*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler is a story about Lisabeth, a young anorexic girl who is chosen by Death, the Pale Rider, to become Famine, the Black Rider, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.
This sounds like an amazing concept. I was so interested in this storyline when I first heard about it, and I jumped at the chance to read it. When I finished it, I have to say I was more than a little disappointed. None of the characters seemed to be given very much depth. I was surprised at how shallow I found each character and each situation.
Before I say anything else, I want to mention that this book is less about Lisabeth becoming a horseman of the apocalypse, and more about her struggles with anorexia. If I had known this before I picked up the book, I think I would have enjoyed it more. However, I also felt that making Lisabeth one of the four riders was nothing more than a really neat plot trick, and it almost came across as a gimmick. I won't say more, because I want to avoid real spoilers, but I thought I'd put that out there.
I also think that the book was too short. Maybe the author ran out of things to say, but at only 180 pages, I felt like the author really rushed things, and left a lot underdeveloped. There were so many interesting ideas that I wish had been explored a little more, and we rarely got to see any of the other riders. We see Death several times, but never very long, and he isn't really developed. Most of the character development and the relationships in the story were told to us. We didn't see anything really happening, most of it was just what the author told us. I didn't feel like anything important happened until the last time Lisabeth rides as Famine in this story. That is the only time I felt any of the characters grew or learned anything at all.
Other than the lack of good character development, the writing was good and engaging. I was interested in the story, although I didn't like how it ended (and actually think it was inconsistent with what the author had previously laid out for us). Anyway, I will probably be reading Rage when it's released, and I look forward to how this story line will advance. However, if Rage feels the same as Hunger, I will probably pass up the remaining two. It will be interesting to see how the storyline develops.
I almost feel bad including this, but I also feel like I should... If you are reading this book even in part to gain an understanding about anorexia and what it's like for the people who suffer from it, I strongly recommend Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is one of the most powerful and moving books I've ever read, and I feel like it gives an accurate portrayal of what life is like for an anorexic teen. (My review here)