
Infelizmente, não me enganei. O livro tenta descrever a luta de uma rapariga com a anorexia. O que, visto de uma posição de saúde, foi fracamente descrita. As coisas não são tão claras. Creio que a autora limitou-se a mostrar a parte da contabilização de calorias e de exercicio fisíco. É uma patologia mental, com distorção corporal grave e consequências fisícas importante. E o que vemos é uma jovem a contar calorias que faz comida para a amiga bulimica e se exercita até dizer basta.
Relativamente à ideia dos cavaleiros do apocalipse: achei piada à ideia. Mas não passou de isso mesmo. Teve piada. Porque raio iria ser selecionada uma mmoça anoretica? Para aprender o valor da comida? Porque lida com a fome de uma maneira melhor? Não consegui perceber.
Não consegui ligar-me a nenhuma personagem. Não achei o desenrolar da história interessante. de certa maneira, muito previsivel. E raios! Claro que no fim a moça do nada diria "Eu preciso de ajuda! Oh vou curar-me!". Cansou-me...
Bottom line, uma história simples e fácil de ler. Só mesmo para quando não se quer pensar muito.
This book was really good, it had great detail, wonderful insight into people with anorexia. It went into the main characters subconscious and it had her deal with great inner struggle.
The book was sad, and happy, and it was wonderful. You didn't know what would happen next but you kind of knew what would happen. It was a very complex book with a plot line that I have never heard of before. Very original.
The book was sad, and happy, and it was wonderful. You didn't know what would happen next but you kind of knew what would happen. It was a very complex book with a plot line that I have never heard of before. Very original.