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haleymonkey5000's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
lawbooks600's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
- 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
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.
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Vomit
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
happyreadingwatching's review against another edition
- 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
Book by Victoria Ying
◇The Art
◇The friendships
◇Val (main character)
◇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.
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, and Vomit
summyrenea's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Vomit, and Death of parent
dazzle_spider_reader_1212's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
themoonkestrel's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Vomit
yvanngo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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.
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent