Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The artwork is stunning and pairs wonderfully with the seriousness of the story. I appreciated the lighter tones which sort of set a mood to match the words. This story was also very intriguing and a super quick read for me. I was invested from start to finish in our main character's journey and how it would eventually play out.

Hungry Ghost deals with the struggles of an eating disorder and the pressure put onto our main character by her mother. We see how it started when she was young and how it branched and unfolded into her older teens. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to something in this story and that can either be a positive or a potentially triggering journey. This is definitely an okay read for those who don't struggle with body image issues, eating disorders, or pressure from a parent but with it being so touchy, raw, and real, I would definitely want there to be caution for those who read this. There is a content note before the story begins and from the description of the story everyone will thankfully know what they're getting into, plus resources at the end, which I appreciate. That shows how much the author cares about making sure whoever reads this protects themselves from the contents of the book.

That being said, this book is hard to read as a plus-size person. I've been on both sides of the spectrum, being underweight and skinny growing up to being plus size now. The author does not hold back on how Valerie's mother, and eventually Valerie herself, perceive those who are bigger. At one point Valerie even thinks about how no one would look twice at her best friend, Jordan, who is plus-size. I think it would have been interesting for the author to explore an underweight character and a plus-size character both dealing with an eating disorder. There really is a stigma that you can only have an eating disorder if you're skinny, and the jabs at bigger people, though I get why it's included, made it very hard to read. This story does venture into how that pressure to be skinny can warp your perception of yourself and people around you, so I tried not letting it get to me. However, I have mixed feelings about it because in a way it does feel like big people get thrown under the bus for the character's eventual development. It's tough to figure out where the line is because this is actually had people feel. I will say that I'm glad that way of thinking was challenged in the end. It does show that the author wants to make it aware how that thought process is harmful. I just think people of all body types should proceed with caution for this one.

As for the plot, I think it was good. My only complaint would be that the ending was sort of a summary wrapped up rather than a journey because I think that should have been integral to a story like this. I would have liked the bit with Valerie's father removed because it felt random and not very important to her journey (other than maybe garnering some sympathy for her and her mother).

Overall though, it was a story I've yet to read, and a life experience I have never dealt with myself. It shows another perspective for those of us who have never been there, and I will say this story did open my eyes a bit more to that reality.

*spoilers in the trigger warnings*

TW: eating disorder, child abuse, bullying, purging, fat shaming, depiction of dead fish, stereotypes, death, plane crash, grief, depression, anger, and insecurities.
Rep: plus size side character, asian characters.

This book touches on heavy material, focusing on an eating disorder our main character has developed over several years. The illustrations demonstrate how challenging the ED makes it for Valerie to attend school, spend time with her family, and ultimately love herself. A combination of factors exacerbate her condition. It's sad to discover the leading source of conflict. Near the end of the book, it is helpful that resources are made available for those impacted by EDs.

The overall story was quite good. The illustrations were drawn beautifully and did an excellent job conveying the overall tone using a simple colour palette. It was easy to read and accessible for teens.

I recommend this title and encourage those interested to read it to be aware of the subject material via reading the synopsis.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this review copy. All opinions are my own.

A review will be posted on our blog, social media pages and consumer sites on 25 April 2023.

A surprisingly complex story about a teen girl struggling to love herself when her definition of love isn’t the same as that of her family. I appreciate the candid portrayal of bulimia and disordered eating. I also loved that the focus was mostly on the friendship between Val and Jordan, rather than on a romance. The art was absolutely lovely, and I liked the writing style used for the story. A great book about love, loss, eating, and acceptance.

"No, I'm not better. And I don't know if I'll ever be totally better. "

This was incredibly hard to read as someone who has gone through ED myself. I was kind of shocked to see the word "Gwai". It was then I realised I come from a similar cultural background to the main protagonist, Valerie. At times "Hungry Ghost", reminded me of my own experiences. The story was fast-paced but still relatively realistic. The message was powerful, with amazing art to accompany it.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for the advance copy of this graphic novel in exchange of an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
Ay, que historiaaaa! De la mano de bellísimas ilustraciones se nos presenta una historia dura y lamentablemente muy real.

Los desordenes alimenticios, son un tema del que hay que hablar, hay que crear conciencia, es necesario que las instituciones ofrezcan orientación y las familias de los afectados contención para ellos.

Si bien hay un acercamiento al tema del duelo, este no se profundiza mucho y no es para nada lo principal de la historia. Aunque sí un detonante de lo que luego ocurre.

⚠️Si van a leer esta muy necesaria historia, por favor, lee los trigger warning primero 🤝🏻

Thank you so much for the arc!!

This was a hard graphic novel to read, it was real and sad, it was really short but it still made me all emotional and made me cry

The art was gorgeous and i really enjoyed it, along with the story even if it's hard to read

I think it's a good representation and, like i said, it feel real. It's a fictional story but at the same time it is not, is something that happens and that a lot of people live.

I wish it would have been longer, but still it was perfect as it is

I really would reccomend this

Beautiful, powerful, emotional, and real. As someone who struggles with binge eating disorder and fatphobia, I felt seen with this book. Victoria Ying gave us a window into how complex eating disorders are and how the family unit can breed them. I loved how the characters had unique personalities and felt fully thought out. The writing was inviting and, at times, felt poetic. The artwork was charming and matched with the tone of the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc of this graphic novel.

This was so much more emotional than I was expecting, I shed quite a few tears reading this.... The way it's written and the way it portrays the characters emotions is just so raw and real and I loved it so much.

It's such a heavy topic to read about, but it was worth it to read the very realistic but satisfying ending this had.

I highly recommend it, if you're okay with reading about the above mentioned topics!

I’m unable to access the file on any of my devices. 5 stars for the BEAUTIFUL artwork though! Thanks NetGalley for the approval, I’m so sad I couldn’t actually access the content. 🖤

A raw comic about mental health and eating disorders.
This is a brilliant depiction of a teenage girl who has a parent that projects their insecurities onto them, leading to the daughter developing an eating disorder.
She in turn begins to judge everyone else, but when her dad dies, and she still is being judged by her mom/grandma for eating, she begins to realize what's important.

I loved that this book had a realistic ending, stating that while she's a lot better now that she is seeing a therapist etc, she is not healed. It was a fantastic and sensitive depiction of mental health, grief and loss and how it can affect a teen / young adult,.
A great and impactful comic for YA readers

“My mom acts like I don’t ever think about what I eat. But the truth is, I don’t think about much else.”

Thank you @NetGalley & First Second Books for this eARC. I was so excited to be approved for this, not just because of the synopsis but the cover is BEAUTIFUL.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel tells the story of disordered eating and the toll it takes on everything in your life. But most importantly it shows how kids are affected by what their parents say.

Hungry ghost caught my attention for its cover, and for the very complicated theme it dealt with, such as bulimia. It’s a tough graphic novel, but careful in how it deals with the subject, since all the times we see Valerie think about food and "get rid of it" are never graphic. It has made me think about Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, or even in Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Both of them deal with difficult topics, like Hungru ghost, but both of them are careful on how they deal with them. In addition, Hungry ghost is accompanied by a simple but effective drawing, and a pastel colors palette that adds calmness to the reading. It will certainly be a graphic novel that I recommend.

Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was powerful in its simple, yet honest way of exposing what the effects of eating disorders can do to someone. Not just to a single person, but to family and friends. This story follows Val, a seemingly normal girl on the verge of going to college. However, she has been told every day by her mother, since she was a little girl, that she cannot get fat - fat is the worst thing to be. Val spirals as she develops bulimia. This disease takes over her whole life, and almost destroys her relationships.

The story dives into the root of eating disorders and their effect on a family and it’s honestly hard to read. The message is so important and it made me really think of my own experiences with food and weight.

I recommend this book, but please be cautious of the trigger warnings, which include not only ED, but death of a parent.

Hungry Ghost
By Victoria Ying

Hungry Ghost is a graphic novel set to be published in April 2023.

Hungry Ghost follows Valerie Chu during a tough time in her life. The studious, quiet young girl goes through many changes as she comes to terms with her priorities, choices and body. Valerie Chu grows so much in the graphic novel that she becomes an inspiration for young girls, she seeks the help she and her body need above all else.

This novel was haunting and emotional. I found myself crying through the read but it’s a necessary kind of crying. Something that needs to be let out so you can heal.
I know a lot of people won’t be able to read it as it might be triggering for their mental health, but I think it’s a fantastic book that teaches how mental health can change you and affect those around you.

I loved this book because it was real, it didn’t hide behind anything it was and will always be the truth.

I was not expecting this to be so depressing. It was not for me and I feel as if my negative review should not be reflective of the book necessarily but of my own personal views. The eating disorder theme was very graphic for me so I can imagine someone with an eating disorder would struggle to get through it. For those who are moved by this and who can stomach this, then this is for them. For me, I could not do it. Out of respect for the author though, the story was powerful and the illustrations were gorgeous.

I very much appreciated both the thoughtfulness in how Victoria handled her depictions of Valerie's struggles with her eating disorder, and the balance between holding Valerie's mother and her damaging perspective accountable for influencing Valerie, but also not demonizing the mother. A book that should be read by any young adult dealing with how to define themselves among familial and social expectations.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this EARC**

Hungry Ghost follows Valerie Chi a young girl who is great in school but holds a secret. She has a eating disorder brought on by her moms toxic comments about her body and weight. The author shows Valerie's struggle as she tries to live up to what her mother says and the negative repercussions it has on her life and her relationships.

This graphic novel was a great and haunting story that I feel reflects many peoples struggles especially young girls trying to live up to what society even what their parents want. The artwork is done amazingly well and really aids in telling the story the author sets out too.

I would first like to thank Netgalley and First Second Publishers for sending me the E-arc.

This graphic novel is raw emotions full of pain, self image issues, eating disorder, and family trauma. I would like to give a warning that of any of this triggers you I would advise not to read it. For me it was already difficult to read, as I have experience eating disorders and body image disorder.

All Val wants in her life is to be good, good enough for her mom. We see the verbal abuse that Val goes through as her mom constantly tells her to make sure to be thin, not eat too much, don't look like her friend, etc. With each word said to her, it was like I could feel it myself again, the need to eat less, look like the "thin happy girls", I had felt as well that I was never good enough. We learn though that this is all untrue, that to be happy means to be emotionally good to yourself, find what brings you joy in life, and not live for what others see in you.

Val's mom carries the behaviour she feels that will help her family the best as that is all she has been taught, and for Val it is about breaking this behaviour pattern.

Victoria writes this for all who need to hear that you are always good enough, and as well a tribute to the pain she suffered as well.

Thank you Victoria for writing a story I needed to hear, as it is still difficult for me to overcome.

*****Thank you NetGalley for the Arc*****

This was a short and personal story of a really life struggle of the author.I understood each character and why they are like this. I didn’t like Val’s mom, but I could relate to why she was being like this. Eating disorders exist world wide, but from personal experience I have seen how much our communities talk about foods/diet. It is truly heart-breaking and I hope they realize that it’s the kids around them that suffer through such traumas. I really enjoyed this one!

this book hits a little too close to home. younger me would've been crying tears. eat whatever you like, do whatever you feel like doing.