Hunger (Horsemen of the Apocalypse #1) – Jackie Morse Kessler

Release date: October 18th, 2010

Synopsis:

“Come on, Lisabeth,” Death said, not unkindly. “It’s time to do your job.”

The words didn’t make any sense. “My job?” Lisa said as Death helped her to her feet. She was a seventeen-year-old high school junior in the suburbs; she didn’t have a job.

“Thou art Famine, yo,” Death said. “Time to make with the starvation.”

Lisabeth Lewis is no stranger to starvation. Her life revolves around counting calories, constant exercise, denying herself even the strongest cravings. Lisa is in a constant battle with hunger for control over her body. When, in a moment of desperation, she almost gives up that control completely, she is visited by a wisecracking messenger who turns out to be Death. He offers Lisa a rare opportunity: to become one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse—Famine. As Famine, Lisa travels the world on her black steed, visiting parts of the world where hunger is a painful part of everyday life. She’s horrified to see her own power destroy crops and turn food to dust. But when she finds a way to harness her power as Famine and use it for nourishment rather than deprivation, Lisa finally gains the courage to face her own problem.

A wildly original approach to the issue of eating disorders, HUNGER is about the struggle to find balance in a world of extremes, and uses fantastic tropes to explore a difficult topic that touches the lives of many teens.

My Review:

Perhaps it is because it’s Ramadan and I am fasting that I feel so intimately acquainted with Hunger. Where the feeling expands and consumes you to the point that your thoughts do not (dare I say cannot?) move beyond satiating its demands. Hunger is when food takes on a mantle usually assumed by Gods and deities and demands worship, demands an admission of its importance. Yes, as you can see, I have pondered upon this feeling quite a lot in the daily 16 hours I am without food and as such at the mercy of Hunger.

Lisabeth has contrary feelings for food. A part of her is fascinated by it; fascinated by the textures, the feel, the taste of it as it dissolves in her mouth. And the other part, the more dominant part of her that comes complete with a Thin Voice is afraid of it. Afraid of what it means to her body should she consume even the slightest amount. That part of her knows exactly how many calories each type of food contains in how many portions. It knows how long she will have to exercise to rid her body of any food she consumes. And that part of her also insists that she is fat. And ugly. She pushes away her boyfriend and best friend when they are concerned about her weight and finds solace in another girl who is held in the unyielding grip of Bulimia.

Kessler writes a compelling story about a girl going through the all too common eating disorder. She manages to portray Lisa as a victim without resorting to melodrama and cliches. Her prose is skillful and her descriptions are beautifully rendered. While the fantasy element is an important part of the book, it felt to me that Kessler used the mythology as a vehicle to let Lisabeth confront her eating disorder and her relationship with food. And hunger. Whether it is ironic or fitting that Famine is Lisa, the fact that she is lets the reader marry her eating disorder and the fantasy elements so that the conclusion, when it is reached, is the result of both realistic and fantastic happenings. I found the book to be beautifully written, sensitive about eating disorders but retaining the realism of it. Kessler does not, in any way, romanticize the disorder. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read.

This is a repost of a review I posted two months ago but since the book just came out, I thought I’d refresh your minds about it so you can catch it in book form. It’s a wonderful read, guys. Don’t miss it.