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nickwwelch's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
emelynreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my first read graphic novel and I loved the art style and color palette.
The story is sad, and one that resonates growing up in an Asian household. It feels weird that the event in the middle of the story is not dealt with or really addressed.
Overall I enjoyed it, and it made me tear up.
The story is sad, and one that resonates growing up in an Asian household. It feels weird that the event in the middle of the story is not dealt with or really addressed.
Overall I enjoyed it, and it made me tear up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
ida's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
koreanlinda's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was such a fortunate find in the library. Victoria Ying tells her own story of an eating disorder through a teenage protagonist Val. She is a Vietnamese American with a mother who micromanages her daughter's eating. I have a mother who obsesses over other's judgment of appearance and eating, so I related to Val's struggle. It took me a long time to love my body, stop dieting, and focus on more important parts of my life.
I hope this book and similar stories are read widely among young people. I think the pressure to look good on social media is ever so high. It takes a lot of self-care and community support to fight off that pressure.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in March 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
I hope this book and similar stories are read widely among young people. I think the pressure to look good on social media is ever so high. It takes a lot of self-care and community support to fight off that pressure.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in March 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
kaywhiteley's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Beautiful art and something I wish I had when I was younger. I wish some scenes were longer though and I wish there was a stronger message about how the mom/daughter relationship was toxic and inexcusable. I understand that the mom is just passing on what her mom taught her, but that’s not an excuse and I wish an adult had told Val that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Fatphobia
taylorthebookwitch's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
1.75
Listen okay i really wanted to like this one. The art was lovely but the message was frankly terrible. Im sick of books about abusive parents who “did the best they could.” Hard pass from me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
Representation: Asian characters
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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 disorderrafacolog's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
anxious_librarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I just realized I never reviewed this! Which is a shame because I really liked it.
HUNGRY GHOST covers a lot of difficult topics like grief and fatphobia, with the primary focus being eating disorders. Since she was little, Valerie's mother has been obsessed with her daughter's weight. "Taste but don't swallow," was a common refrain. This focus on skinniness and hatred of overweight persons shaped Valerie growing up, leading her to develop an eating disorder. It even affects her friendships and perception of what the world wants from her.
This is one of those books that made me want to jump inside and comfort her. She just needed one person telling her it would be okay.
The color palate and art direction were beautiful. I loved the style and the illustrations, the artist did an amazing job.
Perhaps the only thing I didn't like here was how things resolved with the mother at the end.I realize this may be personal preference, or a cultural divide, but I cannot stand the resolution with the mother. The excuse of "she just doesn't understand" and "it's a generational thing" for her mother's behavior had me wanting to throw the book.
The lack of accountability! She is the sole reason behind her daughter's body image issues and eating disorder, but not only does she not acknowledge her part in it, her answer when Valerie reveals she throws up is "well just stop doing it." My relationship with my mother is like that and it makes me want to scream.
And the way Valerie just sort of accepts her mom still doing it at the end with a smile on her face left me feeling weird. I'll say again, there is probably a good reason for this either in terms of the story or their culture but I've dealt with so much abuse and mental health struggles in my own life that I couldn't stand this particular part.
Despite my disagreeing with that particulate aspect, HUNGRY GHOST is still a five star read for me. This graphic novel accomplished so much in a beautiful format that I couldn't help but love it.
HUNGRY GHOST covers a lot of difficult topics like grief and fatphobia, with the primary focus being eating disorders. Since she was little, Valerie's mother has been obsessed with her daughter's weight. "Taste but don't swallow," was a common refrain. This focus on skinniness and hatred of overweight persons shaped Valerie growing up, leading her to develop an eating disorder. It even affects her friendships and perception of what the world wants from her.
This is one of those books that made me want to jump inside and comfort her. She just needed one person telling her it would be okay.
The color palate and art direction were beautiful. I loved the style and the illustrations, the artist did an amazing job.
Perhaps the only thing I didn't like here was how things resolved with the mother at the end.
The lack of accountability! She is the sole reason behind her daughter's body image issues and eating disorder, but not only does she not acknowledge her part in it, her answer when Valerie reveals she throws up is "well just stop doing it." My relationship with my mother is like that and it makes me want to scream.
And the way Valerie just sort of accepts her mom still doing it at the end with a smile on her face left me feeling weird. I'll say again, there is probably a good reason for this either in terms of the story or their culture but I've dealt with so much abuse and mental health struggles in my own life that I couldn't stand this particular part.
Despite my disagreeing with that particulate aspect, HUNGRY GHOST is still a five star read for me. This graphic novel accomplished so much in a beautiful format that I couldn't help but love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
clavishorti's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying takes us on Valerie Chu’s journey, a young woman navigating the twists and turns of adolescence. Amidst the usual teenage tapestry of love, friendship, and family complexities, Valerie bravely addresses the sensitive issue of eating disorders (ED).
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 book’s weaknesses cast a shadow on the reading experience, with unresolved toxic elements taking center stage. Valerie’s fatphobic stance introduces a conflict left hanging, even after a seemingly concluded argument with a friend, lacking the necessary discourse on the underlying fatphobia.
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.
A commendable aspect surfaces as Valerie bravely opts for professional help. This positive stride adds a layer of depth to the narrative, emphasizing the importance of seeking assistance when needed.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Vomit
Moderate: Death and Death of parent