What do you think?
Rate this book
Hungry: A Biography of My Body
'Amazing. I couldn't put it down.'
ELAINE FEENEY, author of As You Were
'Every woman needs to read this book. Every man needs to read this book.' EDEL COFFEY, author of In Her Place
'I doubt there's a woman alive who won't immediately see herself in these pages. I tore through it.'
TANYA SWEENEY, journalist and author of Esther is Now Following You
~ ~ ~
Hungry is the powerful new memoir from Number One bestselling author Katriona O'Sullivan - a raw, courageous exploration of survival, identity and the lifelong search for self-acceptance.
Raised in a home marked by poverty, addiction and abuse, Katriona defied the from teenage motherhood struggling with her own addictions to becoming a university professor and successful author. But beneath the achievements lay a more private struggle - with her body, her worth, and the unrelenting drive to be enough.
In this fiercely honest memoir, she interrogates how trauma, class and gender shape the way women see themselves - and how society teaches them to measure their value.
Told with stunning courage and vulnerability, Hungry is both a personal reckoning and a powerful reclaiming of body, voice and self. It is one woman's story - and a rallying cry for every woman who has ever felt she had to shrink to survive.
PRAISE FOR POOR:
'One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet' - Guardian
'Powerful - Katriona is a legend' - BARRY KEOGHAN
'Raw, passionate and resolutely honest - I'll never forget it' - ANNIE MAC
'I read Poor in one sitting I found it so compelling . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic' - NUALA MCGOVERN, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio Four
ELAINE FEENEY, author of As You Were
'Every woman needs to read this book. Every man needs to read this book.' EDEL COFFEY, author of In Her Place
'I doubt there's a woman alive who won't immediately see herself in these pages. I tore through it.'
TANYA SWEENEY, journalist and author of Esther is Now Following You
~ ~ ~
Hungry is the powerful new memoir from Number One bestselling author Katriona O'Sullivan - a raw, courageous exploration of survival, identity and the lifelong search for self-acceptance.
Raised in a home marked by poverty, addiction and abuse, Katriona defied the from teenage motherhood struggling with her own addictions to becoming a university professor and successful author. But beneath the achievements lay a more private struggle - with her body, her worth, and the unrelenting drive to be enough.
In this fiercely honest memoir, she interrogates how trauma, class and gender shape the way women see themselves - and how society teaches them to measure their value.
Told with stunning courage and vulnerability, Hungry is both a personal reckoning and a powerful reclaiming of body, voice and self. It is one woman's story - and a rallying cry for every woman who has ever felt she had to shrink to survive.
PRAISE FOR POOR:
'One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet' - Guardian
'Powerful - Katriona is a legend' - BARRY KEOGHAN
'Raw, passionate and resolutely honest - I'll never forget it' - ANNIE MAC
'I read Poor in one sitting I found it so compelling . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic' - NUALA MCGOVERN, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio Four
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Read
May 20, 2026#Gifted
Like most of the country, I read Poor when it was published in 2023.
I cried, I recommended it, I pushed it into people’s hands, I went to see the stage production of it and once again cried, this time for an entire bus journey home from The Gate Theatre.
Hungry; A Biography of my Body by the same author was high on my list of books I wanted to read this year, and it did not disappoint.
Hungry, like Poor, is a memoir but with a difference; it focuses on Katriona O’ Sullivan’s relationship with her body, her weight, and how it has affected her sense of self worth her entire life.
This is a deeply honest exploration of her traumatic childhood, her dependent relationships with men, and her reliance on drugs, alcohol, and above all else, food, in order to maintain a sense of control over her life.
Of course, none of that exists in a vacuum and an intersection of societal misogyny, fatphobia, and classism contribute to the intense pressure Katriona felt to be a certain shape and size.
It’s a hard read, but I actually didn’t want to put it down. It’s engaging and compelling; like a friend telling you their life story. I found myself thinking about her when I wasn’t reading it. I’d tell my husband “I’m just going to read a bit more Katriona before bed”.
I feel like the word “inspiration” gets bandied about a lot for Katriona O’ Sullivan but she genuinely makes me want to improve my own life when I read her writing. She’s achieved so much and is still helping others through her work.
I think there’s going to be endless amounts of women who read this book and nod along in agreement, in fellowship, grateful that someone shares their experiences and can express them so well. That someone not only understands but has done the work to survive and can bravely share her story.
At its heart, Hungry is a work of hope; it’s a powerful rallying cry to every woman who has felt the need to take up less space in the world; an invite to reclaim your voice, your space, and your body.
I loved it.
Highly recommend this one.
Like most of the country, I read Poor when it was published in 2023.
I cried, I recommended it, I pushed it into people’s hands, I went to see the stage production of it and once again cried, this time for an entire bus journey home from The Gate Theatre.
Hungry; A Biography of my Body by the same author was high on my list of books I wanted to read this year, and it did not disappoint.
Hungry, like Poor, is a memoir but with a difference; it focuses on Katriona O’ Sullivan’s relationship with her body, her weight, and how it has affected her sense of self worth her entire life.
This is a deeply honest exploration of her traumatic childhood, her dependent relationships with men, and her reliance on drugs, alcohol, and above all else, food, in order to maintain a sense of control over her life.
Of course, none of that exists in a vacuum and an intersection of societal misogyny, fatphobia, and classism contribute to the intense pressure Katriona felt to be a certain shape and size.
It’s a hard read, but I actually didn’t want to put it down. It’s engaging and compelling; like a friend telling you their life story. I found myself thinking about her when I wasn’t reading it. I’d tell my husband “I’m just going to read a bit more Katriona before bed”.
I feel like the word “inspiration” gets bandied about a lot for Katriona O’ Sullivan but she genuinely makes me want to improve my own life when I read her writing. She’s achieved so much and is still helping others through her work.
I think there’s going to be endless amounts of women who read this book and nod along in agreement, in fellowship, grateful that someone shares their experiences and can express them so well. That someone not only understands but has done the work to survive and can bravely share her story.
At its heart, Hungry is a work of hope; it’s a powerful rallying cry to every woman who has felt the need to take up less space in the world; an invite to reclaim your voice, your space, and your body.
I loved it.
Highly recommend this one.
August 23, 2026
Hot take 🫣🫣 ok i loved poor, and i only read it a little bit ago so katriona's life story is pretty fresh in my brain. It is very well-written and the likes, just like poor, but that is my problem. This is just poor with a few added chapters of bits that were glossed over in the inital memoir. I don't think this was her MO with this one, but i can't help but feel like this is giving 'cash-grab'....
I don't like giving memoirs or biographies such bad reviews and especially ones like these because katriona's story, what she survived, endured and how she got to where she is now is so so so inspirational. I don't doubt that must have been very cathartic to write - but tbh, if you read poor, there's no need to read this as well 🤷♀️🫣
I don't like giving memoirs or biographies such bad reviews and especially ones like these because katriona's story, what she survived, endured and how she got to where she is now is so so so inspirational. I don't doubt that must have been very cathartic to write - but tbh, if you read poor, there's no need to read this as well 🤷♀️🫣
May 12, 2026
Heartbreaking story, definitely a bit repetitive if you’ve already read her book ‘Poor’ but still a great book highlighting the struggles of trauma related body image and disordered eating.
June 3, 2026
A remarkable story, exceptionally told. What a woman
June 15, 2026
I really enjoy Katriona's writing. From the very first page, I was hooked. Her writing is so raw and personal. Incredibly brave, putting yourself out there like that. Excellent take on women, our bodies and society's mindset in this unhealthy skinny-at-all-costs era again.
August 29, 2026
This is the first book I think I've ever given a TW on a review for. This is one of the heaviest, most graphic depictions of abuse, neglect, sexual assault, substance abuse and disordered eating I've ever read. If any of these topics are difficult for you, I'd honestly proceed with caution. It has impacted me, and many in our bookclub, tremendously.
The title Hunger reflects her starvation for not just food, but for love, attention, achievement, affection, care, respect, and so much more. An emptiness that needs to be filled. I really struggled with a lot of this book, particularly around disordered eating and the pressure on women to judge our value on the appearance of our bodies. As O'Sullivan reflects, "equating success and failure with food and movement became pathological". This toxic mindset of earning your food by exercise has been drilled into me by family for as long as I can remember. I had to stop the book many times, and debated finishing it.
Katriona O'Sullivan is an absolute force. Her strength and perseverance through the childhood she endured is hard to comprehend. Her narration is powerful and raw.
From our bookclub discussion, it sounds like reading her first book Poor should be a prerequisite before Hunger, although potentially a bit repetitive, as a few us us found a few topics and characters rushed or was missing context.
The title Hunger reflects her starvation for not just food, but for love, attention, achievement, affection, care, respect, and so much more. An emptiness that needs to be filled. I really struggled with a lot of this book, particularly around disordered eating and the pressure on women to judge our value on the appearance of our bodies. As O'Sullivan reflects, "equating success and failure with food and movement became pathological". This toxic mindset of earning your food by exercise has been drilled into me by family for as long as I can remember. I had to stop the book many times, and debated finishing it.
Katriona O'Sullivan is an absolute force. Her strength and perseverance through the childhood she endured is hard to comprehend. Her narration is powerful and raw.
From our bookclub discussion, it sounds like reading her first book Poor should be a prerequisite before Hunger, although potentially a bit repetitive, as a few us us found a few topics and characters rushed or was missing context.
May 15, 2026
Just finished this book with tears in my eyes. Thank you for sharing your life with us Katriona, a story I will be recommending to every woman I know ❤️
May 6, 2026
Hungry was a gift to read. Katriona has the ability to make you feel seen without ever seeing you. Congratulations Katriona it’s a triumph.
April 18, 2026
Probably more of a 3.5 star rating but more of a four for sure than a three. A raw, deeply moving ode to O’Sullivan’s body and her tumultuous relationship with it through poverty, abuse, addiction, childbirth, disordered eating and womanhood. Since I read Katríona’s other book I did find a lot of repetition but nonetheless enjoyed it. Her anecdotes helped future reinforce that our bodies are instruments and not ornaments and how we are so much more than our physiques.
May 11, 2026
This one of the most impactful books I have ever read. The way it made me feel and made me think and made me angry about this world - will live with me forever. Katriona is so articulate, honest, raw and wise in this book. She threads all the intertwined parts of poverty, abuse, gender, class, achievements and beauty standards so well together under the umbrella of “Hunger”. I devoured it in just a few sittings; a rare occurrence for me. Five stars, I would have given fifty if I could!
April 10, 2026
Phenomenal!!! Go preorder it!! Thanks so much to Headline for my copy
May 24, 2026
I hugged the book after I finished reading it. Beautiful, sad, powerful and full of love.
Read
May 11, 2026After reading Poor, there was never any chance I wasn’t going to read Hungry. Publication day arrived and there I was in the bookshop, copy in hand, because some writers become automatic reads.
This book is a searingly honest account of Katriona O’Sullivan’s lifelong relationship with her traumatised body. It is raw, brave, difficult and, at times, almost painfully recognisable.
O’Sullivan has a rare gift for writing about the things many women feel but do not always know how to say out loud. Shame. Hunger. Self-disgust. Ambition. Class. The need to be loved. The fear of being seen. The exhausting, lifelong work of trying to be enough.
What makes Hungry so powerful is that it never feels like a lecture. It feels like someone reaching across the page and saying: you’re not the only one. There is enormous comfort in that, even when the subject matter is bruising.
This is a memoir about poverty, trauma, addiction, motherhood, recovery and education, but it is also a book about space. Who is allowed to take it up. Who is taught to shrink. Who learns to apologise for their body before they have even understood it.
O’Sullivan writes with startling courage about how poverty, gender and trauma shape the way women see themselves, and how brutally society teaches us to measure our worth. Smaller body. Smaller voice. Smaller needs. Smaller life.
What makes this memoir so powerful is that she never writes from a place of superiority or neat resolution. There’s no polished “and then I healed” narrative here. Instead, it feels raw, complicated and incredibly human. She writes about her body as something shaped by trauma, survival, motherhood, addiction, class and expectation, and she does it with enormous courage.
It is uncomfortable at times because it forces you to examine the ways society measures women constantly, and the ways many of us internalise that judgement without even noticing anymore.
But this book refuses the shrinking.
For every woman who has ever made herself smaller to survive, this one will sit heavy in the chest.
Essential reading.
Katriona is some woman for one woman!
This book is a searingly honest account of Katriona O’Sullivan’s lifelong relationship with her traumatised body. It is raw, brave, difficult and, at times, almost painfully recognisable.
O’Sullivan has a rare gift for writing about the things many women feel but do not always know how to say out loud. Shame. Hunger. Self-disgust. Ambition. Class. The need to be loved. The fear of being seen. The exhausting, lifelong work of trying to be enough.
What makes Hungry so powerful is that it never feels like a lecture. It feels like someone reaching across the page and saying: you’re not the only one. There is enormous comfort in that, even when the subject matter is bruising.
This is a memoir about poverty, trauma, addiction, motherhood, recovery and education, but it is also a book about space. Who is allowed to take it up. Who is taught to shrink. Who learns to apologise for their body before they have even understood it.
O’Sullivan writes with startling courage about how poverty, gender and trauma shape the way women see themselves, and how brutally society teaches us to measure our worth. Smaller body. Smaller voice. Smaller needs. Smaller life.
What makes this memoir so powerful is that she never writes from a place of superiority or neat resolution. There’s no polished “and then I healed” narrative here. Instead, it feels raw, complicated and incredibly human. She writes about her body as something shaped by trauma, survival, motherhood, addiction, class and expectation, and she does it with enormous courage.
It is uncomfortable at times because it forces you to examine the ways society measures women constantly, and the ways many of us internalise that judgement without even noticing anymore.
But this book refuses the shrinking.
For every woman who has ever made herself smaller to survive, this one will sit heavy in the chest.
Essential reading.
Katriona is some woman for one woman!
May 27, 2026
I read Hungry while listening to Poor, and I finish audiobooks much faster than physical ones. So, somehow, the books merged, and at a certain point, I thought I was listening/reading to the same thing. I was disappointed at first until the title Hungry struck me, and I understood its meaning. It was much deeper than only being hungry for food, it also covered the depths of having body issues, being abused, bullied, and neglected. In this book, Katriona O'Sullivan brings to us what it means to hate your own body to a point that risking your life is a minor issue if you reach the ideal body shape.
Katriona is not only brave but also honest. In a world where we fake how we are feeling, it is such a relief to come across women who share their life experiences without the layers of artificiality.
Katriona is not only brave but also honest. In a world where we fake how we are feeling, it is such a relief to come across women who share their life experiences without the layers of artificiality.
August 29, 2026
A powerful and deeply personal memoir, but I found Hungry incredibly difficult to read at times because of how relentless and traumatic it is. Having already read Poor, I also felt there was a lot of familiar ground covered, which made parts of this feel repetitive rather than as impactful the second time around.
At times, it felt almost more like a therapeutic piece of writing for Katriona herself than a book written with the reader in mind. I completely understand the value in telling and processing those experiences, but as a reader I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the level of trauma rather than drawn further into the story.
There’s no questioning the strength of what she has survived, but this one just didn’t land with me in the same way.
At times, it felt almost more like a therapeutic piece of writing for Katriona herself than a book written with the reader in mind. I completely understand the value in telling and processing those experiences, but as a reader I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the level of trauma rather than drawn further into the story.
There’s no questioning the strength of what she has survived, but this one just didn’t land with me in the same way.
July 17, 2026
Hungry is Katriona O'Sullivan's latest memoir, her life through the lens of her body: what it's been through, what others have done to it and what she has done to it. She examines her relationship to her body and how it has impacted her life and self-worth over the years.
If you have read Poor, Katriona's first memoir, then you'll be aware of her backstory, growing up the child of addicts and the child neglect and abuse that followed her from a childhood into adolescences and beyond. Hungry looks at how Katriona used food for survival and then comfort and the cycles that often plague women when it comes to their bodies: eat this, don't eat that, follow this diet, exercise, you need to look a certain way, you should get surgery. The time, money and effort that is spent, and often wasted, by women (and men) to fit in societal norms. Katriona is very open and honest about this has impacted her own life.
Katriona also speaks about her body in terms of her pregnancies and also the abuse from other people (including rape) and how these traumas, along with her childhood circumstances, impact her self-worth and other areas in her life. She talks about her never ending hunger to be successful in her career, often leading to over extending herself.
While there is some crossover with Poor, Hungry still captivated me and had me wanting to pick it up again the moment I had put it down. And just like Poor, while most of the issues being discussed are very heavy, this book still has hope and love throughout that lifts it, making sure it's not a miserable read. Hopefully everyone reading this will walk away with a greater appreciation and respect for not only their own bodies but for every body. A raw insight to the inner most thoughts people have about their body.
TW: child neglect, addiction, rape
If you have read Poor, Katriona's first memoir, then you'll be aware of her backstory, growing up the child of addicts and the child neglect and abuse that followed her from a childhood into adolescences and beyond. Hungry looks at how Katriona used food for survival and then comfort and the cycles that often plague women when it comes to their bodies: eat this, don't eat that, follow this diet, exercise, you need to look a certain way, you should get surgery. The time, money and effort that is spent, and often wasted, by women (and men) to fit in societal norms. Katriona is very open and honest about this has impacted her own life.
Katriona also speaks about her body in terms of her pregnancies and also the abuse from other people (including rape) and how these traumas, along with her childhood circumstances, impact her self-worth and other areas in her life. She talks about her never ending hunger to be successful in her career, often leading to over extending herself.
While there is some crossover with Poor, Hungry still captivated me and had me wanting to pick it up again the moment I had put it down. And just like Poor, while most of the issues being discussed are very heavy, this book still has hope and love throughout that lifts it, making sure it's not a miserable read. Hopefully everyone reading this will walk away with a greater appreciation and respect for not only their own bodies but for every body. A raw insight to the inner most thoughts people have about their body.
TW: child neglect, addiction, rape
July 16, 2026
Brilliant book. Heartbreaking but inspiring to see how someone could come through such adversity and do so well. Interesting to read about the links between trauma, poverty, SA and emotions have on eating and the body.
August 18, 2026
This was an amazing book. I really enjoyed Poor, but this felt like O'Sullivan's writing and voice as an author have reached the next level. Katriona's story is so inspiring, so upsetting, and most of all, so necessary. I am positive that I will count this among the best books of 2026.
Read
June 26, 2026Poor is one of my favourite memoirs so have been eagerly awaiting this one. I have just finished reading this one with tears in my eyes 🥹
What a woman Katriona O’Sullivan is!!
What a woman Katriona O’Sullivan is!!
April 25, 2026
So raw, gutwrenching and powerful.
August 27, 2026
I feel bad giving this a low rating, but I just didn’t like this book at all. I felt it was unnecessary, and I don’t know if I learned much more about her after the first book.
And it felt very explicit for the sake of it.
And it felt very explicit for the sake of it.
May 7, 2026
Please go and read both Poor and Hungry, and then share them with everyone you know. We need to talk about poverty and the importance of looking after each other and giving people opportunities, just as much as about trauma and its impact on our bodies and minds. Nobody does it as well as Katriona O’Sullivan.
I listened to Hungry on Spotify, and it was amazing to hear the book narrated by Katriona herself.
I listened to Hungry on Spotify, and it was amazing to hear the book narrated by Katriona herself.
June 17, 2026
A powerful book, devastating sad, a testament to Katriona’s character and determination. Also a life lesson in seeking and accepting help.
May 5, 2026
It ended a bit abruptly in my opinion, the telling was rushed in the end of the book. I felt like my cup of tea was half empty when the chat was over and the other person stood up and left.
May 12, 2026
Hungry: A Biography of My Body by Katriona O’Sullivan published April 23rd with Hachette Ireland and is described as ‘a raw, courageous exploration of survival, identity and the lifelong search for self-acceptance.’
In 2023 I was in a taxi in Dublin on my way to the train station, following a wonderful evening at the Irish Book Awards. It was the year that Katriona O’Sullivan’s staggeringly powerful biography Poor had picked up two awards. At that point I hadn’t read the book but the taxi driver had. He pulled out the copy that he carried with him to read between jobs and was telling me how incredible and impactful her words were. It took me until 2025 to finally dive in, after my daughter passed her copy onto me, telling me in no uncertain words that I had to read it. I never wrote a review for Poor because I just could not put into words the emotions I felt upon completion. Here was a woman who had suffered horrors beyond my comprehension yet, through pure grit and determination, and some unstoppable force, was now a professor of psychology and a voice for the voiceless.
When O’Sullivan wrote Poor, she honestly thought that that was it, her story had been told. But as life continued, so did her struggles, so she made a decision to get back to her writing. This time though her focus was on her body and her constant battle with her personal reality as a woman in today’s society versus expectation.
In Hungry: A Biography of My Body Katriona O’Sullivan reflects on her earlier years. She reminds readers of Poor of those dark times when she battled, against all the odds, to survive the abuse and the poverty of growing up in a family with two addicts as caregivers. She goes deeper into some of her memories, right back to that time when she was a carefree little girl doing cartwheels with her legs in the air and not a worry in the world, clueless as to what lay ahead. But what that little girl also didn’t know was that she was brave, courageous and fearless, someone who would become a beacon of hope for others. someone who would strive forward in her career, find a loving partner and have children.
Like most women today, O’Sullivan’s insecurities are many. Her honesty about her constant battle with her weight and her need to look a certain way is so utterly refreshing. The relentless push on women to reach unattainable perfection is across every media outlet with us all under pressure to try certain products and treatment that will make us look a certain way. These marketing ploys will make us happy right? Wrong. We all know this but O’Sullivan doesn’t beat around the bush, she says it like it is.
‘The pressure to be slim and young, thick and curvy or thin and waif-like affects all of us – but what we do to get there differs on where we are from’
O’Sullivan doesn’t have the answers but what she does have is a platform and she uses it with positive intention. There is no filter. There is no sanitising of her words. She is who she is…and that is more than enough.
Hungry: A Biography of My Body is a personal biography, an inspiring story about one woman’s struggle to learn self-acceptance and self-worth. But it is also an exploration of what it is to be a woman today and the societal pressures that weigh us down. A raw and compassionate book, Hungry: A Biography of My Body is profoundly affecting and relatable. It is savage and uncompromising. Parts of it are every woman’s story but ultimately this is Katriona O’Sullivan’s story, one written with dignity, integrity and authenticity.
In 2023 I was in a taxi in Dublin on my way to the train station, following a wonderful evening at the Irish Book Awards. It was the year that Katriona O’Sullivan’s staggeringly powerful biography Poor had picked up two awards. At that point I hadn’t read the book but the taxi driver had. He pulled out the copy that he carried with him to read between jobs and was telling me how incredible and impactful her words were. It took me until 2025 to finally dive in, after my daughter passed her copy onto me, telling me in no uncertain words that I had to read it. I never wrote a review for Poor because I just could not put into words the emotions I felt upon completion. Here was a woman who had suffered horrors beyond my comprehension yet, through pure grit and determination, and some unstoppable force, was now a professor of psychology and a voice for the voiceless.
When O’Sullivan wrote Poor, she honestly thought that that was it, her story had been told. But as life continued, so did her struggles, so she made a decision to get back to her writing. This time though her focus was on her body and her constant battle with her personal reality as a woman in today’s society versus expectation.
In Hungry: A Biography of My Body Katriona O’Sullivan reflects on her earlier years. She reminds readers of Poor of those dark times when she battled, against all the odds, to survive the abuse and the poverty of growing up in a family with two addicts as caregivers. She goes deeper into some of her memories, right back to that time when she was a carefree little girl doing cartwheels with her legs in the air and not a worry in the world, clueless as to what lay ahead. But what that little girl also didn’t know was that she was brave, courageous and fearless, someone who would become a beacon of hope for others. someone who would strive forward in her career, find a loving partner and have children.
Like most women today, O’Sullivan’s insecurities are many. Her honesty about her constant battle with her weight and her need to look a certain way is so utterly refreshing. The relentless push on women to reach unattainable perfection is across every media outlet with us all under pressure to try certain products and treatment that will make us look a certain way. These marketing ploys will make us happy right? Wrong. We all know this but O’Sullivan doesn’t beat around the bush, she says it like it is.
‘The pressure to be slim and young, thick and curvy or thin and waif-like affects all of us – but what we do to get there differs on where we are from’
O’Sullivan doesn’t have the answers but what she does have is a platform and she uses it with positive intention. There is no filter. There is no sanitising of her words. She is who she is…and that is more than enough.
Hungry: A Biography of My Body is a personal biography, an inspiring story about one woman’s struggle to learn self-acceptance and self-worth. But it is also an exploration of what it is to be a woman today and the societal pressures that weigh us down. A raw and compassionate book, Hungry: A Biography of My Body is profoundly affecting and relatable. It is savage and uncompromising. Parts of it are every woman’s story but ultimately this is Katriona O’Sullivan’s story, one written with dignity, integrity and authenticity.
September 3, 2026
Before I talk about the themes of Hungry, I want to talk about the writing, and I want to make it clear that my review of the writing is in no way a review of the themes. Writing-wise, I found this book to be a bit of a letdown compared to Katriona O’Sullivan’s incredible first memoir Poor.
My book club read Poor over two years ago and it still comes up at almost every meeting as an example of one of the best and most powerful books we have discussed, but I didn’t feel that Hungry was anywhere near as strong in its writing. This memoir covers a lot of the same ground as Poor, to the extent that it felt repetitive to those of us who had read Poor and confusing to those who hadn’t, as some stories from the first memoir are re-explained whereas others are referenced without context.
I also thought a lot of the dialogue felt inauthentic, less like a real conversation and more like what a writer thought that a character in that situation would say. When the book club recently read Lena Dunham’s Famesick, we discussed that, as a professional writer (prior to the writing of the memoir), she likely kept diaries and notes on conversations that allowed her to reproduce them authentically and accurately, and when we read Tara Westover’s Educated (another book club favorite), she writes specifically about keeping journals.
We also discussed the fact of Dunham having written two memoirs by the age of forty, and whether that is merited; O’Sullivan is only a few years older and I found myself asking a similar question. I would recommend reading Poor without reservations, and decide from there whether you want to continue on to Hungry.
Moving on to the themes, though, Hungry is as impactful as anything I have ever read in terms of its often difficult recounting and reflection on themes including abuse, sexual assault, substance abuse, eating disorders, and more. There are very graphic depictions of all of these, so do be aware of that before opening the memoir. But O’Sullivan writes about it all with a candidness that makes it undeniably engaging, despite its heaviness. And I don’t think there’s a woman in the world who wouldn’t find something (or many things) to relate to here.
The book felt a bit academic at times, and I do almost wish she had leaned into that more rather than focusing on the memoir aspect, particularly because so much of her own background had already been shared in Poor. Obviously I don’t mean this in any way to take away from her story because I think she is an incredible person. However, one of the most interesting chapters to me was the one in which she comments on the way class differences are put on display in the way her working-class vs her middle-class academic friends seek to altar their appearances and how the societal standards of beauty manifest slightly differently in each. A deeper exploration of that would have been really interesting, especially coming from someone who had traversed both spheres.
My book club read Poor over two years ago and it still comes up at almost every meeting as an example of one of the best and most powerful books we have discussed, but I didn’t feel that Hungry was anywhere near as strong in its writing. This memoir covers a lot of the same ground as Poor, to the extent that it felt repetitive to those of us who had read Poor and confusing to those who hadn’t, as some stories from the first memoir are re-explained whereas others are referenced without context.
I also thought a lot of the dialogue felt inauthentic, less like a real conversation and more like what a writer thought that a character in that situation would say. When the book club recently read Lena Dunham’s Famesick, we discussed that, as a professional writer (prior to the writing of the memoir), she likely kept diaries and notes on conversations that allowed her to reproduce them authentically and accurately, and when we read Tara Westover’s Educated (another book club favorite), she writes specifically about keeping journals.
We also discussed the fact of Dunham having written two memoirs by the age of forty, and whether that is merited; O’Sullivan is only a few years older and I found myself asking a similar question. I would recommend reading Poor without reservations, and decide from there whether you want to continue on to Hungry.
Moving on to the themes, though, Hungry is as impactful as anything I have ever read in terms of its often difficult recounting and reflection on themes including abuse, sexual assault, substance abuse, eating disorders, and more. There are very graphic depictions of all of these, so do be aware of that before opening the memoir. But O’Sullivan writes about it all with a candidness that makes it undeniably engaging, despite its heaviness. And I don’t think there’s a woman in the world who wouldn’t find something (or many things) to relate to here.
The book felt a bit academic at times, and I do almost wish she had leaned into that more rather than focusing on the memoir aspect, particularly because so much of her own background had already been shared in Poor. Obviously I don’t mean this in any way to take away from her story because I think she is an incredible person. However, one of the most interesting chapters to me was the one in which she comments on the way class differences are put on display in the way her working-class vs her middle-class academic friends seek to altar their appearances and how the societal standards of beauty manifest slightly differently in each. A deeper exploration of that would have been really interesting, especially coming from someone who had traversed both spheres.
May 20, 2026
I just finished listening to the audiobook and I loved that it was voiced by Katriona.
This memoir was quite difficult to listen to at times but I couldn’t stop, feeling like Katriona was describing me at times, feeling utterly seen.
Katriona had me laughing out loud at points and a lump in my throat at others, I felt the whole spectrum of emotions. I’m really proud that she felt able and was brave enough to be so vulnerable as to write this because wow, how freeing it must be now (or so I imagine it would be).
I feel like every woman who feels able to (trigger warnings of abuse and eating disorders should be made very clear) should read this book. It’s incredibly eye opening and truly brings you to question yourself and how your relationship is with your own body.
I particularly loved the addition of the therapy chi alter where Katriona got to talk to “little Katriona”.
I like to adopt this method of therapy because suddenly, it feels completely wrong to be awful to yourself and I think this technique should be encouraged more.
Anyway I could go on. Thank you Katriona for your vulnerability and your truth. Thank you for all your advocacy for those who need it. You are a true inspiration and I feel very inspired and humbled by your book.
This memoir was quite difficult to listen to at times but I couldn’t stop, feeling like Katriona was describing me at times, feeling utterly seen.
Katriona had me laughing out loud at points and a lump in my throat at others, I felt the whole spectrum of emotions. I’m really proud that she felt able and was brave enough to be so vulnerable as to write this because wow, how freeing it must be now (or so I imagine it would be).
I feel like every woman who feels able to (trigger warnings of abuse and eating disorders should be made very clear) should read this book. It’s incredibly eye opening and truly brings you to question yourself and how your relationship is with your own body.
I particularly loved the addition of the therapy chi alter where Katriona got to talk to “little Katriona”.
I like to adopt this method of therapy because suddenly, it feels completely wrong to be awful to yourself and I think this technique should be encouraged more.
Anyway I could go on. Thank you Katriona for your vulnerability and your truth. Thank you for all your advocacy for those who need it. You are a true inspiration and I feel very inspired and humbled by your book.
May 31, 2026
I was recommended her other book Poor by a gentleman on the train. He said he had read it 3 times already and was starting his 4th reread. She lectures in the University I teach at, so I made a mental note to pick up the book the next time I saw it, but I saw this instead.
I literally read this in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down.
This is the bravest book I’ve ever read, especially coming from someone who I suppose works in the same place as me?
I’m still too in awe about her narrative voice and the themes she wrote about to give a cohesive review but.
Katriona, if you are scrolling through your goodreads reviews; thank you for writing this book. You have provided a voice and a space for women. Thank you for leaving in these vulnerabilities, I am sure others have found their experiences and histories reflected as I have.
I literally read this in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down.
This is the bravest book I’ve ever read, especially coming from someone who I suppose works in the same place as me?
I’m still too in awe about her narrative voice and the themes she wrote about to give a cohesive review but.
Katriona, if you are scrolling through your goodreads reviews; thank you for writing this book. You have provided a voice and a space for women. Thank you for leaving in these vulnerabilities, I am sure others have found their experiences and histories reflected as I have.
June 19, 2026
I read Poor last year and so pre-ordered Hungry when I saw it was being published. It is an equally devastating book. Perhaps what I was surprised about was that it was the same life as in Poor but in that there was little or no mention of body shaming in Poor and how she felt which certainly depicts the normality but shame she felt. It’s a very powerful book about her but also the wider insidious power that is used to keep women ‘in their place’. It was written before the rise of weight loss tablets- I wonder how they would now be factored in.
July 6, 2026
HIGHLY recommend the audiobook!! Katriona is a fantastic performer. No wonder she wanted to be an actress. I can imagine how engaging her lectures are.
A deeply moving account of one woman’s relationship with her body, tracing the repercussions of trauma.
As I’ve read Poor, there was some repetition in this - but I think that’s to be expected as this was also a memoir of her entire life but told through a different lens. I felt like there was enough new material and insight that the repetition wasn’t an issue.
A deeply moving account of one woman’s relationship with her body, tracing the repercussions of trauma.
As I’ve read Poor, there was some repetition in this - but I think that’s to be expected as this was also a memoir of her entire life but told through a different lens. I felt like there was enough new material and insight that the repetition wasn’t an issue.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews