A bold story to tell, beautiful to see even if you never suffered from any EA.
I would add a lot of Trigger Warnings to this book, though.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, this was too triggering for me to continue with it. I think this could be important for some readers, but this is such a sensitive subject and I realize now that I just cannot put myself through reading about it.

‘Not Hungry’ by Kate Karyus Quinn was a short novel written in evocative prose. It was a bold story that makes you really think and reflect. Be sure to pay attention to trigger warnings.

The writing i found sort of annoying , because of how it was put on the paper. But it was sort of interesting.

Being anorexic/bulimic while at the same time (still) being fat is a hugely overlooked topic, even within the eating disorder realm. People cannot imagine how much harm is done by people not recognising this eating disorder. I felt so seen reading this book.

"My dream isn't to be
a n o r e x i c
But for people
like Lacey
to think I could be."

Not hungry is written in verse, which at first I did not know, but was a pleasant surprise. It translates into an incredibly fast read, which I appreciated. The choice of style really represents what is going on in a persons mind struggling with this type of mental illness really well. It actually inspired me to write down my own thoughts and experiences.

"FAT
because you're
too dumb
to eat
less."

After reading the first page, I had to pause for a moment, because I felt seen, understood, but also a bit triggered. This also is why it took me longer than usual to get to this book.
I do think the topics represented in this book are really important to bring up, but I also felt like the whole relationship part of it felt a bit rushed and almost too polished into perfection. I would have enjoyed it to be a bit more raw and rough around the edges. I also would have enjoyed this book to be a bit longer and potentially structured. Right now it feels like a middle between random poems and trying to be a storyline, but the story is a bit lackluster. This book would have benefited from leaning towards either side a bit stronger.

Thank you to West 44 Books™ to bringing this underrepresented topic to young adult fiction with this quick read. Overall I immensely appreciated the really well done representation.

Thank you to netgalley to giving me access to a free review ebook in exchane for an honest review.
This book will be included in my wrap up video going live on my Youtube Channel on March 11, 2021.

Thanks NetGalley for this advanced copy of Not Hungry.

This is not the usual eating disorder story that you are used to reading. June is overweight but still has an eating disorder, which is not a viewpoint I've read before. Her neighbour, Toby, finds out her secret - she purges.

I found it refreshing to read a story that I wasn't expecting to read however I struggled with the format of this book.

Going in to this book I actually didn't know that it was written in verse, which was a very nice surprise. That also immediately intriguid me, because I want to read more books written in verse. However, at the beginning I was a bit confused. It felt like I was reading just a poetry collection. The first couple of chapters felt like they were just poems, because they didn't really make sense in the order they where in the book.

But once we passed the 10% mark, the confusion was over and the storyline appeared with a full plot. The way the plot was moving was also nice to read. It wasn't going slow at all, but also not too fast. Often times I dislike how books have such a slow first half of a book, to pack all the action in the second half. Luckily, this book didn't do that.

However, in the end I was disappointed with some plot points. Namely the ones that solved the problems in the book. The way some problems from the characters where resolved just felt a bit weird, and I can't go in to details because of spoilers.

Next to that the ending also dind't feel completely realistic, but I have to say that I'm not an own voices reviewer when it comes to eating disorders, so I can't say that with 100% certainty.

I love novels that are written in verse, I'll admit. In fact, it's part of what drew me into Kate Karyus Quinn's <em>Not</em> <em>Hungry</em>. With that in mind, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The fact of the matter is that <em>Not Hungry</em> deals with some very serious and, at times, disturbing issues that make the book an immensely difficult read. This is the kind of book that needs a lot of trigger warnings, and not just for its main theme of an eating disorder. Among the triggering content are eating disorders, body shaming, self-hate, abuse and violence (relating to romantic and non-romantic relationships), and drug abuse / addiction. The truth is, <em>Not Hungry</em> has a <em>lot</em> to unpack.

<b>Hi-Lo</b>

Something I've always loved are the hi-lo books, designed specifically to be easier to read but contain content that is tailored to a teenage audience. The reason for these books is to reach young adults who struggle with reading and provide them with books that afford them to feel successful within this area. As an educator, I find these books truly amazing. However, I do admittedly feel as though the content of this particular book is a bit much for that particular subsection of readers.

I think it likely depends highly on the kids who are going to be reading the book, but I can say that it is possible this novel deals with too many issues all at once instead of focusing on the most important ones. In that sense, it seems as though the book is practically filled with Murphy's law. Will the main character <em>ever</em> get a break?

<b>June</b>

The main protagonist of the verse-written story is a young girl, June, who is overweight and has an eating disorder. Of course, no one notices her eating disorder largely because she is overweight. The story follows her life as she meets the new boy next door, deals with her sister's abusive boyfriend, and her insensitive family. And honestly, this is a rough read.

The subject matter is, at times, incredibly painful to journey through. Certainly, this book can be incredibly triggering at times. I recall feeling quite uncomfortable on a number of occasions while reading it. You are thrown very deep into June's head for the entirety of the novel, experiencing her thoughts, feelings, and depression in such a visceral way that you can't help leaving the book feeling impacted by it.

<b>Recovery</b>

To put it bluntly, there really is none.

And that is not to say that there wouldn't be or that the book implies June doesn't experience it, but rather that we are given an open ending that resolves very little. You're left with something hopeful but no insight as to whether or not something comes of that hope. And you get absolutely no view into what June's recovery might look like. Honestly, this was a missed opportunity.

<spoiler>Instead of recovery, we get a few moments of June standing up for herself, making up with her sister, and then dancing the night away. While it's not a <em>terrible</em> ending, it does leave a lot to be desired. </spoiler>

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will be live on the Reader Fox blog on July 28, 2020.

I am in recovery from an eating disorder. I was nervous this book was be triggering for me, so I was hesitant going in. But I loved this book. It felt real and like the author took their time and poured their heart out. This was heartbreaking and poignant. But it was also beautiful.

I'd give a trigger warning for eating disorder and body dysmorphia but I'd recommend this to so many people. Whether they've had an eating disorder or not, I think everyone could take something from this book.

Great book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it in advance

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

4.5 stars

*Trigger warning for disordered eating, bulimia and emotional abuse*

Poetry/ verse is the perfect format for this story, short paragraphs pack a punch with the innermost negative thoughts of our main character June. We also see her sister who is also struggling with weight however she is very confident and does not appear to be bothered with her own size. Though she is in a toxic relationship with Erick (emphasis on the ICK, I love this creative line), June becomes friends a new boy while becoming distant from her best friend. This book reminds of what an early 2000's tv show or tv movie storyline would have been, though on the extreme side.

I just finished a book and was looking for something that was short and interesting so I picked up Not Hungry by Kate Kayrus Quinn which I received as an arc through Netgalley and I was not disappointed. Not Hungry is written in verse and tells the story of the main character Joan who is over weight but still hides the fact that she has a big secret that finally comes to light. I have never read a book like this but I think that Kate covered very important issues that affect young people today in such a way that they weren't in a triggering manner. For this reason I am giving Not Hungry 4 stars.

I almost didn’t read <u>Not Hungry</u> after reading a review mentioning how it was written in more of a poetic/verse type of way. However, the same review said it was quick so I thought okay — let’s give it a try.

The writing really distracted me at first. I decided to stop trying to read it in a poetic way, and just read it as if they were complete sentences. That helped a lot. It definitely made the story fly by quickly.

As far as the plot line goes, I’m not completely sure how I feel. It had such sensitive subjects — anorexia, binge eating, fat shaming — that I did feel a little uncomfortable. There’s not a lot really going on, but you go through the motions with June.

I love that there’s a happy ending, that June realizes she needs help and that she’s okay with asking for help. Everything that happens around June and Mae is honestly just filler. I feel like the story revolves around June and Mae’s “secrets,” and just having them come together as sisters and help each other.

Honestly, I think this could be a good book if the content isn’t triggering and you could handle the sensitive nature. There’s the poetic element, too, which I wish I could appreciate more but I don’t know how to.

really enjoyed this! not really sure why a book dealing with disordered eating is being marketed toward children but regardless it was an interesting read.

the prose was kind of a weird formatting for this but i enjoyed the characters and plot well enough. i really liked the sister relationship seen toward the end!

Often we read books about eating disorders where the main character is underweight. This book was different, as it featured a character who was classed as overweight. This is important - to show people that eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes, and that you can have an one at any weight.

I loved the format and I read the book in one sitting. It was easy to follow and we moved fast through the storyline.

I found it difficult to connect with the characters, but I’m not sure if that was to do with the fast pace or the format. I loved how it shared the more raw and often embarrassing side of eating disorders - the lengths someone will go to to contain their secret and further their goal of not eating. I would have loved more story. Although I enjoyed the format, I also found myself wanting more development and details.

Overall, a great story but it had more potential and I would have loved to have seen more plot development. However, it wouldn’t put me off from checking out more of this authors work as I loved the writing and I think they have so much potential.

this portrays perfectly well how it feels to have a mental illness BUT not showing any evidence on the outside. I overall enjoyed it but keep in mind it can be triggering for people experiencing similar problems.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

This book was emotionally charged and written in beautiful prose that was easy to read.

Due to its prose style form, it was incredibly fast to read, making the pages turn faster as the emotion surged thorugh the pages.

a great way to create awareness around anorexia, around the pressures of teenage girls and just how powerful peer groups and peer pressure can be at that age.