Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for an advanced digital copy of Hungry Ghost.

I will say, I was drawn to this book because of the cover and title. After reading the description and the first few pages, I wasn't prepared for this one. This is one of my favorite graphic novels reads of this year.

This book touches on grief, family and cultural pressure, and eating disorders in a way that doesn't feel oppressive. The character interactions are so incredibly genuine and fun that it makes the incredible heft of the story feel weightless at the right moments. It is on the shorter side, which is a blessing because the content is heavy. The plot does not reflect this. It tells the whole story beginning to end with great impact.

I can't recommend Hungry Ghost enough and I'm looking forward to recommending it to teen/adult patrons when it's out. I loved everything about this book. My only complaint is that it isn't out sooner. I can’t wait to get a physical copy to add to my person collection.

Miigweetch NetGalley and First Second Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I was drawn to this book because of the cover and title, but stayed for the description. This delicately illustrated graphic novel centers on high-schooler Valerie Chun and her disordered eating. Valerie strives to be obedient and a good daughter, however, her mother often exhibits abusive behavior towards Valerie and has a particularly toxic relationship with food. It is inferred that this is what has led to Valerie’s eating disorder. The book deals with disordered eating graphically and head-on, it is very real, and could potentially be triggering for those still in or recently in recovery.

Later on, Valerie loses an important person in her life to a tragic accident, however, the resolution of her grief never is really dealt with, or if it is, it happens off page and the reader is not privy to it. This is a weakness of the storytelling that I would have liked to see fleshed out more as I think it could have been very impactful. This is a heavy book and while I enjoyed it, it’s unlikely I would read it again in the near future. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys graphic novels or manga that deals with mental health and dysfunctional family dynamics.

I was first drawn to this book for its stunning cover, and the artwork throughout did not disappoint. Gorgeously drawn and colored from start to finish, this is a perfect example of the value and quality of the graphic novel genre. Perhaps most importantly given the story's focus, the characters' emotions were expertly portrayed. Furthermore, these portrayals allow the reader to both sympathize/empathize with the protagonist--Val, who is experiencing the difficulties of an eating disorder--and see what she is blind to. It's really, as Val's best friend Jordan would say, "brill."

As a person who experienced eating disorders from my teens through my thirties, I was concerned at the outset of this graphic novel that young people currently experiencing eating disorders when they read it might feel resistant to its ultimate message and might instead feed off the negative self talk, agreeing that thinness is "good." However, by the end, my concern was assuaged. The positive message is handled deftly and directly addresses the connection between eating disorders and mental health. The afterward offers suggestions to young people seeking help--which will be useful for youth in need as well as their friends and family who might be looking for resources.

There are two points when I think the resolution falters. First, the message of forgiveness without much critique of Val's mom's abusive/controlling behavior--in fact, focusing on how much the mom loves Val without explicitly saying that her behavior is abusive--could be dangerous for some readers. Second, the lack of a return to the thread of grief after Val loses a loved one feels like a loose end. That thread is handled very well at first, but seems to disappear by the end of the book. Still, these shaky respolutions don't diminish my appreciation for this story.

Victoria Ying's impressive YA debut should not be missed. It is unforgettable and important. I will be sure that it has a home on as many shelves as possible in my library system, and I will also enthusiastically recommend it to my college writing students interested in graphic novels.

NOTE: Thank you to both First Second and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Valerie Chu is quiet, studious, and above all, thin. Always trying to be 'good' Valerie has been binging for years, as a way to stay thin and keep her mom happy.
An honest and heartbreaking graphic novel, Valerie is a main character I just want to wrap in a blanket and hug. Her friends are so precious, her mom is toxic but the sort of parent that shows their love through hurtful means. I loved watching Valerie learn how to take care of herself and learn to be honest with the people around her.

The art is stunning, but the true gleam to this gem of a graphic novel is the realistic and painful sorry of a girl who only wants to be good, only wants to make her mother proud to the point she is willing to hurt herself for acceptance and approval. I know so many young girls who suffer, longing for that unconditional love they were promised but find they only can acquire it with strings attached based on behavior and the image they project to the public, that their mothers live vicariously through them and require perfection from them. In this story we see a young lady who longs to be perfect for her mother, but also envies the freedom of her friends to be themselves, to express who they truly are, to not to bogged down by the expectations of others and it’s sad and beautiful at the same time. I hope this story helps others to step out of the shadow of their families and be the truest them they are meant to be.

Hungry Ghost focuses on Valerie Chu, a teenage girl struggling with the pressure placed on her by her mother. Valerie's mother has always been concerned with thinness, constantly critiquing and controlling Valerie's food choices. By the time she's in high school, Valerie both restricts her food and forces herself to throw up. She finds herself frequently consumed with thoughts of calories, bites, and when she'll be able to use a bathroom. Her mother is oblivious to Valerie's eating disorder or the fact that she has largely caused it. Valerie's best friend Jordan is friendly, happy, confident, and fat. Spending time with Jordan on a school trip to Paris, Valerie begins to enjoy herself and wonder why she worries so much about food. Soon after, Valerie's dad passes away and the newly formed cracks in her diet expand even more. Eventually, Valerie reaches the breaking point, confessing to her nonchalant mother and concerned best friend that she is sick. While her mother doesn't understand, Jordan is kind and helpful, bringing Valerie to an eating disorder support group. Sometimes I find books and media about eating disorders to be triggering, but Hungry Ghost didn't bother me. I found Valerie's story to be realistic and a good match for the graphic novel format. Ying's artwork is beautiful with a gently muted palette. I think many young people will see themselves in this story and the pressure they feel to be perfect. Overall, a great read.

I loved everything about this book - my only complaint is that it isn't out sooner.

Hungry Ghost touches on grief, familial and cultural pressure, and eating disorders in a way that doesn't feel oppressive. The character interactions are so genuine and fun that it makes the incredible heft of the story feel weightless at the right moments.

I can't recommend Hungry Ghost enough to any of you, advanced readers, and I'm looking forward to recommending it to my teen patrons when it's out.

Beautiful and heartbreaking. The artwork. The story. And yet the ending was so uplifting and beautiful. A heart wrenching look at both eating disorders and generational trauma. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in return for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for the ARC.

I wasn't expecting a realistic graphic novel about disordered eating and messy family dynamics. I'm more of a ghost story fan, which speaks to my expectations going into this. Oh well.

This graphic novel was really well done. This was a difficult read for me as an Asian American mom of a teen aged girl, but also very important. Characters felt authentic and the running internal dialogue of the main character felt authentic and relatable, making it all that more heart wrenching. The art was beautiful while not glorifying disordered eating as an "aesthetic".

This is an important story and will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher First Second Books for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I usually like to break down my graphic novel reviews into character, plot, and art.

Character: Victoria Ying chose to have fictional characters for her graphic novel although she says the struggles of the character Val are based on her own. I thought that Val as well as the other characters were very well portrayed. Some of the side characters were very flat and did not change, but because Val is so focused on her own image this makes sense. It would also be unrealistic for all of the issues with her mom to be resolved in less than a year because that is seldom true in life.

Plot: The plot is a little fast when it comes to exploring eating disorders, but since for many it is a life long struggle, I thought the author did an excellent job of showing that. The secondary storyline also felt rushed, but as it is used to further her struggle with bulimia I was fine with that.

Art: Amazing! I loved the pastel color palette and how that fit on with the title and the concept of invisible disability. The characters were also all distinct and recognizable.

I give this graphic novel a 5. I believe that it is so important to explore all facets of mental health and how different people's experiences can shape and change them.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Victoria Ying and the publisher of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Valerie Chu is intelligent, focused, and very thin. No one knows that she's thin because she's binge eating and making herself sick. Not even her best friend Jordan who just encourages her to do and eat what she wants. Val finds it hard to get out of this cycle, especially since her mom constantly is commenting on her body and the importance of her being thin. Will Valerie be able to escape this cycle or will things in her life keep her from getting out.

This was a great, but very sad graphic novel about eating disorders. It was hard to read, but I hope it will allow young and teenage girls to see their importance and they are beautiful. I hope it will also encourage those who need help to seek that help to get back on the road to a healthy life cycle.

Oh wow, I wasn't prepared for this one. this has to be one of my favorite graphic novels of this year. Hungry Ghost is such an important story for young people, I wish I had something like this available to me when I was younger. I have always struggled with an ED (Eating disorder), my mother was very weight conscious and still is. and while her need for me to diet wasn't based on weight, but more so on processed foods, gluten, carbs... those sorts of things, it impacted how I experience food. I would hide food and bury the wrappers of /'no' foods under layers of trash in the garbage can so I could avoid the awkward conversation about what I ate and how it will affect my body. this book had me in tears on multiple occasions. It's just food. and the best I can be is good for my body. as I write this I'm eating a slice of pizza, finally above 100 lbs for the first time in my entire life. I look forward to the release of this book and recommend it to anyone who wants a better understanding of what it's like to live with an ED.

I received an ARC of Hungry Ghost from First Second Books via NetGalley. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This haunting and vivid depiction of a struggle more men and women struggle with than should ever be noted, follows Valerie's journey through an eating disorder, body dysmorphia, familial struggles and mental struggles after an unexpected loss. This graphic novel was something that hit a nerve simply because I wish it was a text I would have had access to in my late teen and majority of my 20s. Valerie's journey, or rather struggle, is taken all on her own with Jordan, her best friend, and family having no idea what Valerie is doing to herself in order to maintain the weight and image her mother expects, nah, demands. Resentment begin to take hold in, especially when an unexpected loss leaves her life and the lives of those around her upside down.

The graphic is on the shorter side, which is a blessing because the content is heavy. The plot does not reflect this. It tell the whole story beginning to end with great impact. It is blissfully shorter without losing any detail.

The graphic are the lead, for me, in the interpretation of this novels being hauntingly beautiful. The images are beautiful and the emotions and events that occur throughout the story are clear. The softness fo the color lends itself well to the story and the events that take place as well.

Hungry Ghost is beautifully drawn and sensitively written; it's honest about struggling with disordered eating. While there were times I wished it would really explore some issues between Val and her mother much deeper, I also appreciate the realism of it; you don't always get that TV moment where a character pours it all out and everything is all better. The characters were very real, especially Val, and it was easy to see through her eyes, to root for her, and to celebrate her victories.

In this graphic novel, Valerie has an eating disorder thanks in large part to the beauty standards inflicted on her by her mother. Her mother thinks that to be beautiful you have to be thin, therefore is constantly monitoring her daughter's food, which then causes Valerie to eat and purge. No one knows and it isn't until her father dies and she lashes out at her "fat" friend for being fat and "how could anyone ever love you-you're fat, I'm thin so better!" (No not in those words, but because Valerie was raised to think that, she struggles to unlearn those thoughts.)

Is there a perfect bow on the ending of the book? No, but that makes this book realistic. Does the book give you hope? Yes, and that is the important take away from the book-relationships can mend, help can be found.

Thank you NetGalley and First Second books for this advanced preview.

Valerie Chu is the model high school student. Perfect grades, perfect manners, and a perfect body. Above all else, Valerie's mother pushes for her to be careful about what she eats. Valerie's entire life so far has been about watching calories and keeping her slim figure, until it becomes all-consuming. Valerie turns to binging and purging to try and keep up with her mother's expectations. When Valerie's father is suddenly killed in an accident, her entire world turns upside down and things start to spiral out of control. She can't keep up with her mother's demands, but who can she turn to for help?
A beautifully heartbreaking graphic novel dealing with eating disorders, mental illness, and family loss. The artwork is gorgeous. The story is brutally, raw, and gives the reader insight on what it's like to suffer in silence even when the ones who love you most have the best intentions.
The ending does feel a little rushed and incomplete, but even that feels right. A little perfectly imperfect.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the First Second publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this comic.
The story resonated a lot with me, having struggled with eating disorders myself as a younger girl and woman. I found Victria Ying gives a very accurate picture of what it is to live with the constant worry of what and how you're eating, the stress of trying not to get fat (or trying to get thinner). The relationship with the mother was very honest and believable, I particularly liked the conversation Val has with her aunt towards the end. And I appreciated the character of her best friend, who shows how you can be fat and still have a full life and be happy. The conclusion was maybe a bit too quick and a tad simplistic, but I think that's just linked to the comic format.
Overall, a very good read.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Every young girl needs to read this! There are too many who are told, either directly or through media, that thin is the only beautiful. And I know that this isn't only a girl issue, but having lived in an Asian country, I saw way too much of this with the girls that I taught. Thank you, Victoria Ying for writing this book!

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for proving this arc in exchange of an honest review.

It was beautifully illustrated and the story was great, raw and real.
I loved it because it felt genuine without being too intense even though the topic is heavy.

L'ho divorato questo fumetto! E non voleva essere una battuta di cattivo gusto eh!
E' stato davvero molto interessante e mi ha decisamente commossa.
Fortunatamente non ho mai affrontato problemi di questo genere, perchè anche se sovrappeso non ho mai odiato il mio corpo. Ma ho conosciuto persone che han sofferto per quello che mangiavano e per come mangiavano.
Non riesco proprio a capire come una madre possa fare questo alla figlia. Capisco mantenere dei limiti, ma diventare cosi ossessiva da danneggiare completamente la psiche della figlia è orribile.
Sono contenta che la protagonista alla fine sia riuscita a uscire dal guscio piano piano.
I disegni sono stupendi e la narrazione è fluida. La palette di colori l'ho trovata strana, ma credo rifletta moltissimo l'autrice.

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggere questo fumetto in anteprima!

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I devoured this graphic novel! And it wasn't meant to be a bad joke huh!
It was really very interesting and it definitely moved me.
Fortunately I have never faced problems of this kind, because even if I was overweight I never hated my body. But I have known people who have suffered from what they ate and how they ate.
I just can't understand how a mother can do this to her daughter. I understand keeping boundaries, but becoming so obsessive that it completely damages your daughter's psyche is horrible.
I'm happy that the protagonist eventually managed to get out of the shell.
The designs are gorgeous and the narration is fluid. I found the color palette strange, but I think it reflects a lot the author.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me preview this comic!