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cafe_con_cass 's review for:
The Art of Starving
by Sam J. Miller
”In the hospital, and at the rehab center, I used to imagine Better was a place you could get to. A moment when I would look around and see that Everything Was Fine. But that’s not how this works. Being better isn’t a battle you fight and win. Feeling okay is a war one that lasts your whole life, and the only way to win is to keep on fighting.”
Actual rating: 2.5
This entire review is confusing to write. I enjoyed this book; in a sick way at points, and at others, the way you enjoy a good story. While it was interesting, I’m still not sure how I feel about it as a whole. Because, holy crap, this book was weird.
Every book is written to be special and unique, I know. But this book was Different.
Matt, our lovely spitfire MC, is convinced that by starving himself, he’s enabling his body to manifest and sustain superpowers. While this sounds like it’s going to be some sort of teenage thriller, it’s not. Matt’s mentality is more that of a misguided religious follower.
There are points in this book that you feel you’re going to be emotionally scarred by the way Matt views himself, (because while the blurb may confuse you on this point,) the book and characters acknowledge that superpowers or not, Matt has an eating disorder and it’s heartbreaking to watch him stumble through his battle with himself. Especially since he doesn’t understand that what he’s going through is an illness, and not some sort of monk chi crap.
The writing is solid, and the story (while confusing and downright strange at times), is engaging. The characters feel real and are free of the shiny romanticization YA is known for; especially Matt, Tariq, and Matt’s mom (I loved getting to read all three).
If this title peaks your interest, I would give it a shot. This book handles a gay teenage boy with an eating disorder, and while I’m none of those things, it’s important to have more stories like this that provide a more diverse view of eating disorders than ‘teenage-girl-who-hates-herself.’ (Those stories are important as well; it’s just nice to read something different.)
Overall, a worthwhile read, but get ready to ask yourself ‘what the literal heck’ quite a few times. :)
Actual rating: 2.5
This entire review is confusing to write. I enjoyed this book; in a sick way at points, and at others, the way you enjoy a good story. While it was interesting, I’m still not sure how I feel about it as a whole. Because, holy crap, this book was weird.
Every book is written to be special and unique, I know. But this book was Different.
Matt, our lovely spitfire MC, is convinced that by starving himself, he’s enabling his body to manifest and sustain superpowers. While this sounds like it’s going to be some sort of teenage thriller, it’s not. Matt’s mentality is more that of a misguided religious follower.
There are points in this book that you feel you’re going to be emotionally scarred by the way Matt views himself, (because while the blurb may confuse you on this point,) the book and characters acknowledge that superpowers or not, Matt has an eating disorder and it’s heartbreaking to watch him stumble through his battle with himself. Especially since he doesn’t understand that what he’s going through is an illness, and not some sort of monk chi crap.
The writing is solid, and the story (while confusing and downright strange at times), is engaging. The characters feel real and are free of the shiny romanticization YA is known for; especially Matt, Tariq, and Matt’s mom (I loved getting to read all three).
If this title peaks your interest, I would give it a shot. This book handles a gay teenage boy with an eating disorder, and while I’m none of those things, it’s important to have more stories like this that provide a more diverse view of eating disorders than ‘teenage-girl-who-hates-herself.’ (Those stories are important as well; it’s just nice to read something different.)
Overall, a worthwhile read, but get ready to ask yourself ‘what the literal heck’ quite a few times. :)