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Hungry
In Thalia’s world, there is no more food and no need for food, as everyone takes medication to ward off hunger. Her parents both work for the company that developed the drugs society consumes to quell any food cravings, and they live a life of privilege as a result. When Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that there is an entire world outside her own. She also starts to feel hunger, and so does the boy. Are the meds no longer working?
Together, they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food. It’s a journey that will change everything Thalia thought she knew. But can a "privy" like her ever truly be part of a revolution?
Together, they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food. It’s a journey that will change everything Thalia thought she knew. But can a "privy" like her ever truly be part of a revolution?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
181 people are currently reading
6276 people want to read
About the author
H.A. Swain
6 books83 followersHeather Swain lives in a crooked house in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, two children, a barkless dog, and two rescue cats. She is the author of four novels for young adults, two kids craft books, two novels for grown ups, and numerous short stories, personal essays, and non-fiction articles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 620 reviews
lost-interest
September 17, 2014This book sounds ridiculous. I'm not sure if I'm just adding it because I'm pretty damn hungry right now.
You know, I think I could write a dystopia - just make something everyone loves illegal and dum, dum, dum... it's the end of the world. Coffee and chocolate have already been taken by Gabrielle Zevin, dammit. Maybe I could outlaw small fluffy animals. Or tea! It could be a British dystopia where all the tea is gone! (what will I do?).*
Now for some foods (you're welcome):
* I will probably need to be saved by a tea-wielding boy with a tortured soul for it to be a bestseller.
You know, I think I could write a dystopia - just make something everyone loves illegal and dum, dum, dum... it's the end of the world. Coffee and chocolate have already been taken by Gabrielle Zevin, dammit. Maybe I could outlaw small fluffy animals. Or tea! It could be a British dystopia where all the tea is gone! (what will I do?).*
Now for some foods (you're welcome):
* I will probably need to be saved by a tea-wielding boy with a tortured soul for it to be a bestseller.
Want to read
December 2, 2013I mean I know we're running out of ideas for dystopian novels... but what.....
Want to read
January 21, 2014The real Hunger game
probably-not
September 10, 2016My reaction after reading the summary:
But if you prefer food gifs...
But if you prefer food gifs...
Want to read
August 27, 2016The synopsis got me like
May 28, 2015
Got 144 pages in and just couldn't do it anymore. I swear this book is a giant fucking joke. I'll talk more about it in the first episode of THE BOOK BEATDOWN.
removed-from-tbr
August 15, 2015So, according to the description, wouldn't everyone in this society die of malnutrition?
"...everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger."
Warding off hunger and nourishing the body are two different things. If we all just were able to ignore our hunger (a feeling), we would eventually die of starvation (if we didn't eat, of course).
Hate to be like this, but, words.
Still, an interesting premise if the inocs actually provide sustenance, which I think is what the author meant.
"...everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger."
Warding off hunger and nourishing the body are two different things. If we all just were able to ignore our hunger (a feeling), we would eventually die of starvation (if we didn't eat, of course).
Hate to be like this, but, words.
Still, an interesting premise if the inocs actually provide sustenance, which I think is what the author meant.
will-not
August 1, 2015"Get ready to be Hungry"
Haha what
Haha what
June 9, 2016
I liked the book good enough but sat here trying to think of what I wanted to rate it and how much I liked it. I didn't think it was great or bad. Thalia Apple, yes that is her name, is the main character of the story. She lives in a world where there is no food..NONE..we killed the world at some point in a war and now there are no animals or plants, nothing. The people in the book live by taking meds to make them not hungry and it's supposed to be nutritional and stuff.
But Thalia keeps thinking about food and she likes to wander around looking for things from our other time. She goes to the Outer Loop and ends up meeting a boy in one of the abandoned buildings. This boy is named Basil and he's with the resistance group, Analogs. They are looking for ways to make the planet self sustaining again.
This review is going to suck because I can't explain this world too well. Anyhoo, in this world you don't have to pee or poop or worry about eating. I think that would be kind of nice to a certain extent, I mean I wouldn't want to have to take some meds or drugs to be that way. And suddenly Thalia starts having hunger pains and her stomach seems to be growling a lot, which freaks people out. They are looking for a way to fix her.
--->EXCERPT<---
Yaz blinks at me, then she says quietly, "My cousin Enid had to see a specialist."
I stare at her. "Why?"
"She got all obsessed with food. That's all she'd talk about. Then it got so bad she started eating weird things like dirt and lint." She shudders. "My aunt and uncle took her from one specialist to another, but nothing worked. She ended up on so many different drugs, she was like a zombie."
Yaz must see the look of horror on my face because she quickly adds, "But Enid had a lot of other problems. . . "
"Like what?"
"Mental problems, I guess. She's older than me and this was a few years ago, so I don't remember that much about it. My mom told me she would make up stories about how One World is really evil and how no one knew the truth but her."
"What happened?" I ask.
Yaz chews on her bottom lip as if she's reluctant to tell me, but then says, "She disappeared. Vanished. They heard from her a few times. Last they knew she was in the Outer Loop. Then she stopped using her Gizmo. They think she joined some kind of cult or resistance group and just sort of fell off the face of the planet. It broke my aunt's heart. But that's not going to happen to you! Your mom will figure out what's wrong. She's the smartest person in the world."
"She certainly things so," I mutter.
Thalia's mom is a big scientist that is over all of the medication part in One World. Thalia's dad also designs stuff like the Gizmo's. They can track you and all kinds of stuff. I think they talk to you like a droid friend too. I was getting a little confused.
At any rate all kinds of things go down. Thalia ends up running away, but I won't tell you about that and things start to fall apart in One World. I thought the characters were good, more some than others. I absolutely loved Thalia's grandmother because she talked of the old days. She taught Thalia about certain things.
The only other thing this book did was make me want to eat, mostly apples because they talk about them a good bit in the book. lol.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
But Thalia keeps thinking about food and she likes to wander around looking for things from our other time. She goes to the Outer Loop and ends up meeting a boy in one of the abandoned buildings. This boy is named Basil and he's with the resistance group, Analogs. They are looking for ways to make the planet self sustaining again.
This review is going to suck because I can't explain this world too well. Anyhoo, in this world you don't have to pee or poop or worry about eating. I think that would be kind of nice to a certain extent, I mean I wouldn't want to have to take some meds or drugs to be that way. And suddenly Thalia starts having hunger pains and her stomach seems to be growling a lot, which freaks people out. They are looking for a way to fix her.
--->EXCERPT<---
Yaz blinks at me, then she says quietly, "My cousin Enid had to see a specialist."
I stare at her. "Why?"
"She got all obsessed with food. That's all she'd talk about. Then it got so bad she started eating weird things like dirt and lint." She shudders. "My aunt and uncle took her from one specialist to another, but nothing worked. She ended up on so many different drugs, she was like a zombie."
Yaz must see the look of horror on my face because she quickly adds, "But Enid had a lot of other problems. . . "
"Like what?"
"Mental problems, I guess. She's older than me and this was a few years ago, so I don't remember that much about it. My mom told me she would make up stories about how One World is really evil and how no one knew the truth but her."
"What happened?" I ask.
Yaz chews on her bottom lip as if she's reluctant to tell me, but then says, "She disappeared. Vanished. They heard from her a few times. Last they knew she was in the Outer Loop. Then she stopped using her Gizmo. They think she joined some kind of cult or resistance group and just sort of fell off the face of the planet. It broke my aunt's heart. But that's not going to happen to you! Your mom will figure out what's wrong. She's the smartest person in the world."
"She certainly things so," I mutter.
Thalia's mom is a big scientist that is over all of the medication part in One World. Thalia's dad also designs stuff like the Gizmo's. They can track you and all kinds of stuff. I think they talk to you like a droid friend too. I was getting a little confused.
At any rate all kinds of things go down. Thalia ends up running away, but I won't tell you about that and things start to fall apart in One World. I thought the characters were good, more some than others. I absolutely loved Thalia's grandmother because she talked of the old days. She taught Thalia about certain things.
The only other thing this book did was make me want to eat, mostly apples because they talk about them a good bit in the book. lol.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
lost-interest
January 19, 2014Lol, the reactions about this book though.
March 12, 2014
I can't finish this. I've started and stopped reading this book so many times, I've lost count. The premise makes no sense and it's kind of stupid. Maybe even insulting to those who suffer from eating disorders. Who wants to live in a world where appetites are suppressed so that the world doesn't fight anymore? And I can't say that makes much sense either. Wars aren't waged over food. People don't revolt because they're starving. It goes much deeper than that and what this novel tries to accomplish with it's utopia is wrapped in a bunch of FAIL. And don't get me started on the characters' names. I can't recommend.
Want to read
December 29, 2013I sincerely hope this is satire. An allegory of first world problems like diets and eating disorders. Or satire that is ridiculing the number of shoddy YA dystopian novels that serve no purpose other than to be yet another 'dystopian' novel to be consumed (punintentional) [you know the ones - the ones with unidentified 'rebels' that 'attack' the 'safe haven' with no explained motive]. That could be amazing.
Otherwise, I'm done. So done.
Otherwise, I'm done. So done.
February 6, 2017
I would have to say that I had really high expectations for this book but the book just didn't meet it, but it was still a really great book it was just I think I thought the story line was much bigger than it actually was. I have to say there were some pages and sections in this book that made you want to keep reading to see what happens!! Over all I think this was a fairly great book!
May 17, 2017
So, this is what i have to say about the book. I really coulnd't get into like i had hoped. I thought it started off boring. I really wish it was more interesting i got let down when I started reading it because I thought it would have been better. I hope someday in the future i can pick it back up and change the way I look at it and read it through fully
May 22, 2018
At a first glance, Hunger by H.A Swain might seem like a promising book. The book is set in a futuristic society where a company, One World, owns the supply of artificial elixirs (called Synthamil) that replace real food. With One World based solely on profit, this book explores the theme of freedom where genetically modified individuals who are immune to Synthamil are taken into custody, as those who feel hungry are thought to be abominations. Disappointingly, while the first few pages relate to the overall theme of the story, as you continue on, you are left wondering if the author is being serious or if what you read was just all a joke. With several plot holes and weirdly humorous challenges, the main character Thalia Apple and her boyfriend Basil cannot overcome any struggle and show absolutely no growth from beginning to end. If this were not a school assignment, I would have dropped this book as soon as I saw more food related names such as Kumquat, Radish, and Spinach. I am in debt to the never-ending ludicrous ideas that followed through. Without the comedy, it would have been impossible to finish the book.
Instead of one main focus, this book jumps through several plots leaving none of the issues resolved. While the first half of the book talks about the One World society, it suddenly jumps to a bizarre society called The Farm. In “The Farm”, women eat drug induced food that triggers sexual desires. Under the influence of this drug, women become pregnant and their babies are harvested for meat, while milk produced during post pregnancy is used for cheese. On several occasions, I had to pause and reread some of the content to assure myself that I was not imagining anything. One irrelevant but deeply ingrained detail that I remember was an instance when Apple loses her pants and underwear while sleeping inside a flooded car. I was left in tears and disbelief wondering if the author had written this in all seriousness or as a humorous twist.
In all, it seemed like the author had too many ideas and tried to squeeze them all into one book. Because of the fluctuating plots, there was no point in reading the first half of the book, as it had no correlation to the rest of the book. Likewise, after reading the second half of the book, I felt like I wasted my time because the ending was abrupt without any clear resolution. Predictably, if there were more pages in this book, it would have been Apple and Basil running away and entering another strange society, which would have caused hopeful readers to finally put down the book.
Similarly, the characters did not disappoint and added more exasperating conflict. Thalia Apple is a rich privileged girl who is well protected from the outside world. The other protagonist, Basil, is born from a poor family with a father in jail and a drunken mother. Through one accidental encounter, these two fall instantly in love. Their relationship developed quickly, and as a reader, I thought it was highly unrealistic. With only spending a few minutes with Basil, Apple becomes obsessed with him. She dreams about how he smells, and ingrains his physical features in her mind. I was quite amused by this obsession, but my amusement did not last long as I quickly grew tired of the couple. Instead of the power couple that overcomes any obstacle, readers are left with two childish and immature protagonists.
This passage sums up their whole relationship:
*privy is a term used to call privileged individuals
“What was I thinking, getting involved with a privy...go back home.” shouts Basil. “Fine...maybe I will go back home!” yells Apple.
Because both of them cannot handle a simple confrontation, this argument is prolonged and restarted several times throughout the story. I remember inwardly sighing after Apple childishly stomped her foot and started whining. While the dysfunction in their relationship is obvious, much to my dismay, Apple and Basil always find a way back together. Unable to portray strong heroes, these characters add to the overall incompetence of the book.
Although the execution was poor, I believe that Swain herself is not a bad writer. The setting and events were well described, and I could vividly imagine a few scenes in my head. If not for the incredulous plot, the idea had potential to grow into a meaningful story with a strong message.
While Swain might have a strong passion towards world hunger, she was unable to convey her beliefs. This book may have been initiated to spread awareness to readers, but its intent was not been fulfilled. If there was any lesson a reader could take away, it would be to never judge a book by its cover, or more accurately by its title.
Unfortunately, the end result was chaotic and too inconceivable to be taken seriously. From rocket launches to urinating naked women, this may have been the most ridiculous and absurd book that I have ever read. Swain, an avid craft book writer, may have approached this book as one of her crafts. Attempting to sew several ideas together, she ended up with separate incomplete stories in one novel. If readers want to read a truly moving piece of literature, I recommend staying far away from this book and never spare it a glance.
Instead of one main focus, this book jumps through several plots leaving none of the issues resolved. While the first half of the book talks about the One World society, it suddenly jumps to a bizarre society called The Farm. In “The Farm”, women eat drug induced food that triggers sexual desires. Under the influence of this drug, women become pregnant and their babies are harvested for meat, while milk produced during post pregnancy is used for cheese. On several occasions, I had to pause and reread some of the content to assure myself that I was not imagining anything. One irrelevant but deeply ingrained detail that I remember was an instance when Apple loses her pants and underwear while sleeping inside a flooded car. I was left in tears and disbelief wondering if the author had written this in all seriousness or as a humorous twist.
In all, it seemed like the author had too many ideas and tried to squeeze them all into one book. Because of the fluctuating plots, there was no point in reading the first half of the book, as it had no correlation to the rest of the book. Likewise, after reading the second half of the book, I felt like I wasted my time because the ending was abrupt without any clear resolution. Predictably, if there were more pages in this book, it would have been Apple and Basil running away and entering another strange society, which would have caused hopeful readers to finally put down the book.
Similarly, the characters did not disappoint and added more exasperating conflict. Thalia Apple is a rich privileged girl who is well protected from the outside world. The other protagonist, Basil, is born from a poor family with a father in jail and a drunken mother. Through one accidental encounter, these two fall instantly in love. Their relationship developed quickly, and as a reader, I thought it was highly unrealistic. With only spending a few minutes with Basil, Apple becomes obsessed with him. She dreams about how he smells, and ingrains his physical features in her mind. I was quite amused by this obsession, but my amusement did not last long as I quickly grew tired of the couple. Instead of the power couple that overcomes any obstacle, readers are left with two childish and immature protagonists.
This passage sums up their whole relationship:
*privy is a term used to call privileged individuals
“What was I thinking, getting involved with a privy...go back home.” shouts Basil. “Fine...maybe I will go back home!” yells Apple.
Because both of them cannot handle a simple confrontation, this argument is prolonged and restarted several times throughout the story. I remember inwardly sighing after Apple childishly stomped her foot and started whining. While the dysfunction in their relationship is obvious, much to my dismay, Apple and Basil always find a way back together. Unable to portray strong heroes, these characters add to the overall incompetence of the book.
Although the execution was poor, I believe that Swain herself is not a bad writer. The setting and events were well described, and I could vividly imagine a few scenes in my head. If not for the incredulous plot, the idea had potential to grow into a meaningful story with a strong message.
While Swain might have a strong passion towards world hunger, she was unable to convey her beliefs. This book may have been initiated to spread awareness to readers, but its intent was not been fulfilled. If there was any lesson a reader could take away, it would be to never judge a book by its cover, or more accurately by its title.
Unfortunately, the end result was chaotic and too inconceivable to be taken seriously. From rocket launches to urinating naked women, this may have been the most ridiculous and absurd book that I have ever read. Swain, an avid craft book writer, may have approached this book as one of her crafts. Attempting to sew several ideas together, she ended up with separate incomplete stories in one novel. If readers want to read a truly moving piece of literature, I recommend staying far away from this book and never spare it a glance.
June 8, 2014
Hungry, though set in a not-so-distant future, offers a futuristic, semi-dystopian vision unlike anything I've seen before. From all the super advanced technology (like Gizmos, Holograms or HoverCams), to the many changes in humans themselves (eating habits, bodily functions, interpersonal relationships, etc...), it's a world so completely different from ours, it's at times overwhelming.
"Remember our motto," says Yaz in a mock serious voice, "One World, One Big Human Family."
The action of Hungry unfolds in a near future, and at times it's really hard to comprehend exactly how did things turn so bad so quickly. From what I gather, humanity managed to destroy the world almost completely. There are no animals left on Earth, no green plants, and no real freedom to do as you please either. There's no food, nor is there hunger for food or desire to enjoy food. Everything and everyone is constantly monitored - from your vitals and metabolism to your whereabouts. Even to have a child you need to enter something called Procreation Pool and get a match. There's no falling in love without Arousal added to your Synhamil, no meeting people at random. Everything is controlled by One World. Sounds scary? Oh, yes!
I thought Heather Swain did a really good job with the world building. While there are some plot holes in the book (How could people give up their freedom so easily? Did they not try to put up a fight? How did things change so drastically just over two generations? How are they functioning with the Sun being obscured and fauna and flora completely wiped out? What about oxygen? There are literally tons of questions that come to mind as you read), the world itself is interesting enough to get you hooked and flipping the pages. Swain included enough detail to make the entire set up believable enough for the reader to get invested in the story. And, considering this is the first book in a planned series, there's still plenty of time to further flesh out the world and polish all the details. The worldbuilding is not seamless for sure, but it's far from being completely ridiculous either. And the idea of living in a world without food, as far fetched as it may sound, really works out great. I was skeptical about some world elements, yes, but at the same time I could not stop reading. And I'm definitely interested to find out what happens next.
While I really enjoyed Swain's captivating, fast-paced writing style and the complexity of the world building, I can't say the same thing about the relationships in this book. Aside from one - between Thalia and her grandmother - I did not like any of them.
Thalia's relationship with her mother is... weird. To say the least. Her mom is a scientist. And not just any scientist either, she is THE scientist. The one who helped refine the inocs and essentially got rid of hunger. The one who invented Synthamil, a nutritional beverage that keeps people from starving. That being said, Thalia's mom is kind of a control freak. A cold and heartless control freak, to be more precise. To the point that when Thalia admits to experiencing hunger, her mom gets her locked up in rehab. They both keep secrets from one another and generally don't get along well. ("Like I have to agree with everything she says just because she was instrumental in saving humanity.") I found their relationship rather sad.
The insta-love between Thalia and Basil, however, is even worse. They get into fights often, quarrelling over just about anything. They go from completely in love and unable to live without one another to "I can't believe I liked this guy" in a matter of mere seconds. Now, I understand that these are teenagers we're talking about, and this is how most teenagers roll. Hot-hearted, passionate and acting on hormones rather than stopping to think for a second. And I think that Swain really did manage to capture the craziness of teenage love, I guess I just wished for more maturity and less irresponsibility in their actions. Instead, their relationship came off rather unhealthy, and I don't think that was the intention here.
All things considered, Hungry is a captivating and thought-provoking story set in a fascinating world. A dystopian unlike anything else out there, filled with futuristic gadgets, innovative ideas and scary secrets. Tense and action-packed, it's a very entertaining tale with plenty potential for growth. And, come to think of it, it's kind of a magical story too, in that it really makes you look around and appreciate all the small things in your life that you'd usually take for granted - chocolate cake, grandma's hugs, meeting random people who turn out to be your best friends.
I'm really looking forward to seeing where the author will take us next.
"Remember our motto," says Yaz in a mock serious voice, "One World, One Big Human Family."
The action of Hungry unfolds in a near future, and at times it's really hard to comprehend exactly how did things turn so bad so quickly. From what I gather, humanity managed to destroy the world almost completely. There are no animals left on Earth, no green plants, and no real freedom to do as you please either. There's no food, nor is there hunger for food or desire to enjoy food. Everything and everyone is constantly monitored - from your vitals and metabolism to your whereabouts. Even to have a child you need to enter something called Procreation Pool and get a match. There's no falling in love without Arousal added to your Synhamil, no meeting people at random. Everything is controlled by One World. Sounds scary? Oh, yes!
I thought Heather Swain did a really good job with the world building. While there are some plot holes in the book (How could people give up their freedom so easily? Did they not try to put up a fight? How did things change so drastically just over two generations? How are they functioning with the Sun being obscured and fauna and flora completely wiped out? What about oxygen? There are literally tons of questions that come to mind as you read), the world itself is interesting enough to get you hooked and flipping the pages. Swain included enough detail to make the entire set up believable enough for the reader to get invested in the story. And, considering this is the first book in a planned series, there's still plenty of time to further flesh out the world and polish all the details. The worldbuilding is not seamless for sure, but it's far from being completely ridiculous either. And the idea of living in a world without food, as far fetched as it may sound, really works out great. I was skeptical about some world elements, yes, but at the same time I could not stop reading. And I'm definitely interested to find out what happens next.
While I really enjoyed Swain's captivating, fast-paced writing style and the complexity of the world building, I can't say the same thing about the relationships in this book. Aside from one - between Thalia and her grandmother - I did not like any of them.
Thalia's relationship with her mother is... weird. To say the least. Her mom is a scientist. And not just any scientist either, she is THE scientist. The one who helped refine the inocs and essentially got rid of hunger. The one who invented Synthamil, a nutritional beverage that keeps people from starving. That being said, Thalia's mom is kind of a control freak. A cold and heartless control freak, to be more precise. To the point that when Thalia admits to experiencing hunger, her mom gets her locked up in rehab. They both keep secrets from one another and generally don't get along well. ("Like I have to agree with everything she says just because she was instrumental in saving humanity.") I found their relationship rather sad.
The insta-love between Thalia and Basil, however, is even worse. They get into fights often, quarrelling over just about anything. They go from completely in love and unable to live without one another to "I can't believe I liked this guy" in a matter of mere seconds. Now, I understand that these are teenagers we're talking about, and this is how most teenagers roll. Hot-hearted, passionate and acting on hormones rather than stopping to think for a second. And I think that Swain really did manage to capture the craziness of teenage love, I guess I just wished for more maturity and less irresponsibility in their actions. Instead, their relationship came off rather unhealthy, and I don't think that was the intention here.
All things considered, Hungry is a captivating and thought-provoking story set in a fascinating world. A dystopian unlike anything else out there, filled with futuristic gadgets, innovative ideas and scary secrets. Tense and action-packed, it's a very entertaining tale with plenty potential for growth. And, come to think of it, it's kind of a magical story too, in that it really makes you look around and appreciate all the small things in your life that you'd usually take for granted - chocolate cake, grandma's hugs, meeting random people who turn out to be your best friends.
I'm really looking forward to seeing where the author will take us next.
Want to read
November 5, 2019.
not-interested
January 18, 2014Seriously? Is this a real book? *loses all faith in humanity*
May 4, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: I didn’t have high expectations for this novel, but even I was let down by the multitude of things wrong with the book overall.
Opening Sentence: In the ghostly branches of a hologram tree, the light winks off something red and round.
The Review:
Thaila Apple lives in a world where there is no food necessary. One World treats all citizens with free Synthanil that provides nutrients, and is very strict on these no food laws. It’s only to protect everyone…right? Thaila will learn to fight back against an unfair government and fall in love against all odds in Hungry, a new novel.
My opinion about this book went back and forth so quickly, but here is my conclusion: this book confused me. Not in the “I haven’t the slightest idea what’s happening way”, but the “sometimes it’s great but there are too many problems” kind. I’ll put it this way. The plot overall? Lots of potential. I’ll admit, when I read the synopsis it sounded cheesy, and the people on Goodreads agreed. I quote directly- “I think they’re running out of ideas for YA books”. These were my thoughts at first as well, but getting into the story I saw that really, the rebellion about the food connected to more than just eating, but to being free and having other certain rights. However, so many tiny things didn’t work for me that they spoiled the rest of the novel. I’ll start with the romance. Usually forbidden romances really get me involved with the story emotionally, but the only emotion I feel towards this couple was irritation. They fought every other sentence, and either they are completely in love or in a full-blown war, and I can tell you that I was not impressed. Then, they forgave each other at the blink of an eye! What?
Another problem was that so much was going on. I never really kept up with where they were and what they were doing because the characters moved on so fast. Apple’s main goals kept changing, from meeting up with her family to escaping One World once and for all. I didn’t get to know any of the characters except Yaz, who had the only interesting personality in this whole book, give or take a few mostly unimportant people. Don’t even get me started on the ridiculous names that some of them had. Zara, Thaila Apple, Basil, they were either foods or strange. That might have been okay if I didn’t get some of them confused so easily, especially Zara and Haza, who I couldn’t keep straight for the life of me.
I will definitely admit there are things that Hungry did right. For one, it got me to really feel the tone of the pages, even if most of my strong emotions were disgust (especially around the climax). The world building was expertly done, even if it was hard to understand at first. I could imagine myself living in this world of secrets and technology, playing with the interactive Hedgy like Apple did in one scene, fighting her mother with her. My thoughts toward dear ‘ole momma are scrambled like my thoughts on the rest of the book, but I don’t trust her.
If you are a fan of Matched by Allie Condie, you might be interested in trying this out. I’m not sure if you will gain more clarity about it than I did, but I certainly hope so. The writing style isn’t horrible, but as I said, lots of problems made me disappointed, many of which I did not list. I can’t see this book rising to fame anytime soon, but then again, maybe I’m wrong.
Notable Scene:
The texture is strange. Bumpy. Almost rubbery. I start to gag but then my mouth fills with spit. I move the berry to the side of my mouth, between my teeth and my cheek and I suck, drawing out small gulps of pleasure. When that’s not enough, I cautiously bite down. A sweet, tart juice in released. “Oh my god!”
FTC Advisory: Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Hungry. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: I didn’t have high expectations for this novel, but even I was let down by the multitude of things wrong with the book overall.
Opening Sentence: In the ghostly branches of a hologram tree, the light winks off something red and round.
The Review:
Thaila Apple lives in a world where there is no food necessary. One World treats all citizens with free Synthanil that provides nutrients, and is very strict on these no food laws. It’s only to protect everyone…right? Thaila will learn to fight back against an unfair government and fall in love against all odds in Hungry, a new novel.
My opinion about this book went back and forth so quickly, but here is my conclusion: this book confused me. Not in the “I haven’t the slightest idea what’s happening way”, but the “sometimes it’s great but there are too many problems” kind. I’ll put it this way. The plot overall? Lots of potential. I’ll admit, when I read the synopsis it sounded cheesy, and the people on Goodreads agreed. I quote directly- “I think they’re running out of ideas for YA books”. These were my thoughts at first as well, but getting into the story I saw that really, the rebellion about the food connected to more than just eating, but to being free and having other certain rights. However, so many tiny things didn’t work for me that they spoiled the rest of the novel. I’ll start with the romance. Usually forbidden romances really get me involved with the story emotionally, but the only emotion I feel towards this couple was irritation. They fought every other sentence, and either they are completely in love or in a full-blown war, and I can tell you that I was not impressed. Then, they forgave each other at the blink of an eye! What?
Another problem was that so much was going on. I never really kept up with where they were and what they were doing because the characters moved on so fast. Apple’s main goals kept changing, from meeting up with her family to escaping One World once and for all. I didn’t get to know any of the characters except Yaz, who had the only interesting personality in this whole book, give or take a few mostly unimportant people. Don’t even get me started on the ridiculous names that some of them had. Zara, Thaila Apple, Basil, they were either foods or strange. That might have been okay if I didn’t get some of them confused so easily, especially Zara and Haza, who I couldn’t keep straight for the life of me.
I will definitely admit there are things that Hungry did right. For one, it got me to really feel the tone of the pages, even if most of my strong emotions were disgust (especially around the climax). The world building was expertly done, even if it was hard to understand at first. I could imagine myself living in this world of secrets and technology, playing with the interactive Hedgy like Apple did in one scene, fighting her mother with her. My thoughts toward dear ‘ole momma are scrambled like my thoughts on the rest of the book, but I don’t trust her.
If you are a fan of Matched by Allie Condie, you might be interested in trying this out. I’m not sure if you will gain more clarity about it than I did, but I certainly hope so. The writing style isn’t horrible, but as I said, lots of problems made me disappointed, many of which I did not list. I can’t see this book rising to fame anytime soon, but then again, maybe I’m wrong.
Notable Scene:
The texture is strange. Bumpy. Almost rubbery. I start to gag but then my mouth fills with spit. I move the berry to the side of my mouth, between my teeth and my cheek and I suck, drawing out small gulps of pleasure. When that’s not enough, I cautiously bite down. A sweet, tart juice in released. “Oh my god!”
FTC Advisory: Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Hungry. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
maybe
January 15, 2015In the future food is gone
I have no idea why but that line makes me crack up.
I have no idea why but that line makes me crack up.
Want to read
January 4, 2014Weirdest. Concept. Ever.
March 4, 2015
Actual Rating: 3½ stars.
This was a VERY interesting and unique story.
I found the beginning a bit slow. Because of how technologically advanced this world was, I was a bit lost. It felt really sci-fi-y to me and that's not really my thing. There was a time I considered putting the book down, actually. The story felt too heavy and overwhelming to me. I can say now that I'm satisfied with the story and glad I didn't put it down.
Thalia irritated me. A LOT. She seemed to make so many stupid, rash mistakes! Yes, she's human and not perfect but good lord.
This was a VERY interesting and unique story.
I found the beginning a bit slow. Because of how technologically advanced this world was, I was a bit lost. It felt really sci-fi-y to me and that's not really my thing. There was a time I considered putting the book down, actually. The story felt too heavy and overwhelming to me. I can say now that I'm satisfied with the story and glad I didn't put it down.
Thalia irritated me. A LOT. She seemed to make so many stupid, rash mistakes! Yes, she's human and not perfect but good lord.
January 22, 2015
Imagine a future where there is no food and the only nutrition you get is through a synthetic substance called Synthamil. Your daily dose of Synthamil is carefully calibrated to your body’s needs and eliminates the need for actual food. So none of this:
Or this:
Nothing! Just a small liquid tube of nutrients. Sounds yummy…
In this future, all forms of food (seeds, animals, etc) have been eliminated or lost to wars. Scientists have found a way to sustain society without the constant struggle of people fighting for food and money. Or so they think. Enter Thalia Apple, daughter of one of the founding scientists of Syntamil. Thalia comes from a life of privilege, having both parents who work for the OneWorld Corporation, until one day her stomach growls. She’s scared at first; constantly trying to hide whatever is happening to her body, but it just gets worse.
Then she meets Basil, another person like her who also feels hunger. Thalia is then thrown into a world of lies, deceit, confusion, and corporate domination as she struggles to find the truth in what’s going on in the world.
Honestly, I’m on the fence about this one – not sure how I actually feel. On one hand, I loved the concept. It was original and interesting. And I liked Thalia – she questioned everything, she never followed people blindly instead she challenged them to further understand. I also liked Basil. He was adorable if not a little too easily swayed. Their relationship, although a little insta-lovish, was cute. I loved how they always looked out for each other.
What was confusing for me was the world set up. I felt like there was so much thrown at us that it was hard to grasp and even harder for me to visualize, especially the Inner Loops. Everything was so hi-tech and scientific that I felt like I was in the Fifth Element.
The pacing was another thing that felt a little off to me. I lost some interest about halfway through and didn’t end up going back to the book for a few weeks. Parts felt extremely cultish and that whole idea freaks me out, so it may have just been me.
And then there was the ending. At about 90% in, the book enters this crazy, non-stop action ‘omg what’s going to happen’ phase. Its built up so much that you just know something bad is going to happen and I started to wonder how anyone is going to get out of this and how this book was going to be wrapped up in 10%. Well, basically, it just ended. It was so abrupt that I was left feeling unsatisfied. Now, I just want to say, I’m not upset or dissatisfied with how the story ended for our characters, it’s more the way it was so rushed that ultimately I felt let down.
Overall, a good concept and a decent read.
This review can also be seen here on my blog.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Or this:
Nothing! Just a small liquid tube of nutrients. Sounds yummy…
In this future, all forms of food (seeds, animals, etc) have been eliminated or lost to wars. Scientists have found a way to sustain society without the constant struggle of people fighting for food and money. Or so they think. Enter Thalia Apple, daughter of one of the founding scientists of Syntamil. Thalia comes from a life of privilege, having both parents who work for the OneWorld Corporation, until one day her stomach growls. She’s scared at first; constantly trying to hide whatever is happening to her body, but it just gets worse.
Then she meets Basil, another person like her who also feels hunger. Thalia is then thrown into a world of lies, deceit, confusion, and corporate domination as she struggles to find the truth in what’s going on in the world.
Honestly, I’m on the fence about this one – not sure how I actually feel. On one hand, I loved the concept. It was original and interesting. And I liked Thalia – she questioned everything, she never followed people blindly instead she challenged them to further understand. I also liked Basil. He was adorable if not a little too easily swayed. Their relationship, although a little insta-lovish, was cute. I loved how they always looked out for each other.
What was confusing for me was the world set up. I felt like there was so much thrown at us that it was hard to grasp and even harder for me to visualize, especially the Inner Loops. Everything was so hi-tech and scientific that I felt like I was in the Fifth Element.
The pacing was another thing that felt a little off to me. I lost some interest about halfway through and didn’t end up going back to the book for a few weeks. Parts felt extremely cultish and that whole idea freaks me out, so it may have just been me.
And then there was the ending. At about 90% in, the book enters this crazy, non-stop action ‘omg what’s going to happen’ phase. Its built up so much that you just know something bad is going to happen and I started to wonder how anyone is going to get out of this and how this book was going to be wrapped up in 10%. Well, basically, it just ended. It was so abrupt that I was left feeling unsatisfied. Now, I just want to say, I’m not upset or dissatisfied with how the story ended for our characters, it’s more the way it was so rushed that ultimately I felt let down.
Overall, a good concept and a decent read.
This review can also be seen here on my blog.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
July 3, 2014
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT: http://www.shaelit.com/2014/07/review...
**Actual rating closer to 1.5 stars**
Nnnnngh. Just... nnnngh. Hungry by H.A. Swain has such an interesting concept. What would a future look like where food is irrelevant? And how would that future fall apart if its citizens started feeling hungry again? Unfortunately, I couldn't quite stomach what the author was dishing up. I guess you could say it didn't quite cut the mustard. Actually, some parts really cheesed me off. While some of the questions raised were definitely food for thought, this story just wasn't something I could sink my teeth into.
Sorry, sorry, I'm done, I promise. (I think.) But truly, Hungry was such a roller coaster ride for me that my head hurts a bit trying to put this review together. It all started with an unnecessary prologue, a dream prologue, no less. Dreams are a hard sell for me, as are prologues, so putting them together as the first introduction into the story was nearly enough to make me stop reading right there. However, once I got past that unpleasantness, I was grudgingly willing to move forward.
Thalia Apple's world is strange yet interesting. In this new world, years after the food shortages and riots that nearly destroyed civilization, the world's population lives off of inocs, medicines that provide sustenance, quench hunger, stave off illness, and regulate hormones. You're nothing but a beast without your inocs, a soon-to-be-dead-from-unfelt-starvation beast at that. This is a world where touch is considered gross, shopping is done virtually, and everyone has too-chipper Siri-type personal assistants to manage their lives. Thalia's family is near the top of the pecking order in this world. Her mom was the brains behind the inocs, and her father is the leading tech guru behind One World, the megaconglomerate agency that runs the world. It's a fascinating but scary place. I loved seeing how some technologies and ideals that already exist in our world get mutated and enlarged to fit the One World vision.
Most everyone loves the way the world is, at least in Thalia's privileged circles. Fun digital entertainment, fame and fortune, good health, what's not to like? Thalia, on the other hand, longs for life the way her grandmother used to live, with cotton fabrics and hugging and farms. I wanted to shove her down a trash compactor. I understand what the author was trying to do. As readers, we recognize from the beginning that something's wrong with Thalia's world. The lack of food and bodily functions, the regulated times to breed, the hyperconnectivity and yet intense social disconnect provided by the digital gadgets, they're all unnatural. Thalia is supposed to be the character we can relate to, the one we root for as she upsets the status quo with her clever little hacks and worn blue jeans and handcrafted pot holder handbag. She's supposed to be an "old soul." But no, what she is is a hipster snob. She's the friend who looks down on your tablet as she pecks away at her vintage typewriter, the classmate who tries to derail the professor with snotty arguments about philosophy in the middle of math class, the one who thinks she has it all figured out and pities the blind bourgeois around her. Gag.
To be fair, the author works on stripping Thalia of some of her nauseating self-conceit. Thalia meets Basil, a lower-class boy who shows her what the world is like outside of her privileged bubble. It's an eye-opening trip, one akin to the scene in WALL-E where the humans have their screens ripped away. It also shows some pretty hefty world-building on the part of H.A. Swain, as we now get to see both sides of the utopian/dystopian coin that One World has created. Unfortunately, part of this trip means Thalia the Hipster runs smack into Basil's friends, the Hippie Analogs. If there's a character type I dislike more than hipster, it's hippie. I'm sorry, but I can't take people named Kumquat and Radish seriously, especially not if they insist on communing mentally with their mystical leader. Not buying it.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="307"]
Here we have Brothers Baby Carrots and Rutabaga composing a ballad in honor of creamed corn.[/caption]
Oh, oh, and while we're on character types that I hate, guess where we get to go after the hippies? That's right! A totally brainwashed, misogynistic, socially repressive commune! Hooray! Because you know I just LOVE places where the people are cut off from the outside world, the women are treated like breeding cattle, and they're all ruled by a dingbat leader with delusions of grandeur! Wait, hipsters, hippies, and communes? Ding ding ding! It's a tick-Shae-off hat trick! Congratulations, have a bunny prize.
I just... I can't. I can't. I spent the majority of the book trapped with people I loathe, be they power-grasping scientists, snobby hipsters, spacey hippies, or delusional cult followers. Even when I was able to avoid them ("them" being 99% of the cast), I was still stuck with Basil and Thalia, who were either waxing poetic over food, waxing poetic over each other, getting into completely fabricated arguments that come out of NOWHERE, or continually blowing their cover on the run by calling home to their parents. Okay, that last one was just Thalia, but still. (On The Lam 101, sweetheart. Don't call home, especially not in a house with a super-nerd dad who can totally trace your call in his sleep.)
Woof, it was nice to get all that off my chest. I could go on for much longer, but let's end with some happy things. Praise where praise is due, after all. As I said, in certain spots the world-building was aces. Also, I really liked Yaz, Thalia's BFF and frequent recipient of her hipster rants. Actually, I think the story would have been much more palatable and interesting if told from Yaz's point of view. I also enjoyed some of the more intricate contract law jargon the characters use to discuss the control One World has over the population's inocs. Some people might find it boring, but the details felt legitimate to me (not that I'm an expert in contract law), which in turn made the scenario Hungry presents more believable. And lastly, bonus points for not making Thalia lily-fair. In fact, based on the clues we're given, a good number of the characters appear to be at least partially something other than white. (Thalia is part Vietnamese and part African-American.) But none of that was enough to shake me from my rage, nausea, and boredom. If any of this sounds interesting to you (and it very well may), please feel free to give this story a test nibble. I, on the other hand, feel the need to go brush my teeth. With acid.
Points Added For: Yaz and her awesomeness, some of the world-building, the nitty-gritty contract law stuff, diverse characters.
Points Subtracted For: Hipsters, hippies, communes, evil cackling mad scientists, lack of sense of place (what CONTINENT are we on?), unnecessary prologue, dream sequences, fabricated arguments, etc.
Good For Fans Of: Communes, food, hipsters.
Notes For Parents: Language, sex (off-page), teen pregnancy.
Note: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
**Actual rating closer to 1.5 stars**
Nnnnngh. Just... nnnngh. Hungry by H.A. Swain has such an interesting concept. What would a future look like where food is irrelevant? And how would that future fall apart if its citizens started feeling hungry again? Unfortunately, I couldn't quite stomach what the author was dishing up. I guess you could say it didn't quite cut the mustard. Actually, some parts really cheesed me off. While some of the questions raised were definitely food for thought, this story just wasn't something I could sink my teeth into.
Sorry, sorry, I'm done, I promise. (I think.) But truly, Hungry was such a roller coaster ride for me that my head hurts a bit trying to put this review together. It all started with an unnecessary prologue, a dream prologue, no less. Dreams are a hard sell for me, as are prologues, so putting them together as the first introduction into the story was nearly enough to make me stop reading right there. However, once I got past that unpleasantness, I was grudgingly willing to move forward.
Thalia Apple's world is strange yet interesting. In this new world, years after the food shortages and riots that nearly destroyed civilization, the world's population lives off of inocs, medicines that provide sustenance, quench hunger, stave off illness, and regulate hormones. You're nothing but a beast without your inocs, a soon-to-be-dead-from-unfelt-starvation beast at that. This is a world where touch is considered gross, shopping is done virtually, and everyone has too-chipper Siri-type personal assistants to manage their lives. Thalia's family is near the top of the pecking order in this world. Her mom was the brains behind the inocs, and her father is the leading tech guru behind One World, the megaconglomerate agency that runs the world. It's a fascinating but scary place. I loved seeing how some technologies and ideals that already exist in our world get mutated and enlarged to fit the One World vision.
Most everyone loves the way the world is, at least in Thalia's privileged circles. Fun digital entertainment, fame and fortune, good health, what's not to like? Thalia, on the other hand, longs for life the way her grandmother used to live, with cotton fabrics and hugging and farms. I wanted to shove her down a trash compactor. I understand what the author was trying to do. As readers, we recognize from the beginning that something's wrong with Thalia's world. The lack of food and bodily functions, the regulated times to breed, the hyperconnectivity and yet intense social disconnect provided by the digital gadgets, they're all unnatural. Thalia is supposed to be the character we can relate to, the one we root for as she upsets the status quo with her clever little hacks and worn blue jeans and handcrafted pot holder handbag. She's supposed to be an "old soul." But no, what she is is a hipster snob. She's the friend who looks down on your tablet as she pecks away at her vintage typewriter, the classmate who tries to derail the professor with snotty arguments about philosophy in the middle of math class, the one who thinks she has it all figured out and pities the blind bourgeois around her. Gag.
To be fair, the author works on stripping Thalia of some of her nauseating self-conceit. Thalia meets Basil, a lower-class boy who shows her what the world is like outside of her privileged bubble. It's an eye-opening trip, one akin to the scene in WALL-E where the humans have their screens ripped away. It also shows some pretty hefty world-building on the part of H.A. Swain, as we now get to see both sides of the utopian/dystopian coin that One World has created. Unfortunately, part of this trip means Thalia the Hipster runs smack into Basil's friends, the Hippie Analogs. If there's a character type I dislike more than hipster, it's hippie. I'm sorry, but I can't take people named Kumquat and Radish seriously, especially not if they insist on communing mentally with their mystical leader. Not buying it.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="307"]
Here we have Brothers Baby Carrots and Rutabaga composing a ballad in honor of creamed corn.[/caption]Oh, oh, and while we're on character types that I hate, guess where we get to go after the hippies? That's right! A totally brainwashed, misogynistic, socially repressive commune! Hooray! Because you know I just LOVE places where the people are cut off from the outside world, the women are treated like breeding cattle, and they're all ruled by a dingbat leader with delusions of grandeur! Wait, hipsters, hippies, and communes? Ding ding ding! It's a tick-Shae-off hat trick! Congratulations, have a bunny prize.
I just... I can't. I can't. I spent the majority of the book trapped with people I loathe, be they power-grasping scientists, snobby hipsters, spacey hippies, or delusional cult followers. Even when I was able to avoid them ("them" being 99% of the cast), I was still stuck with Basil and Thalia, who were either waxing poetic over food, waxing poetic over each other, getting into completely fabricated arguments that come out of NOWHERE, or continually blowing their cover on the run by calling home to their parents. Okay, that last one was just Thalia, but still. (On The Lam 101, sweetheart. Don't call home, especially not in a house with a super-nerd dad who can totally trace your call in his sleep.)
Woof, it was nice to get all that off my chest. I could go on for much longer, but let's end with some happy things. Praise where praise is due, after all. As I said, in certain spots the world-building was aces. Also, I really liked Yaz, Thalia's BFF and frequent recipient of her hipster rants. Actually, I think the story would have been much more palatable and interesting if told from Yaz's point of view. I also enjoyed some of the more intricate contract law jargon the characters use to discuss the control One World has over the population's inocs. Some people might find it boring, but the details felt legitimate to me (not that I'm an expert in contract law), which in turn made the scenario Hungry presents more believable. And lastly, bonus points for not making Thalia lily-fair. In fact, based on the clues we're given, a good number of the characters appear to be at least partially something other than white. (Thalia is part Vietnamese and part African-American.) But none of that was enough to shake me from my rage, nausea, and boredom. If any of this sounds interesting to you (and it very well may), please feel free to give this story a test nibble. I, on the other hand, feel the need to go brush my teeth. With acid.
Points Added For: Yaz and her awesomeness, some of the world-building, the nitty-gritty contract law stuff, diverse characters.
Points Subtracted For: Hipsters, hippies, communes, evil cackling mad scientists, lack of sense of place (what CONTINENT are we on?), unnecessary prologue, dream sequences, fabricated arguments, etc.
Good For Fans Of: Communes, food, hipsters.
Notes For Parents: Language, sex (off-page), teen pregnancy.
Note: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2014
This book's cover first caught my eye, then the premise? Awesome. In Thalia's world, no one eats, and no one feels hungry. They all take the inocs. She's taught there's no more famine, food-related diseases or war. But when Thalia starts to feel hungry, she and Basil (our brave hero) must go underground and realize how much they have been lied to. This is the exact type of YA dystopian I adore. The world building is complex, and if you don't pay attention at times, it can be overwhelming. Now the romance … Basil and Thalia's romance is not smooth sailing. They fight, they argue, there's slight immaturity on both parties, but then again they're slowly starving to death. I do think that if there was a prequel, on how the world got to be so bad, it would add more depth and understanding to Hungry. Yes … I'm now demanding a prequel! Enjoy!
Head over to the HEA blog to see which line Heather chose as her 'epic line!' of Hungry
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
Head over to the HEA blog to see which line Heather chose as her 'epic line!' of Hungry
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
November 17, 2014
This is the most ridiculous thing ever, second only to The Selection.
March 20, 2016
Не ожидала, что мне понравится книга.
Начинала её читать на английском, забросила, показалась мне скучноватой, после окончания ЛП решила дочитать ее *ну и разгрузить свой список "в процессе"*. Поработали над книгой хорошо, но могли бы лучше.
Теперь о самом сюжете.
Автор неплохо описала мир, в котором нет еды и вдруг внезапно люди начинают чувствовать голод, но всё равно, мне конец показался какой-то слишком быстрый, немного недосказанный. Хоть некоторые моменты для меня автор так и раскрыла, особенно мотивы, и что вообще привело к такому положению дел. Вскользь упомянуто, да, но мне хотелось бы побольше конкретики. Молю, чтобы автор не решилась написать продолжение, оно будет лишним. Сейчас очень редко встретишь антиутопию, которая написана вне серии. Что ещё меня всегда убивает в книгах данного жанра, всегда нетронутой остается только континент Северная Америка, про другие вообще молчок, либо пару предложений написано, либо эпик-фейл. В данном случае, автор пошел по первому пути.
Далее перейдем к героям.
Хоть мне и хотелось прибить героиню в некоторые моменты, действовала она адекватно, хоть, как и сказал главный герой книги, что "... ты всего лишь неделю живешь так, а я - всю жизнь..." Сделала она за эту неделю намного больше, чем многие другие герои за долгое время.
С мотивами у лидеров сопротивления как-то вообще всё плохо, а главарь одной из них похожа больше на сумасшедшую, чем на лидера. Хотя не удивительно, если прочитаешь про место, где находится её лагерь. Я как-то ожидала, что с лидером случится примерно то же самое,
Посоветовала бы читать тем, кто хочет отдохнуть, прочитав легкую книжку, и не особо напрягать мозг.
Начинала её читать на английском, забросила, показалась мне скучноватой, после окончания ЛП решила дочитать ее *ну и разгрузить свой список "в процессе"*. Поработали над книгой хорошо, но могли бы лучше.
Теперь о самом сюжете.
Автор неплохо описала мир, в котором нет еды и вдруг внезапно люди начинают чувствовать голод, но всё равно, мне конец показался какой-то слишком быстрый, немного недосказанный. Хоть некоторые моменты для меня автор так и раскрыла, особенно мотивы, и что вообще привело к такому положению дел. Вскользь упомянуто, да, но мне хотелось бы побольше конкретики. Молю, чтобы автор не решилась написать продолжение, оно будет лишним. Сейчас очень редко встретишь антиутопию, которая написана вне серии. Что ещё меня всегда убивает в книгах данного жанра, всегда нетронутой остается только континент Северная Америка, про другие вообще молчок, либо пару предложений написано, либо эпик-фейл. В данном случае, автор пошел по первому пути.
Далее перейдем к героям.
Хоть мне и хотелось прибить героиню в некоторые моменты, действовала она адекватно, хоть, как и сказал главный герой книги, что "... ты всего лишь неделю живешь так, а я - всю жизнь..." Сделала она за эту неделю намного больше, чем многие другие герои за долгое время.
С мотивами у лидеров сопротивления как-то вообще всё плохо, а главарь одной из них похожа больше на сумасшедшую, чем на лидера. Хотя не удивительно, если прочитаешь про место, где находится её лагерь. Я как-то ожидала, что с лидером случится примерно то же самое,
Посоветовала бы читать тем, кто хочет отдохнуть, прочитав легкую книжку, и не особо напрягать мозг.
January 18, 2016
Hungry is another one of those books set in the future, where the world is crashing down. One main thing is there is not food. But starvation is not a problem. Thalia Apple, the main character, is the daughter of the two most important scientists. They were the ones to invent the substitute for food, synthamil. It gives the same essential nutrients as food. Thalia and her family live in the higher life of society in the inner loop. She starts to feel empty in her stomach. She realizes that she is feeling hungry, a feeling that shouldn't even occur. Thalia is more interested in the old world, before the switch to synthamil. One day she is exploring the abandoned part of the city, when she is led to a building from smelling something. In this building she meets a boy named Basil. He too also feels hungry. He informs her that there are many more people who also feel this terrible feeling. He opens her world to a new concept, smell. He shows her the great past where there were foods like brownies or roasted chicken. After disaster with One World, the company that runs the loops, Thalia and Basil together run off to find the land outside of the loops, were they grow food and are free. It's defiantly not how they expected it.....
This book is adventurous and kinda a romance story. I usually frown upon love stories, but I actually really enjoyed this book. I read this book many times over after I got it. Every time better than the first. I didn't like the cliche moments between Basil and Thalia. Some parts are boring and kinda lengthy. But overall a pretty good adventure. Make sure to be open to new ideas!
This book is probably best for girls,as it is from a girls point of view, but I guess guys could read it too. I really did like this book!
This book is adventurous and kinda a romance story. I usually frown upon love stories, but I actually really enjoyed this book. I read this book many times over after I got it. Every time better than the first. I didn't like the cliche moments between Basil and Thalia. Some parts are boring and kinda lengthy. But overall a pretty good adventure. Make sure to be open to new ideas!
This book is probably best for girls,as it is from a girls point of view, but I guess guys could read it too. I really did like this book!
July 21, 2021
Read the title, read the synopsis. It's worse than you think. A wannabe wall-e meets Uglies by Scott Westerfield, this book was an insult to read. The characters were so embarrassing to read I had to look away, the relationships and development actually, ACTUALLY nonexistent, the plot is dragging and predictable and cringey. There were typoes. The entire concept, the base of the world building, was nonsensical and also really deeply dumb. I thought this would be funny, but it was actually a waste of my finite time on earth. I dont want to be mean here but holy mackerel guys. This ones a stinker. Don't read this, I'm serious.
May 21, 2018
I am not a fan of dystopia, but Hungry by H.A Swain by far outranks any of the books I previously thought to be ridiculous. The story revolves around an esteemed One World scientist’s daughter, Thalia Apple (whose last name is coincidentally a fruit), trying to expose to the world that it is natural for a human to feel hungry. The planet is devoid of food—yet the author never specifies how this came to happen—so One World took over, supplying everyone with nutrition in the form of Sythamil and taking away hunger pains, emotions, and feelings with "inocs".
Predictably, Thalia Apple, who nicknames herself Apple, feels hunger. As does the boy she stumbles upon sniffing food and immediately falls in love with, Basil.
I don’t know if the author was trying to be clever with the names of the characters, but it’s not normal or realistic for people to be named after food. This isn’t only limited to Apple and Basil, but also others like Radish, Kumquat, Cabbage and Strawberry.
While it seemed the book was like any other dystopian novel, with Apple promoting the theme of freedom of choice, it quickly evolved into a comedy with all its inane plot twists. It was loaded with so many irrelevant details and plot holes that when I finished the book, I was wondering what the point of the first two hundred pages even was.
With the title of the book being “Hungry”, I presumed it would largely revolve around the concept of being hungry. But the author barely covered Apple and Basil’s mutual feeling of hunger and how it affected them. At the beginning Apple would constantly complain about being hungry, but later on, she somehow suddenly stopped having the feeling.
Apple and Basil encounter two dystopian societies, both of which the author never resolved.
In both these societies, it seemed as if Apple and Basil would fight alongside the rebel groups. However they pathetically ran away whenever things got even the slightest bit difficult. As a result, the story is essentially plotless.
“The Farm” is the second society the pair come across. It is based on such patently ludicrous ideals that I don’t understand why it took so long for the character to realize it. Their practices ranged from visiting the “pump house” to produce milk, to spiking the citizen’s daily dose of kudzu (their only food source) so they had the urge to reproduce, to harvesting woman’s eggs to synthesize meat.
Still yet, the characters argued nonstop like preschoolers. Basil could not get over the fact that Apple was raised in the privileged area and suddenly wanted to fight for the rights of the underprivileged. Apple was impulsive, and her methods of fighting against the system not only rarely made a difference, but brought disadvantages upon herself. On one instance, Apple destroyed her anonymity by speaking into a PRC (Personal Reality Channel) and revealing her changed appearance with no further message: “‘This is Thalia Apple,’ I say into the camera.”
The only reason I continued to read this book was because it was so comical that I found it interesting to see what the author came up with next—though I doubt that was her intention.
As absurd as this book was, you start to recognize nothing is ever done for purely good intentions when the executor has nothing to gain from their actions. For example, One World supplied everyone with nutrition, but also banned food and took down every other government so they could make the maximum profit.
The story also reflected current issues such as world hunger. Swain actually felt the most concerned about the state of the world, environment and society as a teenager. She sees many teenagers now have the similar curiosity and passion to fight for a better future, which inspired her to write the novel about these two teenagers.
In Swain’s perception of the future, food is banned, natural human urges are viewed as anomalies, and people are ironically named after food. The only reason I would recommend to pick up this book is to have a good laugh. Otherwise, for the sake of my conscience, I strongly advise against anyone reading Hungry.
Predictably, Thalia Apple, who nicknames herself Apple, feels hunger. As does the boy she stumbles upon sniffing food and immediately falls in love with, Basil.
I don’t know if the author was trying to be clever with the names of the characters, but it’s not normal or realistic for people to be named after food. This isn’t only limited to Apple and Basil, but also others like Radish, Kumquat, Cabbage and Strawberry.
While it seemed the book was like any other dystopian novel, with Apple promoting the theme of freedom of choice, it quickly evolved into a comedy with all its inane plot twists. It was loaded with so many irrelevant details and plot holes that when I finished the book, I was wondering what the point of the first two hundred pages even was.
With the title of the book being “Hungry”, I presumed it would largely revolve around the concept of being hungry. But the author barely covered Apple and Basil’s mutual feeling of hunger and how it affected them. At the beginning Apple would constantly complain about being hungry, but later on, she somehow suddenly stopped having the feeling.
Apple and Basil encounter two dystopian societies, both of which the author never resolved.
In both these societies, it seemed as if Apple and Basil would fight alongside the rebel groups. However they pathetically ran away whenever things got even the slightest bit difficult. As a result, the story is essentially plotless.
“The Farm” is the second society the pair come across. It is based on such patently ludicrous ideals that I don’t understand why it took so long for the character to realize it. Their practices ranged from visiting the “pump house” to produce milk, to spiking the citizen’s daily dose of kudzu (their only food source) so they had the urge to reproduce, to harvesting woman’s eggs to synthesize meat.
Still yet, the characters argued nonstop like preschoolers. Basil could not get over the fact that Apple was raised in the privileged area and suddenly wanted to fight for the rights of the underprivileged. Apple was impulsive, and her methods of fighting against the system not only rarely made a difference, but brought disadvantages upon herself. On one instance, Apple destroyed her anonymity by speaking into a PRC (Personal Reality Channel) and revealing her changed appearance with no further message: “‘This is Thalia Apple,’ I say into the camera.”
The only reason I continued to read this book was because it was so comical that I found it interesting to see what the author came up with next—though I doubt that was her intention.
As absurd as this book was, you start to recognize nothing is ever done for purely good intentions when the executor has nothing to gain from their actions. For example, One World supplied everyone with nutrition, but also banned food and took down every other government so they could make the maximum profit.
The story also reflected current issues such as world hunger. Swain actually felt the most concerned about the state of the world, environment and society as a teenager. She sees many teenagers now have the similar curiosity and passion to fight for a better future, which inspired her to write the novel about these two teenagers.
In Swain’s perception of the future, food is banned, natural human urges are viewed as anomalies, and people are ironically named after food. The only reason I would recommend to pick up this book is to have a good laugh. Otherwise, for the sake of my conscience, I strongly advise against anyone reading Hungry.
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