Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by heykimber
She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
5.0
TW: eating disorders, SA (rape more specifically) and cannibalism.
Eliza Clark is brilliant and I wish I could find more authors similar to her who make thought provoking, grotesque and hilarious reads.
• Build A Body Like Mine. As someone who’s struggling with disordered eating since I were twelve, how she spoke so lovingly towards the tape worm felt too close to home. I haven’t purged or restricted in years but the thoughts are there and they’re tempting when I’m having a ✨day✨ to put it lightly. I remember telling a therapist my bulimia was like my best frenemy. This story made me feel a lot less alone and even more grateful for where I am now in regard to recovery.
• The Problem Solver. The thing with being assaulted, sexually or otherwise - someone will look at the victim as the villain. We have Juliet, who has been raped. Her friend wants to help, calls the rapist out and physically attacks him. After this very public fight which adds more trauma to Juliet’s plate she receives two messages from people who she knows who saw the fight happen. One message is derogatory, shaming her like all of this has happened by her choice. The other message apologizing for what happened to her. It’s a huge problem that no one talks about when it comes to victims of SA, domestic violence and so on. It was so refreshing to see how people will still attack the victim because they either refuse to believe the victim, are “great friends” with the rapist, etc etc. this added trauma ages you. Beyond years. It leaves you up at night wondering if they were right. Was it my fault? Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe I did deserve this. But the answer is: you didn’t deserve this. And despite whatever people say you’re valid and it shouldn’t have happened to you. Despite how scary it is to speak up, it is so so important.
• The Shadow Over Little Chitaly. This was honestly the most chaotic thing I’ve read in a while, I absolutely loved it. Once she tracks down this ghost kitchen to find a weird Australian restaurant that doesn’t resemble Chitaly she leaves, horrified and confused, to find a box from none other than - Little Chitaly. Followed by a smiley face text. CHILLS. So freaky, but so so good.
Finally - my last favorite story from this book
• The King. I mostly love The King due to how the narrator expresses themselves in the audiobook version. She is unabashedly the peppiest, most gleeful cannibal - who is just killing time in a marketing office until the untimely collapse of society when she can take over and rule as her father intended. But first - she must sneak away and snack on Roy. Poor Roy. But he loves it? Good for him? I guess? Anywho - there’s another “apex predator” like her and she doesn’t understand why she can’t digest human food, like calls to like - they recognize something in one another and realize they are one in the same! However. A coup takes place. Think Catherine the Great. Shauna, the new apex predator, overthrows our OG cannibal queen and OG Queen escapes after many attempts on her life (she can’t die unless she’s eaten but she’s not telling Shauna that) and goes on to rule a new group of people to steal her porn collection back. Priorities
Eliza Clark is brilliant and I wish I could find more authors similar to her who make thought provoking, grotesque and hilarious reads.
• Build A Body Like Mine. As someone who’s struggling with disordered eating since I were twelve, how she spoke so lovingly towards the tape worm felt too close to home. I haven’t purged or restricted in years but the thoughts are there and they’re tempting when I’m having a ✨day✨ to put it lightly. I remember telling a therapist my bulimia was like my best frenemy. This story made me feel a lot less alone and even more grateful for where I am now in regard to recovery.
• The Problem Solver. The thing with being assaulted, sexually or otherwise - someone will look at the victim as the villain. We have Juliet, who has been raped. Her friend wants to help, calls the rapist out and physically attacks him. After this very public fight which adds more trauma to Juliet’s plate she receives two messages from people who she knows who saw the fight happen. One message is derogatory, shaming her like all of this has happened by her choice. The other message apologizing for what happened to her. It’s a huge problem that no one talks about when it comes to victims of SA, domestic violence and so on. It was so refreshing to see how people will still attack the victim because they either refuse to believe the victim, are “great friends” with the rapist, etc etc. this added trauma ages you. Beyond years. It leaves you up at night wondering if they were right. Was it my fault? Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe I did deserve this. But the answer is: you didn’t deserve this. And despite whatever people say you’re valid and it shouldn’t have happened to you. Despite how scary it is to speak up, it is so so important.
• The Shadow Over Little Chitaly. This was honestly the most chaotic thing I’ve read in a while, I absolutely loved it. Once she tracks down this ghost kitchen to find a weird Australian restaurant that doesn’t resemble Chitaly she leaves, horrified and confused, to find a box from none other than - Little Chitaly. Followed by a smiley face text. CHILLS. So freaky, but so so good.
Finally - my last favorite story from this book
• The King. I mostly love The King due to how the narrator expresses themselves in the audiobook version. She is unabashedly the peppiest, most gleeful cannibal - who is just killing time in a marketing office until the untimely collapse of society when she can take over and rule as her father intended. But first - she must sneak away and snack on Roy. Poor Roy. But he loves it? Good for him? I guess? Anywho - there’s another “apex predator” like her and she doesn’t understand why she can’t digest human food, like calls to like - they recognize something in one another and realize they are one in the same! However. A coup takes place. Think Catherine the Great. Shauna, the new apex predator, overthrows our OG cannibal queen and OG Queen escapes after many attempts on her life (she can’t die unless she’s eaten but she’s not telling Shauna that) and goes on to rule a new group of people to steal her porn collection back. Priorities