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haleymonkey5000's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Representation: Asian characters
Score: Five points out of ten.
I saw Hungry Ghost circling my recommendations until I picked it up and added it to this website. It has high ratings overall, but only some reviews are positive. After reading a review, I feared I would be disappointed again when I finished Hungry Ghost. Unfortunately, that turned out to be true.
It starts with the first character I see, Valerie Chu, or Valerie for short, recounting her early life. She most prominently remembers her mother influencing her to be thin by not eating much. That soon turned into an eating disorder where Valerie now fulfils her mother's and her expectations to be skinny by binging and then purging. If Valerie were fat, I wouldn't mind. However, Valerie's mother constantly and subtly body-shames Valerie to keep her thin body, much to Valerie's dismay. Toward the latter half of Hungry Ghost, Valerie, alongside her friend, whose name I forgot, goes to Paris, but at the end of the school trip, she hears the news that her father died in a plane crash. For what?
My gripes with Hungry Ghost start as Valerie restricts her diet and gets away with it for the most part, sending a horrifying message that binging and purging have no consequences and one can never escape an eating disorder, but one can. I soon hated Valerie for shouting at her friend and her mother. The last person wasn't much better either. The ending was atrocious, as the two characters did a magical 180. The former stopped binging and purging, and the latter stopped body shaming. How can Valerie love her mother even though she treated Valerie like this? It doesn't make any sense. It would be better if Valerie lived without her mother. I'm so dissatisfied.
Score: Five points out of ten.
I saw Hungry Ghost circling my recommendations until I picked it up and added it to this website. It has high ratings overall, but only some reviews are positive. After reading a review, I feared I would be disappointed again when I finished Hungry Ghost. Unfortunately, that turned out to be true.
It starts with the first character I see, Valerie Chu, or Valerie for short, recounting her early life. She most prominently remembers her mother influencing her to be thin by not eating much. That soon turned into an eating disorder where Valerie now fulfils her mother's and her expectations to be skinny by binging and then purging. If Valerie were fat, I wouldn't mind. However, Valerie's mother constantly and subtly body-shames Valerie to keep her thin body, much to Valerie's dismay. Toward the latter half of Hungry Ghost, Valerie, alongside her friend, whose name I forgot, goes to Paris, but at the end of the school trip, she hears the news that her father died in a plane crash. For what?
My gripes with Hungry Ghost start as Valerie restricts her diet and gets away with it for the most part, sending a horrifying message that binging and purging have no consequences and one can never escape an eating disorder, but one can. I soon hated Valerie for shouting at her friend and her mother. The last person wasn't much better either. The ending was atrocious, as the two characters did a magical 180. The former stopped binging and purging, and the latter stopped body shaming. How can Valerie love her mother even though she treated Valerie like this? It doesn't make any sense. It would be better if Valerie lived without her mother. I'm so dissatisfied.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Grief
Minor: Vomit
Full trigger warnings: Death of a father in a plane crash, grief and loss depiction, emesis mentioned, body shaming, internalised body shaming, restrictive dieting, eating disorderclavishorti's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying takes us on Valerie Chu’s journey, a young woman navigating the twists and turns of adolescence. Amidst the usual teenage tapestry of love, friendship, and family complexities, Valerie bravely addresses the sensitive issue of eating disorders (ED).
Derived from Buddhism and Chinese religious traditions, the term “Hungry Ghost” vividly depicts entities stirred by intense emotional needs in an animalistic way. According to my findings on the internet, its Chinese translation, 餓鬼 (èguǐ), meaning hungry ghost, adds a layer of depth to this exploration, stemming from the Sanskrit term preta in Buddhism.
The synopsis promises a tantalizing glimpse into the realms of eating disorders, family dynamics, and the pursuit of self-love. Regrettably, my reading journey encountered deviations from these expectations.
The book’s weaknesses cast a shadow on the reading experience, with unresolved toxic elements taking center stage. Valerie’s fatphobic stance introduces a conflict left hanging, even after a seemingly concluded argument with a friend, lacking the necessary discourse on the underlying fatphobia.
The toxicity extends to Valerie’s relationship with her mother, revolving around societal notions of beauty and weight. Although Valerie acknowledges the toxicity, the lack of outright rejection leaves a lingering sense that these issues must be accepted without deeper introspection, such as discussing the underlying fatphobia. Ironically, her aunt’s explanation, meant to clarify, introduces confusion without solid support for Valerie’s feelings.
With numerous potential conflicts and intricacies, a meticulous touch on resolution and characterization could elevate the story’s depth. Aligning with the synopsis’ promises, readers hope for a more satisfying exploration of these complex themes.
Character journeys, including Valerie’s, seem disjointed, possibly due to the book’s attempt to delve into an array of themes within limited pages. This ambitious approach risks a lack of precision and sensitivity to the intricate issues presented.
Nevertheless, the visual art captivates with its elegant yet understated color palette. The cover’s beautiful and distinctive illustrations not only visually allure but also create positive anticipation for the unfolding narrative.
A commendable aspect surfaces as Valerie bravely opts for professional help. This positive stride adds a layer of depth to the narrative, emphasizing the importance of seeking assistance when needed.
In summary, Hungry Ghost offers a captivating glimpse into the complex realms of friendship, love, and family. However, its execution feels hurried, missing opportunities to fully realize its potential. A more nuanced exploration of conflicts, resolutions, and characterizations could transform the reading experience into a more satisfying and profound journey.
By delving further into characters’ emotional nuances and affording more narrative space, the book possesses the potential to forge a stronger connection with readers. A balanced exploration of the raised themes could deliver a more resonant and contemplative impact.
Derived from Buddhism and Chinese religious traditions, the term “Hungry Ghost” vividly depicts entities stirred by intense emotional needs in an animalistic way. According to my findings on the internet, its Chinese translation, 餓鬼 (èguǐ), meaning hungry ghost, adds a layer of depth to this exploration, stemming from the Sanskrit term preta in Buddhism.
The synopsis promises a tantalizing glimpse into the realms of eating disorders, family dynamics, and the pursuit of self-love. Regrettably, my reading journey encountered deviations from these expectations.
The toxicity extends to Valerie’s relationship with her mother, revolving around societal notions of beauty and weight. Although Valerie acknowledges the toxicity, the lack of outright rejection leaves a lingering sense that these issues must be accepted without deeper introspection, such as discussing the underlying fatphobia. Ironically, her aunt’s explanation, meant to clarify, introduces confusion without solid support for Valerie’s feelings.
With numerous potential conflicts and intricacies, a meticulous touch on resolution and characterization could elevate the story’s depth. Aligning with the synopsis’ promises, readers hope for a more satisfying exploration of these complex themes.
Character journeys, including Valerie’s, seem disjointed, possibly due to the book’s attempt to delve into an array of themes within limited pages. This ambitious approach risks a lack of precision and sensitivity to the intricate issues presented.
Nevertheless, the visual art captivates with its elegant yet understated color palette. The cover’s beautiful and distinctive illustrations not only visually allure but also create positive anticipation for the unfolding narrative.
In summary, Hungry Ghost offers a captivating glimpse into the complex realms of friendship, love, and family. However, its execution feels hurried, missing opportunities to fully realize its potential. A more nuanced exploration of conflicts, resolutions, and characterizations could transform the reading experience into a more satisfying and profound journey.
By delving further into characters’ emotional nuances and affording more narrative space, the book possesses the potential to forge a stronger connection with readers. A balanced exploration of the raised themes could deliver a more resonant and contemplative impact.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Vomit
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
happyreadingwatching's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
3.0
Hungry Ghost
Book by Victoria Ying
Book by Victoria Ying
First, I'm going to add the Trigger Warnings here before my review.
Eating disorder and grief are what the plot is about. So please take care before picking this one up.
PROS:
◇The Art
◇The friendships
◇Val (main character)
◇The Art
◇The friendships
◇Val (main character)
CONS:
◇Wish that the character(s) got professional help. With things as big as the death of a loved one and an eating disorder (for most of one's life), professional assistance is much needed. Even if it was just for a very short time. I do understand that isn't the case for all in real life, but it could have been helpful for readers who might be going through something similar.
◇Wish that the character(s) got professional help. With things as big as the death of a loved one and an eating disorder (for most of one's life), professional assistance is much needed. Even if it was just for a very short time. I do understand that isn't the case for all in real life, but it could have been helpful for readers who might be going through something similar.
Overall, I'm glad I picked it up from my public library.
Reread? No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, and Vomit
summyrenea's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a beautiful graphic novel about complicated relationships with food and mothers with daughters. I can’t wait to add it to my library.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Vomit, and Death of parent
dazzle_spider_reader_1212's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
themoonkestrel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Vomit
yvanngo's review against another edition
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Imagine being constantly reminded to watch what you eat so you don’t gain weight? Now imagine having to deal with that since childhood that you then eventually develop an eating disorder.
Valerie Chu is quiet, smart and thin. No one knows she makes herself throw up to keep herself thin. Her mom has had this mentality where your weight affects your ability to be happy. It doesn’t. However, it doesn’t help the fact that society once thought that way.
Being a mom, it was a little difficult to see the possibility I could be doing the same thing to my kids. Yes, I want them to be healthy and develop healthy eating habits, but I hope I don’t end up pushing them too far.
The thing I did enjoy about this story is Valerie’s awareness that she need help. She was not ashamed to admit it, and was not ashamed to seek it. Please be advised though of the trigger warnings for this graphic novel: death, eating disorder and fat shaming.
Now, I leave you with my favourite quotes from the book:
Remember, don’t eat, just taste.
Jordan doesn’t understand. Being beautiful takes… work. It takes pain… and sacrifice.
I’ve lived like a prisoner to my body.
I thought you had to be thin to be happy, to be loved.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
Dead animal, stereotypes,sentunderscore's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
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