Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Release Date: Oct 18th 2010 by Harcourt Graphia
Details: 180 pages, paperback
Series: Book #1 in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Source: Netgalley & Bought (Thank you Netgalley)!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary (goodreads):

“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?

Amazon || Goodreads

o0.| My Thoughts |.0o

Hunger is a fast paced read from the first page to the last. There isn't much of an introduction into anything, it starts with Lisa agreeing to be Famine assuming it was a dream. It took me awhile to understand the scales. I thought she meant like, armor scales. I didn't realize it was the scale, like on the cover. Makes so much more sense now why Death was constantly saying balance. I know, I'm slow right? 

Here's my thing with people who are obsessed with being skinny. I'm 5'2 and I'm 90-95 pounds. My weight increases and decreases rapidly. I've hit 100 pounds a few times, but for no more than a week. I have friends who are gorgeous and obsessed with losing weight even though they're already thin, even though they have amazing bodies. And it makes me mad when they touch my arm and tell me they wish they could be skinny like me. Because I would give anything to be like them. Being skinny isn't glamorous. It doesn't solve all your problems, but they don't know that. And it isn't healthy. My back is the width of my tiny hand and every time I touch it, it depresses me. No matter how much I eat or what I do, I'll never be a healthy weight. I'll never be healthy. I'm sick all the time, I get back aches, I worry that someone can snap my arm in half. And I wish that the people who obsess over being skinny would realize that.

In the beginning Lisa irritated me. I get that people think and feel the way she does but it irritated me that she wouldn't step back and listen to what everyone in her life was saying. That she thought everyone was against her when really they were really really worried about her. 

I loved watching Lisa grow though the whole process of her figuring out who she wanted to be. I enjoyed watching her find her strength, standing up to not only War but to the voice in her head too. And I loved that she figured out in the end, who she wanted to be. 

Of all the characters, I liked reading Death the most. That Death, what a sense of humor! I hated reading about War, everything about her just... ugh!

I enjoyed Hunger and I look forward to reading Rage. Which by the way, proceeds go to my favorite organization To Write Love On Her Arms. Proceeds for Hunger go to National Eating Disorders Association.

Before I go, I just want to say to the author, Jackie... you are a such a strong person and you're amazing. Thank you for writing this and sharing this story with us all.

*Amazon link provided will direct you to my associates link. Proceeds will help fund future giveaways for this blog.