Publisher: Harcourt Graphia (2010)
Format: Paperback | 180 pages
Format: Paperback | 180 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Description: "“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”"Hunger" is not a particularly impressive book in terms of story and character development. In fact it is little more than a short story and the fact that Lisa, the protagonist, is "drafted" to become Famine is only explored as part of her inner journey to understand herself and her problem. So, even if there are some supernatural elements, this book focuses mostly on a teen that has a very bad problem to solve.
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?"
But this book does touch a very important subject that affects a lot of people, especially teenagers: Anorexia. The way it presents the problem seems frighteningly real, and I really liked how the author used the fact that Lisa had become "Famine" to make her understand some things about herself. And how her problem still controls her, even after all she's seen as a Horseman (if she were "cured" it wouldn't be as realistic, I reckon).
Although small, this book is not an easy read (mostly due to the content itself... it's not light reading). Still I think it should be read because it actually helps people understand a little more how patients with Anorexia think and feel.
Comentários