Galley Review: HUNGER

Author: Jackie Morse Kessler

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published Date: October 2010

Review Copy: Thanks to NetGalley
Rating: 5/5

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Where do I begin with this novel? This book deals with an intense topic - eating disorders. In a world in which girls are told that in order to be beautiful they must look a certain way, the book explores the inner turmoil of a girl who is striving for unrealistic and false beauty. Lisa is anorexic. She doesn't want to believe it and she believes that her "best friend" Tammy who is bulimic is the only one in the world who understands her. Whenever someone mentions her health, she brushes them off or feels betrayed. The story is completely heart wrenching. I felt every battle I've ever experienced with my self and my image raise to the surface. 

The story takes such a serious topic and adds in the the notion of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Death, War, Pestilence and Famine. Lisa is Famine in story. Lisa becomes the Black Rider and it is her responsibility to bring Famine into the world along with her fellow horsemen. How will Lisa, a girl who struggles with food and her own self worth, take the reigns of Famine and how will she use this new 'power.'

This is the first time in which I've read anything containing the idea of the 4 Horsemen and it was utterly enthralling. This novel touches upon a lot of world realities that I think too many people shield themselves from. When you think about it, the 4 horsemen exist. We see Death, War, Pestilence and Famine everyday of our lives and just like eating disorders, not everybody takes these issues as being serious topics of interest.  And then on a lighter note, Death looks like Kurt Cobain (and he's funny), Pestilence is a philanthropists and War is just, well War. Lisa needs to find the strength to both battle her own inner demons and learn how to be Famine. 

When I first began reading this book I wasn't sure in my ability to continue reading it. It was raw and all too real. At times, I found myself cringing but not because I wasn't finding myself engrossed with the story, I was. I felt my heart go out to all of those girl and boys who feel they aren't worth anything, it went out to all of the places that take food for granted, and all of the places which suffer from plagues of famine, pestilence, war and death. I wanted to reach into the pages and tell Lisa that everything was going to be okay. People are there who love her and only want to see her healthy. All too often there are forces who make us all feel unworthy of any love and self worth. 

This story will touch a lot of lives and show a lot of people that they are not worthless. They will also find it engaging, gripping, captivating and inspiring. There is a lot of reality in Hunger, but it is a reality so well written that you lose yourself to the story completely. 

The next YA book by Jackie Morse Kessler is RAGE, which is due in 2011.

*A portion of proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the National Eating Disorders Association.

-Ashley