Maybe I'm just not ready to read books about eating disorders. Val's story felt very real, that's for sure. And I loved her best friend. But everything else made me frown or want to cry. The mom? Her character seemed to exist solely to hurt Val, no matter what the aunt said to try to defend her. The dad had a confusing purpose in the story and I think should have been left out completely.

I didn't enjoy this book, mainly because of the mom, but also because her healing journey was shown as being so simple. She realizes she has a problem and starts taking steps to get better, but that's right when the book cuts off. I think the story of this book should have been shifted around so there were fewer unnecessary side characters and more of a focus on her journey.

Valerie's mother has always made comments about her eating habits and it has become ingrained in her to be constantly aware of how many calories she consumes. This has led to her developing bulimia and hiding her dangerous habit from everyone she knows and loves. While she is on a school trip in Paris, a terrible event causes all of her relationships to crack and everything starts to split wide open.

The art is beautiful and the characters are complex and relatable. I loved how difficult situations in this book were handled.

While this is a quick read, it also handles some heavy topics that students can relate to - eating disorders, identity and self-confidence, etc. Well-written and engaging.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've been reading more and more graphic novels lately and have yet to have one miss. Hungry Ghost is a painfully honest and real story about body image, eating disorders, family, and the way words from loved ones work their way into us, especially from a young age. Val was (sadly) someone I feel most young girls and women can see themselves in as she constantly hears about her own image and is inundated with those seemingly perfect bodies we see online. Her relationship with Jordan and the ultimate takeaway and hopeful ending took away from some of the heaviness and left me glad such a book is coming to all ages of readers soon!

"Hungry Ghost" is a graphic novel about a teenager named Valerie Chu who is dealing with an eating disorder and a traumatic event that shakes up her and her whole family. It's a really raw emotional read, but I really love Valerie's friends and her own strength, when she finds it.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel!! Brought many tears, and hope in my heart. Having grown up with an eating disorder and still having poor thoughts, this is the kind of book I hope to get in my students hands. Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC! I will be getting this for my school library.

A young teens journey to self love thru discovering she can only be herself. As she strives to be the ‘good’ daughter each day, she realizes she is failing herself.

Hungry Ghost was a well-written graphic novel depicting the way an eating disorder can wreak havoc on your life, no matter how you try to hide it, and the small steps you can take to love yourself again.

I have never had the exact disorder Hungry Depicts, but my relationship with food and my mother are both unhealthy, and very intertwined, so I felt like this was relatable regardless. However, I also felt like other parts of this graphic novel were sort of background drama that didn’t quite fit with the point of the main plot.

This is a beautifully told story of a young girl trying to live up to her mother’s expectations of her. I appreciate that there are learning resources at the end of the book as well as ways to seek help. I would absolutely recommend this.

All Val can think about is her body, food, calories, and staying thin. Her mother reminds her at every opportunity to watch her weight and stay thin, and Val equates her ability to stay thin with being the good daughter her mother wants.
This coming of age story centered on bulimia is an important one. Sometimes, loved ones cause damage they don't understand, and helping yourself and surrounding yourself with understanding, supportive friends is the only way to save yourself.

As someone with an eating disorder, this graphic novel definitely hit close to home.
Hungry Ghost tells the story of a teenaged girl who’s about to go off to university, she struggles with eating as her mother is obsessed with her weight and diet culture and thus projects it onto her daughter.
The art in this was beautiful, and the story was equally as gorgeous. However, I didn’t like the ending as much as i wished i could.
To not go into too much spoilers, I’ll leave it at this.
There is no obligation to love and forgive someone who hurt you, no matter how hard they’re “trying” to love you. If their words are hurting you, and they refuse to try and fix their mindset and their actions, then they do not truly love you in the way that you deserve.
Don’t settle for anyone who treats you poorly, and that includes family.
4/5 stars.

I'd say this is important for teenage girls, but more important for the parents of teenage girls. Very sad but with a hopeful ending

A wonderful graphic novel about what it’s like for someone with a eating disorder. Val is constantly thinking about food but not in a good healthy way but worrying about calorie counting and purging. Val’s mom is always making comments about her weight and what she is eating. After her father dies in a plane accident, she starts thinking about her life.
This would be a great resource for looking at and explaining eating disorders. It doesn’t show any consequences of eating disorders but shows someone trying to get help. I recommend this book for night school students.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

Deep and beautiful, I found myself very moved by the story even though I don't often get too involved with graphic novels (but I want to and this was just the perfect example!). The art is just stunning.

This was such a poignant, heartbreaking portrayal of how much disordered eating and body image can effect people. The story follows teen Valerie Chu, who has been struggling with body image issues her whole life, stemming from her mother's pressures for her to stay thin and be "gwai" (good/obedient). Valerie tries to maintain the facade of perfection through her appearance and her studies, but inside she is filled with constant turmoil surrounding her body and food, to the point where Valerie turns to purging in order to control her food intake. After tragedy strikes in Valerie's family, she must come to terms with her body image struggles and decide which is more important: being thin, or being happy.

I thought that this was such an important, beautifully executed book. Victoria Ying does an amazing job in portraying disordered eating in her story without glorifying it to readers, and showing how much disordered eating can consume ones thoughts and life. I loved the friendship between Valerie and Jordan, and I thought that their reconciliation at the end was handled very well. The artstyle was beautiful, and I loved the color palette that Ying uses throughout the story. Overall, I loved this book and think that it's an important addition to any library collection.

A beautifully drawn and plotted graphic novel that managed to inter splice strong thematic elements and keep up great entertainment value.

The beginning of the story was bit to depressive.
I'm so glad that the main character finds her way out and stop struggling.

This was a beautiful graphic novel that tackled so many complex and difficult issues, and did so in an insightful and beautiful way.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC!

The art is truly gorgeous. The first half has genuinely great set-up, but I feel like the second half is a little too rushed for my liking. I wish there was a little more time for the resolution. That being said, it is still a good book that I would highly recommend.

A fantastic story with beautiful artwork. I loved the characters so much and the friendships in these pages as well as how much hurt a family member can cause but still love you. I loved everything about this book.