Hungry by H.A. Swain
I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Andye @ReadingTeen!
The basis of the book:
In the future, food is no longer necessary—until Thalia begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She’s hungry.
In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food—everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illnesses, and no more war. At least that's what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs, say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he—the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.
In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food—everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illnesses, and no more war. At least that's what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs, say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he—the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.
My thoughts on the book:
I was super excited when Andye let me read and review this book! I have been looking at this one for a little while as I am a sucker for dystopian books. As I started reading, I had to wonder what I was getting in to because the story started out talking about a privileged daughter who had no worries at all who started having hunger pains in a world where hunger has been eliminated due to medicines given every 3 months. Thalia ends up fleeing the "Inner Loop" with the help of a boy named Basil. Thalia and Basil continue on a long adventure to try to start a revolution that will bring the corporation giant, One World, down because they control the nutritional and medicine supply for the entire population. These long adventures really went on a lot longer than they should have.
I was slightly bored at times while reading. I lost interest a couple of times because the story jumped all over the place - meaning I felt I forgot the reason these characters were doing what they were doing. I felt the story was trying to cover too many story lines at once. Each Part easily could have been stretched into different books instead of crammed into one. It was really too much for me and felt rushed. Plus when the story ended, it didn't feel finished. There was no conclusion, no questions answered, nothing. It left you hanging and that makes me wonder if there is going to be a second book.
Here are the main things that bothered me about this story:
- There are no chapters. NO. CHAPTERS. There are four (4) Parts. I haven't ever read a book that didn't have chapters so it felt like the story just kept going and not in a good way.
- It felt as if there was nothing Thalia couldn't do. Thalia lived a life of privilege yet knew everything about food and farming based on past stories her Grandmother told her growing up. It would have been more believable if she had to learn something in a humble way.
- There seemed to be too much medical detail given. Thalia's mom is a doctor, the one who discovered how to suppress the hunger desire in humans, and talks in heavy medical lingo. I got lost along the way and skipped most of what she said.
- A lot of the characters have food names. That seemed a little unnecessary - Apple, Basil, Spinach, Strawberry. You get the idea.
With all of that said, I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. I am grateful to Andye of @ReadingTeen for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
I was slightly bored at times while reading. I lost interest a couple of times because the story jumped all over the place - meaning I felt I forgot the reason these characters were doing what they were doing. I felt the story was trying to cover too many story lines at once. Each Part easily could have been stretched into different books instead of crammed into one. It was really too much for me and felt rushed. Plus when the story ended, it didn't feel finished. There was no conclusion, no questions answered, nothing. It left you hanging and that makes me wonder if there is going to be a second book.
Here are the main things that bothered me about this story:
- There are no chapters. NO. CHAPTERS. There are four (4) Parts. I haven't ever read a book that didn't have chapters so it felt like the story just kept going and not in a good way.
- It felt as if there was nothing Thalia couldn't do. Thalia lived a life of privilege yet knew everything about food and farming based on past stories her Grandmother told her growing up. It would have been more believable if she had to learn something in a humble way.
- There seemed to be too much medical detail given. Thalia's mom is a doctor, the one who discovered how to suppress the hunger desire in humans, and talks in heavy medical lingo. I got lost along the way and skipped most of what she said.
- A lot of the characters have food names. That seemed a little unnecessary - Apple, Basil, Spinach, Strawberry. You get the idea.
With all of that said, I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. I am grateful to Andye of @ReadingTeen for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
