June is fat. And she's not eating. But all everyone sees is a fat girl on a diet. Not someone who is starving herself.

<blockquote><i>"The purging place,"
I call it.

Where I bury my shame.</i></blockquote>

This book has a lot of potential. It brings out to the light controversial topics of today's age: eating disorder. Fat-shaming. Self-deprecation. Blackmailing. Bullying. Manipulation. Emotional abuse. Weak parentage.
This is not an easy read. But <i>it is</i> an important one.

This book very much reminded me of [author:Elizabeth Acevedo|15253645]'s book [book:The Poet X|33294200]. They are both dealing with heavy topics and both are written lyrically. Personally, I find these two themes working very well together. They are able to describe something very complicated in very few words. The writing style also leaves quite some place for the reader's own imagination. The sentence structure works, at least for me, the way that it makes me think about what's <i>not</i> written there.

<blockquote><i>"Now I throw up,
eating in reverse,
closing my eyes
so I don't have to see.
The ground is not like the toilet,
whisking all away with a brisk flush.
It just takes it into itself.
Isn't that what dirt is anyway?
The guts of the earth."</i></blockquote>

The main character and our narrator is June. She's a high school student, and with her best friend Lacey, they're both "the unpopular ones". Lacey's obsessed with finding out everyone's secret. But she is completely blind to her best friend's biggest one. Never she questions if her friend's <i>"I'm not hungry."</i> couldn't mean something else that a diet.
June's sister Mae is (according to her) beautiful. Fat but beautiful. Mae dates this neckless jerk, Erik, that treats her like garbage. Then there's Toby, the boy next-door that learns her secret one night when she let her guard down. They become friends but he is careful not to acknowledge her at school where anyone might find out they know each other.
And, at last, June and Mae's mother, that made her daughter a soup after learning about her eating problem <b>but</b> fished out all the noodles because <i>"We don't want all your hard work to be wasted."</i>

<blockquote><i>"It'll be okay,
she says.
This is Mae's favorite lie.
Like most lies,
it's the thing
we most wish
was true."</i></blockquote>

Honestly, while reading this book I had literally zero expectations about the ending. For the first time in forever, I went in completely open-minded. Frankly, with such a short story like this, I didn't even know how I wanted it to end. But surprisingly, I was very satisfied with the way the author decided to wrap up this story.



MILD SPOILERS BELOW



<blockquote><i>"I sit alone
trying to process
everything
that went
down.

Trying to
decide
where I
fit
and what
I should
do next.

Eat,
I realize.
I should
eat."</i></blockquote>

This is a story of <u>acceptance</u> and the road toward it. It's a bumpy one but it's worth it. I recommend this book to everyone. You may not like it, but you'll definitely learn something.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll be upfront and say I wasn’t a massive fan of this book.
This book was told in verse which I’m not a massive fan of.
I felt the book focused way too much on the body aspects of eating disorders and overall I felt because it was such a sensitive topic that it wasn’t told well at all and I wouldn’t recommend this book to any young reader.

1 Star.

Not Hungry – Kate Karyus Quinn

Soooo, I don’t usually tend to read much poetry, but requested this one purely from its summary in NetGalley – basically, a fat girl starving herself to lose weight but other people not realizing and just thinking she’s on a diet.

I’ve been that person, I’ve been the person who skips meals so that I can lose weight. I’m the person who doesn’t like eating in front of other people because in my head they’re thinking “look at the fat girl eating”. I’ve been the person at a size UK 12/14, I feel like I’m massively overweight and everyone must be laughing at me. I’ve been the girl that even though I know some of those thoughts are irrational, I have no control over them. So I completely understood June. June rarely eats, and on the occasions where she binges, she vomits after to purge herself. Admittedly, I was expecting this to be a novel when I first began reading it only to find it was poetry. Did that impact on the overall effectiveness? No. Would I read it again? No. Did I completely enjoy it? Kind of.

I probably would have enjoyed it more if it was a novel, but I do feel like the line breaks helped move the poem along and was used to create impact. It paused in just the right places and created silences for dramatic purposes. It touched on so many subjects, eating disorders, abusive relationships, first loves, you can kind of see how it’s suited to its young adult audience. In today’s society, unfortunately, these are things that our youths do go through. We are made to feel we can’t be anything but slim, we can’t look anything but perfect, no one will love us if we’re not perfect. It’s not until you get a little bit older that you start to understand that that really isn’t the case. I’m 29 now, am I comfortable in my own skin? Absolutely not. Do I love myself? No. But do I know I’m worth more than I thought I did as a teenager? Yes. This would probably be a useful read for a secondary school, it touches base on those subjects that are relevant to children of that age and therefore might be a great mental tool for the vulnerable ones that may need it.

I didn't connect with this writing style, therefore, I did not finish it. I read about 60% of the book and did not feel attached to it at all. TW: EATING DISORDERS

I loved this story! I haven't read any books in verse about this topic, and I think the author did a great job.

*Thanks to NetGalley for sending me this in exchange for an honest review!*

So, recently I've gotten into books told in verse and was ready to read this!

Not Hungry is about an overweight girl named June and her struggle with high school, her complicated feelings for the new boy next door, her sister Mae's boyfriend, and her eating disorder.

Things that I thought were pretty good were how realistic it was as to how not many people notice where someone is struggling with an eating disorder. I personally have been that person to not notice for a while, sadly. I also loved to hate Mae's boyfriend Er-ICK. I did think that was a funny touch. I also really loved her decision at the end of the book. I also really loved the discussion about how you could be fat and beautiful. It's true and lovely.

I really enjoyed how easy it was to read, but it was lacking something. Maybe more details or it just needed to be longer. I just didn't get emotionally attached to the characters as I know I could have been.

Overall, I give 2.5 stars because it was a nice read and tackled important subjects, but it just didn't capture me.

Wow! This book was amazing! I loved the poetry format of it. It made it seem more real like it was actually written by the teen. I really enjoyed it and made it go by so fast. I read it all during my lunch break. This book might be considered a trigger warning. It reminded me a lot about my eating issues in high school. I didn't love the honest truth about how the mother praised her daughter for passing out because she didn't eat...It made me sad!

A wonderful read and really raw.

Kate Karyus Quinn has written some weird books. I feel like she is always trying to push the boundaries with what she writes and I love that about her. I was a little hesitant picking this up, I felt that writing a book about an eating disorder entirely in verse was very much a risk. This could have gone terribly wrong. But I always appreciate Quinn's unique take on things so I wanted to give it a try and keep an open mind. Plus, it's super short so if it was a total disaster, not much time wasted.

I expected this to be more of a poetry book when I read that it was written in verse, but it's actually just more like a creatively styled short story. It likely would have worked just as well if it was written in paragraphs. But I appreciated the unique take. It did sort of allow you to flip through the pages quicker, though it also limited how deep of a dive it could take into some pretty heavy subject matter. It almost made it light, which in a way made it easier to absorb, but also didn't offer full substance for anyone who needed more. As always, for me, the shortness left me unsatisfied. I always want more. Fitting, given this is a book about an eating disorder and starving oneself; I needed more, I wasn't full.

But I did like what it gave me. I felt it accurately portrayed some of the teen girl feels, that loneliness, the wanting to fit in, the not feeling pretty or thin enough. It was a little heartbreaking and sad, witnessing June ache and long. Binge and purge. I was rooting for her, and enjoyed watching her find her footing, even if only briefly.

Things seemed to right themselves almost too quickly, too easily, in the end, but it was a good wrap up to a short, heartfelt story with a strong message that I can really get behind. This may not be much, but every bit is quality and well worth the quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

June has a big secret. It's only two words, but it's a secret that affects her entire life. She's not hungry.

I think this book is a good start to something, but I feel like it never really got there. It's like a snapshot...you get the jist of what is happening, but not the whole story.. I wanted more. There were hints as to why June was starving herself, but no real explanation. The format was also strange to me, and I'm unsure how I felt about it. I just wanted more.

I liked that it was written in verse although that can sometimes lead to a certain detachment, which I felt for the characters.
I wish the book was longer and I missed a bit more of June's back story.

Thanks to @west44books and @netgalley for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this novel in verse, which is out on 8/1. June struggles with her body image, and she tells the same lie over and over again - “I’m not hungry.” As she watches her sister’s dysfunctional relationship with her jock boyfriend, a new guy moves next door. By night, he and June are friends. By day, he ignores her. Things come to a head when June can’t hide her secret anymore, but what she discovers when it is revealed is not what she expected. This is advertised as hi-lo and has older characters, but I plan to add it to my collection. I will be recommending it to my eighth graders this fall. #yalit #middleschoollibrarian #librarian #librariansofinstagram #novelsinverse

*thank you to Netgalley, West 44 Books and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.

This wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. I had expected it to be a poetry book but I don't think it was. It was more of a loose writing style of a short story. But I didn't mind. The story was good. I think though it might have been maybe a bit better as a short story, maybe diary entries but that's not to say this style was bad. I did find it a bit distracting at times though even though it was fun to read it the way it's been formatted.

It's about a girl, June and her Sister Mae. June has an Eating Disorder and that's what the main focus is of this book. Mae is the girls who's boyfriend is a total jerk. I didn't like either of the two main male characters or But I did like June and Mae and I was proud of both girls in the end. 

I'm still 50/50 on this book though. It just feels like something is missing. I don't think I would recommend this but I also wouldn't say to you not to.

Good things about this book:
-fat girl representation
-overall concept of fat and beautiful, and that they are not mutually exclusive
-discussion about eating disorders and bullying

Things I didn't like about this book:
-it's very short, it's written in verse and told very quickly there is no attachment that you'll feel towards any of the characters whether or not you see yourself in them. The story is told so quickly but there's no time to get emotionally invested.
-there's no resolution or connection made between eating disorders and bullying. While I appreciated that they talked about the idea that fat people can and do have eating disorders, a solution of dancing and promising to get help is not okay. If you're going to tackle such a large issue you need to explain to young readers how to deal with it. Put some resources in there, talk about getting help and emotional support.
-the level of bullying at the end of this book was very unrealistic to me. While I actually detested Erick as a character, and bullying is alive and real and just as horrifying as it's always been, the fact that any of what happened would actually happened at a school function is unrealistic.

Overall I appreciate where the author was going with this, but as a fat girl who has had an eating disorder, this book needed some sensitivity readers and a little bit more research. Let's continue to talk about positive fat girl representation and the connection between eating disorders and bullying, but we need to make sure that books accurately describe and supply the resources for recovery and help. That is especially true for books directed at young readers.

character was childish writing was basic topic was powerful and awesome, kinda split on this one but def glad it was a thing written

Not Hungry seemed rushed and not well researched. The author failed to portray the mental illness and progression of the eating disorder in depth.

I’m a huge fan of books written in verse, I normally find them beautifully and lyrically written. This was no exception, my only wish was that it was a bit longer. I found myself completely immersed in the plot, because it was written so realistically. I felt like I knew June inside and out, which I feel was the whole point of the story. It was nice to hear how June felt and I can see how realistic the whole story seemed. I do feel like the book ended tied in a bow and presented very neatly. This may be the only thing I wouldn’t mind have been done differently.

I really enjoyed June and Mae as characters, the seemed so real and it was nice to see things from their perspective. Their mom was a whole other story, she made me want to pull my hair out at points. She was just awful and made me so angry the way she would glorify June’s eating disorder symptoms. Then we have Toby… I’ll let you get your own take on this awful person!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this beautifully written novel told in verse. I feel like it brought up many tough issues, eating disorders, body and fat shaming, and dealing with unsupportive parents. I wouldn’t mind another book that goes on to show June’s recovery or what happens after this one ends.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
💚
There are 3 lies and 2 truths in June's life
Lie 1 - I'm Not Hungry
Lie 2 - I'm Fine
Lie 3 - It'll Be Okay
Truth 1 - Everyone Has Secrets
Truth 2 - June Has An Eating Disorder
💚
Not Hungry is a shorter book than I was expecting, and has been written in verse, most likely to show just how sporadic June's thoughts are, and it is a nice change for me. We follow June in what feels like a short period of time, and learn of her Bulimia and how she and her sister Mae are bullied and suffer "fat shaming"
💚
My Positives:
1. I like the fact that it was an easy read, it was also very quick, and the books layout was also a nice change for me
2. Love the fact that the sisters finally stuck up for each other and stayed at the dance feeling empowered together
3. I'm glad that Mae did not stay with Erick just because it was nice to call him her boyfriend, it was nice to see her have some self pride.
💚
My Negatives:
1. Felt slightly underwhelmed after reading the book, I was expecting a bigger story and more of an in depth exploration of eating disorders after reading the sypnosis
2. Felt the character building was quite minimal, however I did hate Erick (empathise on the ICK) within moments of the book after seeing his behaviour.
3. The ending annoyed me, there could of been more of an explanation on where June seeked help, rather than them being at a dance saying she'd speak to the guidance counsellor Monday.
1.5 🌟

*I was given a copy of this via Net Galley for my honest review.*

I didn't love this. I also didn't hate it but it hit me in a very real place within my own life. The main character, June, handles her eating disorder a bit differently than I do, I have been recovering for more than half of my life, but I can relate to the way she internalizes how she views herself and her relationship to food.

One thing I wish were more prominent in the book is the relationship with the people around her, which we go more of a glimpse of towards the end, when everything came to light for the people who support her most. When she comes into her own, that is where she begins to blossom into who she really is, regardless of whose watching.

I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but it worked for this sort of broken thought process.

Overall, I liked it and I was able to relate in a very personal way.

Though this book is advertised as a hi-lo reader, I was disappointed that the book did not delve very deeply into either plot or character. The main character's eating disorder was almost glossed over. I feel that sometimes, it's difficult for authors to do verse storytelling well; this didn't feel like the verse format did anything for the story other than make it a "quick" read. Just because it's a hi-lo (High interest, low reading level) doesn't mean the author should skimp on depth of character and story. It also felt unresolved. Other authors also address eating disorders, but take readers through the real stress and struggle of recovery, not just of admitting there's a problem. I would not recommend this book for my students, not even for my low-level readers.

Writing about teenage girls and eating disorders can be difficult to do without falling into the pitfalls of stereotypes. Thankfully, Not Hungry is able to navigate these waters beautifully!