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Hungered
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26For listeners of The House on Mango Street and We the Animals, this striking debut brings to life an unforgettable young narrator and the complicated, loving, cruel, and generous figures that make up her universe.
Sofia’s mother promises that soon she’ll have her own bedroom to decorate. Soon, too, she’ll be able to see her friends, go back to school, and eat the colorful, tempting cakes in the grocery store’s display case. For now, though, twelve-year-old Sofia lives with her mother and younger brother in their car. For now, Sofia’s days are a blur of freeways and strip malls as her mother searches for a safe place to park for the night. For now, Sofia tries to carve out a space and an identity for herself while grappling with her family’s disintegration.
This haunting and lyrical novel captures the fault lines of an existence marked by economic insecurity, exploring what it means to come of age during a moment of displacement. Beautiful, evocative, and emotionally charged, Amanda Rizkalla’s Hungered is an indelible ode to survival, memory, and the search for home in its many forms.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company
Sofia’s mother promises that soon she’ll have her own bedroom to decorate. Soon, too, she’ll be able to see her friends, go back to school, and eat the colorful, tempting cakes in the grocery store’s display case. For now, though, twelve-year-old Sofia lives with her mother and younger brother in their car. For now, Sofia’s days are a blur of freeways and strip malls as her mother searches for a safe place to park for the night. For now, Sofia tries to carve out a space and an identity for herself while grappling with her family’s disintegration.
This haunting and lyrical novel captures the fault lines of an existence marked by economic insecurity, exploring what it means to come of age during a moment of displacement. Beautiful, evocative, and emotionally charged, Amanda Rizkalla’s Hungered is an indelible ode to survival, memory, and the search for home in its many forms.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company
7 pages, Audible Audio
Expected publication May 19, 2026
About the author
Amanda Rizkalla
1 book39 followersAmanda Rizkalla is a recent Steinbeck Fellow and Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellow. She has been a writer-in-residence at Ragdale, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, Mountain Words, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Monson Arts, and Blue Mountain Center. After graduating from Stanford University, she received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a Kemper Knapp Fellow. Her work has received a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund and nominations for the Pushcart Prize. Hungered is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 4, 2026
A stunning, devastating, heartbreaking novel that tackles housing insecurity, racism, abuse, class discrepancies, cruelty towards immigrants, and systems designed to work against mothers in this country. This is such a well-written, sad story that is unfortunately relatable to a lot of people. This is the kind of book that should prompt everyone to be more compassionate and understanding.
May 7, 2026
4.25 A heavy and moving debut. This story follows a mother and her two children as they leave a stable life behind for incredibly challenging circumstances. The writing is wonderfully descriptive; you can truly feel the ‘hunger’ the family experiences as they navigate displacement, homelessness, and the harsh realities of racism as a mixed family.
The narrator was great and added to the overall experience, making it the kind of story that stays with you. It’s a beautiful example of making the most of what you have amidst having nothing. A great read for anyone who loves character-driven stories that dig deep into complex emotions.
The narrator was great and added to the overall experience, making it the kind of story that stays with you. It’s a beautiful example of making the most of what you have amidst having nothing. A great read for anyone who loves character-driven stories that dig deep into complex emotions.
November 13, 2025
A gripping, powerfully raw read!! HUNGERED will be staying with me for quite some time, and I urge everyone to read it. This book shines light on the fastest growing segment of the unhoused population in the United States - families. The book is told from 12-year-old Sofia’s point of view as she grapples with the disparity between the seemingly secure life she once had to the uncertain life she is now living with her mom and brother out of their car.
The characters in the story are well portrayed and complex. The book masterfully handles and fleshes out the intense range of differing emotions felt by each character as the story develops. My heart went out to Sofia and her mom throughout book. Their inner strength is something to behold. The book has a heavy subject matter, but the story is not overwhelming. I found myself wanting to continue to read to see how Sofia’s days and life unfolded. The story went by all too quickly; I’d LOVE to read more about Sofia and her family.
This would be a great discussion book for a book club! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for offering me an ARC of HUNGERED.
The characters in the story are well portrayed and complex. The book masterfully handles and fleshes out the intense range of differing emotions felt by each character as the story develops. My heart went out to Sofia and her mom throughout book. Their inner strength is something to behold. The book has a heavy subject matter, but the story is not overwhelming. I found myself wanting to continue to read to see how Sofia’s days and life unfolded. The story went by all too quickly; I’d LOVE to read more about Sofia and her family.
This would be a great discussion book for a book club! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for offering me an ARC of HUNGERED.
October 27, 2025
Told from Sofia’s point of view as her and her mother and brother leave her father and experience homelessness and scraping to get by, this was a raw play by play that touched my soul. Complete with the experience of being a girl in the world, friends, family, and more watching how Sofia and her family endure their situation was absolutely fascinating. The characters are all so well developed and it feels like I got to know them in real life. This is a must read book for everyone. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 17, 2026
Standing ovation.
There is something truly special about stories told through the eyes of a child. The narration carries a kind of honesty that adults often lose. Children observe the world without fully understanding its cruelty, which makes their perspective both innocent and devastating. More than once while reading, I found myself stopping and thinking, Oh. The kind of realization that quietly settles in once you understand what the child narrator does not.
Hungered follows Sofia and her family: Nina, her mother; Rafa, her younger brother; and Baba, her father. When Nina leaves an abusive relationship with little more than a car and her children, the story becomes a journey through survival, instability, and resilience.
Through Sofia’s perspective, the book explores silent struggles that feel painfully real. Hunger, unstable housing, motherhood, lack of resources, identity, and emotional survival all weave naturally into the story without ever feeling forced. Nina being Mexican and Baba Egyptian adds another meaningful layer, especially as Sofia navigates a new school and begins to understand where she fits within the world around her.
What makes this book stand out is how deeply human it feels. The emotional weight never relies on dramatics. Instead, it builds through small moments, observations, and the quiet realities of what families endure behind closed doors.
I just finished this book, and I already miss Sofia.
This is the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommend without hesitation.
There is something truly special about stories told through the eyes of a child. The narration carries a kind of honesty that adults often lose. Children observe the world without fully understanding its cruelty, which makes their perspective both innocent and devastating. More than once while reading, I found myself stopping and thinking, Oh. The kind of realization that quietly settles in once you understand what the child narrator does not.
Hungered follows Sofia and her family: Nina, her mother; Rafa, her younger brother; and Baba, her father. When Nina leaves an abusive relationship with little more than a car and her children, the story becomes a journey through survival, instability, and resilience.
Through Sofia’s perspective, the book explores silent struggles that feel painfully real. Hunger, unstable housing, motherhood, lack of resources, identity, and emotional survival all weave naturally into the story without ever feeling forced. Nina being Mexican and Baba Egyptian adds another meaningful layer, especially as Sofia navigates a new school and begins to understand where she fits within the world around her.
What makes this book stand out is how deeply human it feels. The emotional weight never relies on dramatics. Instead, it builds through small moments, observations, and the quiet realities of what families endure behind closed doors.
I just finished this book, and I already miss Sofia.
This is the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommend without hesitation.
May 15, 2026
4.25/5 stars
Twelve-year-old Sofia, her mother and little brother leave a life of physical comfort to escape some difficult circumstances of living with their Baba (father). They face the tough realities of housing insecurity and not having enough to eat.
This story packs such a powerful punch. It addresses the utter despair of not having a place to call home, of domestic abuse and class/race inequity. It is told from the viewpoint of a child, which I felt was really impactful for me. It broke my heart to think of the people who experience this all the time. 💔
The audio is very well done. I would absolutely recommend this book when you are in the right headspace. I would have preferred a more definitive ending is my only real complaint. Hungered is a very apt title. It would be a great book for a book club discussion.
CA | Contains some strong profanity, not frequent. Infidelity is referenced, and includes one vague description.
Twelve-year-old Sofia, her mother and little brother leave a life of physical comfort to escape some difficult circumstances of living with their Baba (father). They face the tough realities of housing insecurity and not having enough to eat.
This story packs such a powerful punch. It addresses the utter despair of not having a place to call home, of domestic abuse and class/race inequity. It is told from the viewpoint of a child, which I felt was really impactful for me. It broke my heart to think of the people who experience this all the time. 💔
The audio is very well done. I would absolutely recommend this book when you are in the right headspace. I would have preferred a more definitive ending is my only real complaint. Hungered is a very apt title. It would be a great book for a book club discussion.
CA | Contains some strong profanity, not frequent. Infidelity is referenced, and includes one vague description.
December 13, 2025
A heart wrenching reality of a homeless girl, Sophia, that endures living in a car with her Mom and younger brother. Suffering with too much time to think of both the good and bad times. This was a glimpse into their never ending struggle to live a normal life surrounded by cruel people.
This is told from the eyes of a Mexican Egyptian preteen that used terms such as baba, abuelo and abuela, so for me, I had to stop several times to figure out who she was referring to. The characters were well written, easy to visualize and credible. It almost went by too quickly, I would have liked to have seen a longer timeline in hopes that there would be some steps forward.
I would recommend this book.
Thank you Amanda Rizkalla and Henry Holt & Company for providing this book for review consideration.
This is told from the eyes of a Mexican Egyptian preteen that used terms such as baba, abuelo and abuela, so for me, I had to stop several times to figure out who she was referring to. The characters were well written, easy to visualize and credible. It almost went by too quickly, I would have liked to have seen a longer timeline in hopes that there would be some steps forward.
I would recommend this book.
Thank you Amanda Rizkalla and Henry Holt & Company for providing this book for review consideration.
Read
March 30, 2026Sofia, her brother Rafa and mom, Nina are homeless after leaving her emotionally abusive dad. They live out of a car while Nina looks for employment and saves enough to get them into housing. While she does find a nursing position, getting into housing is becoming increasingly difficult.
Sofia is worried how this will impact her relationship with friends, school, and teachers. They struggle and it is overwhelming much of the time. Nina is reluctant to ask her father for help. Once they do secure a subsidized apartment, Nina has trouble staying on top of the rules and regulations.
It is an emotionally disturbing picture of homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health. The mental strain and unrelenting anxiety takes a toll on the whole family. Other problems are hinted at and it was difficult to make assumptions that were excruciatingly haunting.
Leaningf toward 4 1/2 to 5 stars, I eventually dropped to 4 for the utterly ambiguous ending. Drawing my conclusions left me baffled. However, it is beautifully written and the story begs for empathy and understanding.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Henry Holt and Company, and Amanda Rizkalla for this ARC.
Sofia is worried how this will impact her relationship with friends, school, and teachers. They struggle and it is overwhelming much of the time. Nina is reluctant to ask her father for help. Once they do secure a subsidized apartment, Nina has trouble staying on top of the rules and regulations.
It is an emotionally disturbing picture of homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health. The mental strain and unrelenting anxiety takes a toll on the whole family. Other problems are hinted at and it was difficult to make assumptions that were excruciatingly haunting.
Leaningf toward 4 1/2 to 5 stars, I eventually dropped to 4 for the utterly ambiguous ending. Drawing my conclusions left me baffled. However, it is beautifully written and the story begs for empathy and understanding.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Henry Holt and Company, and Amanda Rizkalla for this ARC.
May 8, 2026
This uniquely written book is raw, vulnerable, and quite frankly - sad. Told from the perspective of 12 year old Sofia living with her mom and younger brother in a car, we slowly peel back the layers that led the three of them to where they are, and how the system is set up fail those who need it most (for example, to qualify for assistance they have to have an address, but they can't afford a home because they need financial assistance).
As Sofia's mom is faced impossible choices, she's forced into the realities of racism, housing insecurity, economic hardship and immigration during a time in her life when she should be worrying about frivolous teenage girl things.
This book reads fast but you'll want to take it slow. In between the beautiful prose there are sad realities that are worth sitting with and absorbing. A truly impressionable book.
Thank you Henry Holt for my advanced copy of this book!
As Sofia's mom is faced impossible choices, she's forced into the realities of racism, housing insecurity, economic hardship and immigration during a time in her life when she should be worrying about frivolous teenage girl things.
This book reads fast but you'll want to take it slow. In between the beautiful prose there are sad realities that are worth sitting with and absorbing. A truly impressionable book.
Thank you Henry Holt for my advanced copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What a wonderful debut novel.
Sofia is 12 years old, and she, her younger brother Rafa, and their mom Nina are living in their car. It is surely only temporary, but that does not lessen the hunger pains, the shame, the embarrassment, the missed school days, the confusion, the shying away from pity, the typical struggles of adolescence, and the longing for a return to what had always felt so normal before.
*** I received my copy of this book for free as an advance reader's edition from the publisher through Library Thing (but I promise that did not influence my thoughts on this book). Scheduled for release on May 19, 2026.
Sofia is 12 years old, and she, her younger brother Rafa, and their mom Nina are living in their car. It is surely only temporary, but that does not lessen the hunger pains, the shame, the embarrassment, the missed school days, the confusion, the shying away from pity, the typical struggles of adolescence, and the longing for a return to what had always felt so normal before.
*** I received my copy of this book for free as an advance reader's edition from the publisher through Library Thing (but I promise that did not influence my thoughts on this book). Scheduled for release on May 19, 2026.
Read
May 4, 2026Rtc
May 13, 2026
Simple, complex, devastating.
May 14, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
Beautifully written, empathetic, and quietly devastating
Beautifully written, empathetic, and quietly devastating
May 3, 2026
3.5 stars
Completely devoured this novel in less than a day after telling myself “just one more chapter”. A haunting reminder of how precarious life situations can be and how few options some people have.
Completely devoured this novel in less than a day after telling myself “just one more chapter”. A haunting reminder of how precarious life situations can be and how few options some people have.
March 6, 2026
Hungered is a heart wrenching coming of age story told through the perspective of a young 12-year-old girl as her family navigates food insecurity, homelessness, and dysfunctional family dynamics among other social and economic issues. The author has done a wonderful job bringing these characters to life, depicting the uncertainty of the current family situation sprinkled with moments of hope as the characters try to adjust to their new normal. The characters are complex and real, and I found my self both frustrated by their actions yet worthy of empathy at the same time.
My only complaint was how the book ended, although I understand why the author took this approach and it does add to the realistic feel of the novel. (Intentionally leaving this vague to avoid spoilers).
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hungered ahead of its official publication date.
My only complaint was how the book ended, although I understand why the author took this approach and it does add to the realistic feel of the novel. (Intentionally leaving this vague to avoid spoilers).
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hungered ahead of its official publication date.
Review of advance copy
I was thrilled to win a copy of this book at LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. I was eager to read this book. It was one that I really wanted to win. I entered to win in early February and was informed I’d won a copy on 2/26. I received the galley copy of the book on 3/24. The book’s expected publication date is 5/19. I love getting advance copies of books. I’m very appreciative that the publisher provided this copy.
This is a special book. The narrative is poetically told with spare but beautiful language and it has short sections which were easy for me to read and made me want to keep reading. It was a page turner for me. There were no chapter numbers or titles; I don’t know whether or not the finished hardcover edition will have them. I could see it being either way. It was fine as it was. I liked it as it was.
I was sure that this would be my kind of book and I was right.
At this one point something happened that was so agonizingly painful that I had to stop reading, briefly. Brutal! I’m not sure why it was that moment that got to me the most. That event had a follow up later in the story and there were so many other harrowing moments throughout the book. It was a tough read.
It was heartbreaking. It was compelling. It was also at times heartwarming.
I love Sofia’s voice. I love Sofia.
I appreciate how the history gradually unfolds, and also how this family’s life progresses, what things happen with them are revealed at just the right times. I predicted some of what transpired but only because everything made sense and what happened all the way through was realistic. I’m glad that the story didn’t have less than believable outcomes. I got frustrated with the characters at times but it was just because I cared so much and wanted them to be okay. I got worried that this would dissolve into a romance between twelve year olds and was relieved when it did not. Those relationships were true to life.
There are so many flashes of hope and of love and of grace but I would not call this an uplifting book or an easy one. What to do when there are no good choices?! So many times these people are let down and in (probably more than) one case abused/betrayed, as I see it. The racism and classism and treatment of immigrants and family strife, and the various living circumstances were all difficult to read about but absolutely accurately portrayed.
The little and bigger humiliations, the mistreatment, by the system and by many individuals, including even some of the people trying to be helpful, were also hard to read.
All the characters felt like real people to me and most of them were presented in a three dimensional manner. I do think that this trio (daughter, mother, son) are luckier than some because even though I felt despair at times, including at the end, even though I kept thinking that things could have been much worse. The reader is left wondering what is going to happen next. None of the three short term options are great (I have a preference for one of them) but I suppose there is hope that eventually something better will happen. There is no false hope though. This really is a great book!
If any reader of this book does not feel empathy and/or cannot extrapolate their feelings to other, real people in similar circumstances, well then in my opinion there is something wrong with you, very wrong.
There were quite a few Spanish words and phrases throughout the book and a few Arabic words. Their English meanings were usually obvious but I did look up a Spanish-English translation for one phrase. It turns out it also made perfect sense and I would have been right if I’d just guessed its meaning.
4-1/2 stars. I went back and forth whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. I started by rounding down but the more I thought about it I think that Sofia and some of the other people will stick with me and the story is so beautifully told and it’s an important story so I finally decided to round up.
This is a special book. The narrative is poetically told with spare but beautiful language and it has short sections which were easy for me to read and made me want to keep reading. It was a page turner for me. There were no chapter numbers or titles; I don’t know whether or not the finished hardcover edition will have them. I could see it being either way. It was fine as it was. I liked it as it was.
I was sure that this would be my kind of book and I was right.
At this one point something happened that was so agonizingly painful that I had to stop reading, briefly. Brutal! I’m not sure why it was that moment that got to me the most. That event had a follow up later in the story and there were so many other harrowing moments throughout the book. It was a tough read.
It was heartbreaking. It was compelling. It was also at times heartwarming.
I love Sofia’s voice. I love Sofia.
I appreciate how the history gradually unfolds, and also how this family’s life progresses, what things happen with them are revealed at just the right times. I predicted some of what transpired but only because everything made sense and what happened all the way through was realistic. I’m glad that the story didn’t have less than believable outcomes. I got frustrated with the characters at times but it was just because I cared so much and wanted them to be okay. I got worried that this would dissolve into a romance between twelve year olds and was relieved when it did not. Those relationships were true to life.
There are so many flashes of hope and of love and of grace but I would not call this an uplifting book or an easy one. What to do when there are no good choices?! So many times these people are let down and in (probably more than) one case abused/betrayed, as I see it. The racism and classism and treatment of immigrants and family strife, and the various living circumstances were all difficult to read about but absolutely accurately portrayed.
The little and bigger humiliations, the mistreatment, by the system and by many individuals, including even some of the people trying to be helpful, were also hard to read.
All the characters felt like real people to me and most of them were presented in a three dimensional manner. I do think that this trio (daughter, mother, son) are luckier than some because even though I felt despair at times, including at the end, even though I kept thinking that things could have been much worse. The reader is left wondering what is going to happen next. None of the three short term options are great (I have a preference for one of them) but I suppose there is hope that eventually something better will happen. There is no false hope though. This really is a great book!
If any reader of this book does not feel empathy and/or cannot extrapolate their feelings to other, real people in similar circumstances, well then in my opinion there is something wrong with you, very wrong.
There were quite a few Spanish words and phrases throughout the book and a few Arabic words. Their English meanings were usually obvious but I did look up a Spanish-English translation for one phrase. It turns out it also made perfect sense and I would have been right if I’d just guessed its meaning.
4-1/2 stars. I went back and forth whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. I started by rounding down but the more I thought about it I think that Sofia and some of the other people will stick with me and the story is so beautifully told and it’s an important story so I finally decided to round up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating hovering around 4.5
This debut novel was a difficult read due to the subject matter. Please do not read review if talk of abuse or financial insecurity is too difficult to read. Some spoilers present.
The story follows Sofia, a teen girl whose family has been broken apart. She finds herself with her brother Rafa, and mother, unhoused and living in their car. We ride along with the family as they navigate housing, educational needs, "friends," food insecurity, and racism.
While I was not able to relate to the theme of systemic racism, the book was particularly challenging to read as someone who has experienced housing insecurity, as well as food insecurity, and abuse.
The most difficult part of the book to read was in regards to a part of the novel where we see Sofia work so hard to study in school so she is able to win the gift card to a local bakery. When she goes to help her "friend" study since she has "beat" her, the friend asks her dad to go to the bakery, and proceeds to assume that Sofia will spend her gift card, which she does out of discomfort of not being able to vocalize financial insecurity her family is experiencing. The shame, embarrassment, and feeling of secrecy around that moment actually was physically disturbing for me to read. When you experience financial instability, food insecurity is one of the most debilitating situations you can experience. That carries with you for the rest of your life, even when your situation may get better for a while. I think until you experience that, you cannot relate to that. Although I felt her friend was not intentionally being malicious in that moment, I felt anger for Sofia's character that she was put into that position in the first place. It made me sad she felt she was unable to stand up for herself in that moment, and that she continued to be friends with someone who took advantage of her.
Related to that, it was unsurprising because she was following by example of the circumstances of her past. Sofia's mother, while I believe was trying to do her best, was caught in a vicious cycle of abuse both physical, emotional, and it seemed financial both with her husband and father. Sometimes Sofia's mother seemed to be cruel, and while it is no excuse, I do feel as though she had an insurmountable weight on her shoulders and a heavy burden to bear trying to keep afloat during a tumultuous time.
I think the author, Amanda Rizkalla did an amazing job with an honest portrait of what it is like to be unhoused, unsure of the next place you will be able to place your head, and whether you will have food to eat that day. It was also very true to read about the uncertainty of every piece of how the story unfolded. I hate to admit, but a lot of the themes were very relatable, and while it was often chilling and disturbing to read, I felt it was accurate and relatable material for those who've experienced similar circumstances in their lives.
Since I was able to read the audiobook version of the book I wanted to note that the narration done by Ana Isabel Dow was done very well, and I felt she gave an accurate and heartfelt voice to Sofia's character.
Thank you to Amanda Rizkalla for her striking novel. Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Henry Holt and Co for the opportunity to give my honest review with an audiobook copy of the novel.
This debut novel was a difficult read due to the subject matter. Please do not read review if talk of abuse or financial insecurity is too difficult to read. Some spoilers present.
The story follows Sofia, a teen girl whose family has been broken apart. She finds herself with her brother Rafa, and mother, unhoused and living in their car. We ride along with the family as they navigate housing, educational needs, "friends," food insecurity, and racism.
While I was not able to relate to the theme of systemic racism, the book was particularly challenging to read as someone who has experienced housing insecurity, as well as food insecurity, and abuse.
The most difficult part of the book to read was in regards to a part of the novel where we see Sofia work so hard to study in school so she is able to win the gift card to a local bakery. When she goes to help her "friend" study since she has "beat" her, the friend asks her dad to go to the bakery, and proceeds to assume that Sofia will spend her gift card, which she does out of discomfort of not being able to vocalize financial insecurity her family is experiencing. The shame, embarrassment, and feeling of secrecy around that moment actually was physically disturbing for me to read. When you experience financial instability, food insecurity is one of the most debilitating situations you can experience. That carries with you for the rest of your life, even when your situation may get better for a while. I think until you experience that, you cannot relate to that. Although I felt her friend was not intentionally being malicious in that moment, I felt anger for Sofia's character that she was put into that position in the first place. It made me sad she felt she was unable to stand up for herself in that moment, and that she continued to be friends with someone who took advantage of her.
Related to that, it was unsurprising because she was following by example of the circumstances of her past. Sofia's mother, while I believe was trying to do her best, was caught in a vicious cycle of abuse both physical, emotional, and it seemed financial both with her husband and father. Sometimes Sofia's mother seemed to be cruel, and while it is no excuse, I do feel as though she had an insurmountable weight on her shoulders and a heavy burden to bear trying to keep afloat during a tumultuous time.
I think the author, Amanda Rizkalla did an amazing job with an honest portrait of what it is like to be unhoused, unsure of the next place you will be able to place your head, and whether you will have food to eat that day. It was also very true to read about the uncertainty of every piece of how the story unfolded. I hate to admit, but a lot of the themes were very relatable, and while it was often chilling and disturbing to read, I felt it was accurate and relatable material for those who've experienced similar circumstances in their lives.
Since I was able to read the audiobook version of the book I wanted to note that the narration done by Ana Isabel Dow was done very well, and I felt she gave an accurate and heartfelt voice to Sofia's character.
Thank you to Amanda Rizkalla for her striking novel. Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Henry Holt and Co for the opportunity to give my honest review with an audiobook copy of the novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2026
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.
This was a heavy and heartbreaking read. It's the kind of book that, like it or not, sticks with you once finished, and I mean that as a compliment. It's an honest, on-the-ground look at home and food insecurity, and it doesn't flinch from the things that come with them. Racism, sexism, classism, the slow grinding weight of being treated like you don't matter are all present here. What makes the whole thing land is that we get all of it through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl. That choice of perspective is what makes this book hit as hard as it does.
Sofia is twelve. She lives in a car with her mom and her little brother. The three of them spend their days moving between parking lots, gas stations, and side streets while her mom works and then tries to find somewhere safe enough to stop for the night. Her mom keeps promising that things will get better soon. Sofia will get her own room. She'll be in school again. She'll be around her friends. She'll get to eat the bright, fancy cakes lined up at the grocery store that she always stops to look at. For now, though, Sofia is trying to figure out who she is and what kind of person she wants to be while her whole family is falling apart around her.
Sofia is a powerhouse. She's one of those characters who walks in and just takes the book over. What I loved about her, and what makes this story work, is that she's at this exact age where she's still naive about a lot of things but also old enough to know when something is wrong. She can see her mom struggling. She can feel the looks people give them in public. She knows things are off. But she still has the hope of a kid, and that mix of awareness and innocence is devastating to read.
Sofia is a powerhouse. She's at this exact age where she's naive about a lot but old enough to know when things are wrong. She can see her mom struggling, and knows things aren't great, but she still has the optimism that someday things are going to be okay. That mix of awareness and innocence is devastating. Rizkalla's voice for Sofia is pitch-perfect. It actually sounds like a twelve-year-old, which is a hard thing to pull off. Every other character feels like a full person too. Nobody gets flattened into their circumstances.
The book doesn't offer easy answers or a tidy ending. There's hope in here, but it's a complicated kind. The cycle this family is stuck in isn't going to break easily, not while ourcountry looks the way it does, and the book respects the reader enough to let that sit.
I listened to the audio, and Ana Isabel Dow's narration was perfect. She captured Sofia's voice so well that I felt like I was sitting next to her.
This isn't a feel-good read, but if you want a beautifully written novel that puts a real person at the center of a conversation we don't have often enough, read this one. It stays with you.
This was a heavy and heartbreaking read. It's the kind of book that, like it or not, sticks with you once finished, and I mean that as a compliment. It's an honest, on-the-ground look at home and food insecurity, and it doesn't flinch from the things that come with them. Racism, sexism, classism, the slow grinding weight of being treated like you don't matter are all present here. What makes the whole thing land is that we get all of it through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl. That choice of perspective is what makes this book hit as hard as it does.
Sofia is twelve. She lives in a car with her mom and her little brother. The three of them spend their days moving between parking lots, gas stations, and side streets while her mom works and then tries to find somewhere safe enough to stop for the night. Her mom keeps promising that things will get better soon. Sofia will get her own room. She'll be in school again. She'll be around her friends. She'll get to eat the bright, fancy cakes lined up at the grocery store that she always stops to look at. For now, though, Sofia is trying to figure out who she is and what kind of person she wants to be while her whole family is falling apart around her.
Sofia is a powerhouse. She's one of those characters who walks in and just takes the book over. What I loved about her, and what makes this story work, is that she's at this exact age where she's still naive about a lot of things but also old enough to know when something is wrong. She can see her mom struggling. She can feel the looks people give them in public. She knows things are off. But she still has the hope of a kid, and that mix of awareness and innocence is devastating to read.
Sofia is a powerhouse. She's at this exact age where she's naive about a lot but old enough to know when things are wrong. She can see her mom struggling, and knows things aren't great, but she still has the optimism that someday things are going to be okay. That mix of awareness and innocence is devastating. Rizkalla's voice for Sofia is pitch-perfect. It actually sounds like a twelve-year-old, which is a hard thing to pull off. Every other character feels like a full person too. Nobody gets flattened into their circumstances.
The book doesn't offer easy answers or a tidy ending. There's hope in here, but it's a complicated kind. The cycle this family is stuck in isn't going to break easily, not while ourcountry looks the way it does, and the book respects the reader enough to let that sit.
I listened to the audio, and Ana Isabel Dow's narration was perfect. She captured Sofia's voice so well that I felt like I was sitting next to her.
This isn't a feel-good read, but if you want a beautifully written novel that puts a real person at the center of a conversation we don't have often enough, read this one. It stays with you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Henry Holt & Company for the free e-ARC to review.
*SPOILERS AHEAD
This book attempted to tackle a lot of important issues in the world, but it seemed like there was a lot of "telling" and but much "showing."
This attempts to deal with domestic violence, infidelity, homelessness, and marginalization and racism of brown people, especially Mexican. It also brings up the "false charity" of a lot of religious people: judging low income people for needing help but not providing any meaningful help. Or, if help is provided, to remind you that you are somehow "less than" and like you owe something. Oh and there's a touch on immigration, too.
It would've been better to focus on less of these and explore them more instead of just glossing over a lot of it.
SPOILERS BELOW
Sofia is a 12 year old girl who lives with her mom who is Mexican, her father who is Egyptian, and her younger brother Rafa. The father has a temper which came to a final straw one night, on top of the mom finding out her husband cheated on her and got a 21 year old pregnant and moved her into their home. The mom, Sofia, and her brother move into the mom's car. They drive for about a month. She's too proud to ask for help, so the family lives in the car. The mom gets a new job as a nurse (she had not worked in the 7 years since Rafa was born) but they still can't afford an apartment. The kids have also been out of school this whole time as well. They eventually get a scholarship spot at a local Catholic school. (Come to think of it, the brother gets kicked out at one point and I can't recall if that issue was ever resolved). They get a "charity week" of sorts to stay at the home of a local parishioner. They also stay with the grandfather for 2 weeks before being able to afford a low income apartment.
(I know things are expensive these days, and the setting seemed roughly in the present. But a nurse bringing home a couple months of checks but having to live in the car and no money for food doesn't seem super realistic).
Then, they get kicked out of the apartment and move back into the car. At the end, it seems like the dad shows up and they... make up? And plan to move back home? All of those months of pulling the kids out of school, living in a car, and barely eating just to... go back to the problem? Without ever addressing the issues of his violence and infidelity? No thanks.
*SPOILERS AHEAD
This book attempted to tackle a lot of important issues in the world, but it seemed like there was a lot of "telling" and but much "showing."
This attempts to deal with domestic violence, infidelity, homelessness, and marginalization and racism of brown people, especially Mexican. It also brings up the "false charity" of a lot of religious people: judging low income people for needing help but not providing any meaningful help. Or, if help is provided, to remind you that you are somehow "less than" and like you owe something. Oh and there's a touch on immigration, too.
It would've been better to focus on less of these and explore them more instead of just glossing over a lot of it.
SPOILERS BELOW
Sofia is a 12 year old girl who lives with her mom who is Mexican, her father who is Egyptian, and her younger brother Rafa. The father has a temper which came to a final straw one night, on top of the mom finding out her husband cheated on her and got a 21 year old pregnant and moved her into their home. The mom, Sofia, and her brother move into the mom's car. They drive for about a month. She's too proud to ask for help, so the family lives in the car. The mom gets a new job as a nurse (she had not worked in the 7 years since Rafa was born) but they still can't afford an apartment. The kids have also been out of school this whole time as well. They eventually get a scholarship spot at a local Catholic school. (Come to think of it, the brother gets kicked out at one point and I can't recall if that issue was ever resolved). They get a "charity week" of sorts to stay at the home of a local parishioner. They also stay with the grandfather for 2 weeks before being able to afford a low income apartment.
(I know things are expensive these days, and the setting seemed roughly in the present. But a nurse bringing home a couple months of checks but having to live in the car and no money for food doesn't seem super realistic).
Then, they get kicked out of the apartment and move back into the car. At the end, it seems like the dad shows up and they... make up? And plan to move back home? All of those months of pulling the kids out of school, living in a car, and barely eating just to... go back to the problem? Without ever addressing the issues of his violence and infidelity? No thanks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Henry Holt and Co., Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copies! This review is voluntary and my honest opinion. ♡ This is a review both for the physical ARC and audio listener's copy I received. I read and listened together for an immersive experience.
As soon as this book was compared to The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, I knew this was going to be a book I would enjoy. I haven't read a book with vignettes since The House on Mango Street and I remember loving the style. Having the chapters be so small means that every word has to hold that much more meaning. The writing style of Hungered feels poignant and doesn't shy away from the hard things while also maintaining that confusion/naivety of our younger perspective main character.
The story here is complex but it comes from the perspective of a 12 year old , Sofia, which muddles the story a bit (in a good way). You find yourself feeling sad for Sofia, her brother, and her mother who are living in a car. You find yourself trying to decipher what is happening and wishing to scoop in to solve all their problems (though I still can't think of a perfect solution). It's a hard story but it felt powerful. I think the reason it is a 4 ⭐️ for me instead of a 5 is because I felt that the ending didn't leave me satisfied. I wanted a stronger resolution but I admire that the author chose an unconventional ending to it. The story is moving and I found myself reading this book with both a heavy heart and such profound moments of hope and beauty.
I felt that the narrator did a great job. Her speech felt both calming and honest to the story. I worried that as it is a vignette style book the breaks in speech wouldn't hold the same weight as the page breaks do but I felt like she did a great job breaking it enough to hold the same power. Of course, I had the physical in front of me so I am unsure if it would've felt the same without the book in front of me but I truly feel like this book can stand alone in either form.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it. I am so grateful to have received both a physical and audio copy of it.
As soon as this book was compared to The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, I knew this was going to be a book I would enjoy. I haven't read a book with vignettes since The House on Mango Street and I remember loving the style. Having the chapters be so small means that every word has to hold that much more meaning. The writing style of Hungered feels poignant and doesn't shy away from the hard things while also maintaining that confusion/naivety of our younger perspective main character.
The story here is complex but it comes from the perspective of a 12 year old , Sofia, which muddles the story a bit (in a good way). You find yourself feeling sad for Sofia, her brother, and her mother who are living in a car. You find yourself trying to decipher what is happening and wishing to scoop in to solve all their problems (though I still can't think of a perfect solution). It's a hard story but it felt powerful. I think the reason it is a 4 ⭐️ for me instead of a 5 is because I felt that the ending didn't leave me satisfied. I wanted a stronger resolution but I admire that the author chose an unconventional ending to it. The story is moving and I found myself reading this book with both a heavy heart and such profound moments of hope and beauty.
I felt that the narrator did a great job. Her speech felt both calming and honest to the story. I worried that as it is a vignette style book the breaks in speech wouldn't hold the same weight as the page breaks do but I felt like she did a great job breaking it enough to hold the same power. Of course, I had the physical in front of me so I am unsure if it would've felt the same without the book in front of me but I truly feel like this book can stand alone in either form.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it. I am so grateful to have received both a physical and audio copy of it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5⭐️
thank you so much to macmillan audio for giving me an e-ALC of this book.
wow. absolute freaking stunner. after reading burning side earlier this month, i was in the mood for another lit-fic and this knocked it out of the park. this story is told from the pov of the eldest daughter sofia, and i think that's why it packs a bigger, emotional punch. as kids, we are unaware of our surroundings, but sofia is very observant in their current situation. as we continue the story, we can witness her grow up too quickly, as she comes to terms with leaving their abusive father and living in their car. i'm sorry if this review is about to sound more of a summary than anything else but idk how else to tell you read this damn book because it changed my life???
there are a few scenes in this book where they talk about their time spent in the library because they had nowhere else to go. they mentioned "smelling like the dispense soap" because that was what they had available to them to clean themselves. idk. there were many moments in this story where i had to sit with my thoughts and think about what this short story was doing to my emotions. this sounds weird, but my heart broke for sofia when she studied day and night to be number 1 in her quiz to earn the gift card in her class. she was so proud of herself and couldn't wait to go home to show her mom how proud she was, you know? before going home, she hangs out with a spoiled, rich classmate who wants to go to the bakery and despite not getting anything for herself because she knew she didn't have money, her classmate ordered a million things and expected her to pay for her, so she had to use her gift card.
idk. this is going to be one of those sleeper books that maybe no one talks about, but when you do read it, you wonder why the heck no one's talking about it??? this was a humbling book to remind us to be grateful for what we have and to stop being fixated on what we don't, and i hope everyone picks this up this summer. i highly highly HIGHLY recommend.
thank you so much to macmillan audio for giving me an e-ALC of this book.
wow. absolute freaking stunner. after reading burning side earlier this month, i was in the mood for another lit-fic and this knocked it out of the park. this story is told from the pov of the eldest daughter sofia, and i think that's why it packs a bigger, emotional punch. as kids, we are unaware of our surroundings, but sofia is very observant in their current situation. as we continue the story, we can witness her grow up too quickly, as she comes to terms with leaving their abusive father and living in their car. i'm sorry if this review is about to sound more of a summary than anything else but idk how else to tell you read this damn book because it changed my life???
there are a few scenes in this book where they talk about their time spent in the library because they had nowhere else to go. they mentioned "smelling like the dispense soap" because that was what they had available to them to clean themselves. idk. there were many moments in this story where i had to sit with my thoughts and think about what this short story was doing to my emotions. this sounds weird, but my heart broke for sofia when she studied day and night to be number 1 in her quiz to earn the gift card in her class. she was so proud of herself and couldn't wait to go home to show her mom how proud she was, you know? before going home, she hangs out with a spoiled, rich classmate who wants to go to the bakery and despite not getting anything for herself because she knew she didn't have money, her classmate ordered a million things and expected her to pay for her, so she had to use her gift card.
idk. this is going to be one of those sleeper books that maybe no one talks about, but when you do read it, you wonder why the heck no one's talking about it??? this was a humbling book to remind us to be grateful for what we have and to stop being fixated on what we don't, and i hope everyone picks this up this summer. i highly highly HIGHLY recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an advanced copy of Hungered from NetGalley, and this was my first read by Amanda Rizkalla. What struck me immediately is how quietly powerful and emotionally precise this story is.
The novel follows Sofia, a twelve‑year‑old girl living in her family’s car with her mother and younger brother. Her mother keeps promising that things will get better and that soon Sofia will have her own room to decorate, her own bed, her friends back, and the freedom to choose a slice of cake from the grocery store display. But for now, their lives are parking lots, freeways, and the constant search for a safe place to sleep. Watching Sofia try to carve out a sense of herself and normalcy in the middle of so much instability is both heartbreaking and beautifully rendered. What I appreciated most is how the book captures the emotional fault lines of growing up in the shadow of economic insecurity. Sofia’s voice is tender, observant, and wise in ways she shouldn’t have to be. The story doesn’t rely on big twists, instead, the tension comes from the slow unraveling of her family’s situation and the small, devastating moments that reveal how displacement shapes a child’s understanding of home. The ending ties things together with a sense of fragile hope. It doesn’t pretend that everything is magically fixed, but it gives Sofia and the reader a feeling that survival, memory, and love can still create a kind of home, even in the most uncertain circumstances. Living in a city with a large unhoused population, I see the realities of housing insecurity every day, but reading Sofia’s story made those struggles feel even more personal and immediate. This book deepened my empathy in a way that statistics and headlines never could, reminding me how much humanity and hope exist even in the hardest circumstances. I will remember Sofia and her family for quite some time. #NETGALLEY #HUNGERED
The novel follows Sofia, a twelve‑year‑old girl living in her family’s car with her mother and younger brother. Her mother keeps promising that things will get better and that soon Sofia will have her own room to decorate, her own bed, her friends back, and the freedom to choose a slice of cake from the grocery store display. But for now, their lives are parking lots, freeways, and the constant search for a safe place to sleep. Watching Sofia try to carve out a sense of herself and normalcy in the middle of so much instability is both heartbreaking and beautifully rendered. What I appreciated most is how the book captures the emotional fault lines of growing up in the shadow of economic insecurity. Sofia’s voice is tender, observant, and wise in ways she shouldn’t have to be. The story doesn’t rely on big twists, instead, the tension comes from the slow unraveling of her family’s situation and the small, devastating moments that reveal how displacement shapes a child’s understanding of home. The ending ties things together with a sense of fragile hope. It doesn’t pretend that everything is magically fixed, but it gives Sofia and the reader a feeling that survival, memory, and love can still create a kind of home, even in the most uncertain circumstances. Living in a city with a large unhoused population, I see the realities of housing insecurity every day, but reading Sofia’s story made those struggles feel even more personal and immediate. This book deepened my empathy in a way that statistics and headlines never could, reminding me how much humanity and hope exist even in the hardest circumstances. I will remember Sofia and her family for quite some time. #NETGALLEY #HUNGERED
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rizkalla writes about a destitute mother and her children. Told from the young daughter’s perspective, Sofia discusses her struggles as her mother refuses to accept help from family. Knowing that a Abuelo is available and willing to help creates anger for Sofia, as all she wants is a safe and clean environment.
Rizkalla creates a great deal of empathy for the young girl in the way that she writes the narrative. She allows the readers to see Sofia’s struggle to continue to love and respect her mother, even though her mother’s decisions have brought them to the point where they are living in a car and are often going hungry. All Sofia wants is a sense of normality in her life.
Additionally, Rizkalla addresses tangently the concept of an abusive environment. Sofia’s mom leaves due to the mental anguish that Baba inflicts on the entire family. He cheats on Sofia’s mom and forces them to live with the other woman, as she is pregnant with Sofia’s half sibling. Through the lens of a child, Rizkalla is able to convey the confusion Sofia has that she watches her family fall apart.
Being from a mixed heritage family, Sofia finds herself leaning into her Mexican heritage as they escape her abusive middle eastern father. The concept of identity is an issue that Sofia continues to grapple with in this coming-of-age novel. Sofia has school, but that is the only constant in her life. She doesn’t know who she should be with so much upheaval in her life.
Rizkalla doesn’t use chapters which is an effective way to create this young narrator. There are no definitive boundaries in her existence. She desperately wants a home and a foundation, but her mother‘s job as a nurse simply is not enough money to provide that consistency. The family finds themselves moving continually throughout the novel; many times living in their car.
Rizkalla creates a great deal of empathy for the young girl in the way that she writes the narrative. She allows the readers to see Sofia’s struggle to continue to love and respect her mother, even though her mother’s decisions have brought them to the point where they are living in a car and are often going hungry. All Sofia wants is a sense of normality in her life.
Additionally, Rizkalla addresses tangently the concept of an abusive environment. Sofia’s mom leaves due to the mental anguish that Baba inflicts on the entire family. He cheats on Sofia’s mom and forces them to live with the other woman, as she is pregnant with Sofia’s half sibling. Through the lens of a child, Rizkalla is able to convey the confusion Sofia has that she watches her family fall apart.
Being from a mixed heritage family, Sofia finds herself leaning into her Mexican heritage as they escape her abusive middle eastern father. The concept of identity is an issue that Sofia continues to grapple with in this coming-of-age novel. Sofia has school, but that is the only constant in her life. She doesn’t know who she should be with so much upheaval in her life.
Rizkalla doesn’t use chapters which is an effective way to create this young narrator. There are no definitive boundaries in her existence. She desperately wants a home and a foundation, but her mother‘s job as a nurse simply is not enough money to provide that consistency. The family finds themselves moving continually throughout the novel; many times living in their car.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sophia is 12; smart with outstanding grades. She enjoys writing. This is her story.
It’s not happy. Her mother, Nina, one afternoon piled her two kids, Sophia and her younger brother, Rafa, into the car with a few bags of clothes. She couldn’t take living one more day in an abusive situation. She drove for days and, finally they reached a clinic where Nina had a friend who helped her get a job as a nurse.
However, for some time, they didn’t have much to eat living in Nina’s car. Their world was dark and depressing. Yet, there were some signs of hope. Would there be a good outcome? That’s what every reader would want.
The story had no chapters. There wasn’t a good place to take a break without losing the continued flow of thoughts. Plus, it was sad -- really sad. It made me feel desperate. I wanted to pluck the kids out of the story and do something to help out.
The family was on the edge of surviving. Yet, I wondered how Sophia and Rafa were able to use a computer in the car to create spreadsheets and play games. Also, their mother had a cellphone. Was she still on her husband’s plan and if so, wouldn’t he be able to track where she was? Why didn’t she plan better before leaving?
Sophia told her new friends she was half Spanish and half Egyptian. Sadly, there was a question related to the color of her skin. From time to time, there were phrases in Spanish without interpretation for readers not familiar with the language.
The plot was strong with the struggling mother who wasn’t able to get the help she needed. It was effective coming from the eyes of a young girl covering poverty, prejudice and abuse of women. However, the end was puzzling.
My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and NetGallery for this ARC with an expected release date of May 19, 2026. The views I share are my own.
It’s not happy. Her mother, Nina, one afternoon piled her two kids, Sophia and her younger brother, Rafa, into the car with a few bags of clothes. She couldn’t take living one more day in an abusive situation. She drove for days and, finally they reached a clinic where Nina had a friend who helped her get a job as a nurse.
However, for some time, they didn’t have much to eat living in Nina’s car. Their world was dark and depressing. Yet, there were some signs of hope. Would there be a good outcome? That’s what every reader would want.
The story had no chapters. There wasn’t a good place to take a break without losing the continued flow of thoughts. Plus, it was sad -- really sad. It made me feel desperate. I wanted to pluck the kids out of the story and do something to help out.
The family was on the edge of surviving. Yet, I wondered how Sophia and Rafa were able to use a computer in the car to create spreadsheets and play games. Also, their mother had a cellphone. Was she still on her husband’s plan and if so, wouldn’t he be able to track where she was? Why didn’t she plan better before leaving?
Sophia told her new friends she was half Spanish and half Egyptian. Sadly, there was a question related to the color of her skin. From time to time, there were phrases in Spanish without interpretation for readers not familiar with the language.
The plot was strong with the struggling mother who wasn’t able to get the help she needed. It was effective coming from the eyes of a young girl covering poverty, prejudice and abuse of women. However, the end was puzzling.
My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and NetGallery for this ARC with an expected release date of May 19, 2026. The views I share are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This one is right up there with my favorite book of the year so far. But do not read Hungered if you require closure at the end of a book. You’ll be left hungry. Haha haha but don’t.
Anyway,
I personally read this to count toward my monthly personal challenge of “Read a book about food”. This is not really about food, but I’ll count it. It is about hunger, which can mean so much more than just food.
The narrator of the novel is a 6th grade girl, and we jump into her story as her mother drives her and her younger brother away from their home. Her father has been verbally and emotionally abusive (at minimum, likely more) to her mother, and the threat came close to touching her brother. Also, her father’s pregnant 21 yr old mistress had moved into the house. Mom decides to flee a bad situation, finding only worse things in front of her. Along with lack of support programs in the community, they deal with homelessness, racism, class disparities, lack of childcare, religious zealots, religious zealots who think you owe them something when they help you, and food insecurities. They would hunger for many things, including some patience and understanding that our 12 yr old narrator didn’t often grant to her mother because she really didn’t understand herself. I had to keep reminding myself of that. Young Sofia shows us that once stability is lost, one can copy/paste food hunger onto a hunger for kindness, dignity, respect, equality, safety, and the ability to ever become stable again. Or perhaps not. Who knows, I’m hungry now. 5 stars
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan Audio, Amanda Rizkalla (author), Edelweiss, and Libro.fm for the digital review copy and advance listener copy of Hungered (narrated by Ana Isabel Dow). Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
The narrator of the novel is a 6th grade girl, and we jump into her story as her mother drives her and her younger brother away from their home. Her father has been verbally and emotionally abusive (at minimum, likely more) to her mother, and the threat came close to touching her brother. Also, her father’s pregnant 21 yr old mistress had moved into the house. Mom decides to flee a bad situation, finding only worse things in front of her. Along with lack of support programs in the community, they deal with homelessness, racism, class disparities, lack of childcare, religious zealots, religious zealots who think you owe them something when they help you, and food insecurities. They would hunger for many things, including some patience and understanding that our 12 yr old narrator didn’t often grant to her mother because she really didn’t understand herself. I had to keep reminding myself of that. Young Sofia shows us that once stability is lost, one can copy/paste food hunger onto a hunger for kindness, dignity, respect, equality, safety, and the ability to ever become stable again. Or perhaps not. Who knows, I’m hungry now. 5 stars
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan Audio, Amanda Rizkalla (author), Edelweiss, and Libro.fm for the digital review copy and advance listener copy of Hungered (narrated by Ana Isabel Dow). Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! #MacAudio2026
Twelve year-old Sofia’s life is uprooted when her mother removes Sofia and her brother, Rafa, from an abusive father. They live in the family car, moving between freeways and strip malls, using gas stations for restrooms and receiving occasional kindness from others. But in the same breath, Sofia witnesses the cruelty of the world and systems of oppression that keep families in poverty. Sofia finds herself growing up too fast, grappling with her family’s disintegration.
I was absolutely floored by this debut novel. It’s a coming-of-age book, yes, but really a work of fictionalized parentification. That, mixed with the casual racism of being brown (both Latine and Arab), and being a third culture kid, and you’ve got this devastatingly beautiful novel. It’s written from the perspective of a 12-year-old, almost haunting in its innocence yet captivating in its poignancy. Ana Isabel Dow's narration was so vivid, oscillating between the childlike ignorance and heartbreaking reality of poverty, racism, and parentification; it requires a deeply nuanced approach that Ana Isabel Dow absolutely nails. It’s a novel that is authentic in its cruelty of the world but also in its joy of resilience, provocative in just how unfiltered trauma is the eyes of kids. I cannot believe this is Amanda Rizkalla's debut novel; she is absolutely going on my must-read list for anything she writes next!
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from the publisher.
Read this book if you:
🏡 ever read the seminal book Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
✨ want beautifully written prose, even through the eyes of a 12-year-old
🚘 live for the extraordinary moments of everyday life
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Twelve year-old Sofia’s life is uprooted when her mother removes Sofia and her brother, Rafa, from an abusive father. They live in the family car, moving between freeways and strip malls, using gas stations for restrooms and receiving occasional kindness from others. But in the same breath, Sofia witnesses the cruelty of the world and systems of oppression that keep families in poverty. Sofia finds herself growing up too fast, grappling with her family’s disintegration.
I was absolutely floored by this debut novel. It’s a coming-of-age book, yes, but really a work of fictionalized parentification. That, mixed with the casual racism of being brown (both Latine and Arab), and being a third culture kid, and you’ve got this devastatingly beautiful novel. It’s written from the perspective of a 12-year-old, almost haunting in its innocence yet captivating in its poignancy. Ana Isabel Dow's narration was so vivid, oscillating between the childlike ignorance and heartbreaking reality of poverty, racism, and parentification; it requires a deeply nuanced approach that Ana Isabel Dow absolutely nails. It’s a novel that is authentic in its cruelty of the world but also in its joy of resilience, provocative in just how unfiltered trauma is the eyes of kids. I cannot believe this is Amanda Rizkalla's debut novel; she is absolutely going on my must-read list for anything she writes next!
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from the publisher.
Read this book if you:
🏡 ever read the seminal book Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
✨ want beautifully written prose, even through the eyes of a 12-year-old
🚘 live for the extraordinary moments of everyday life
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I came to Hungered expecting an emotionally driven coming-of-age story, and at its best, that’s exactly what it is. A 12-year-old girl trying to hold on while everything falls apart around her.
Sophia’s voice is strong and believable in that way kids can be, observant without fully understanding what they are seeing.
The premise is brutal from the start. Her mother, Nina, leaves an abusive husband and she and her two kids must live in their car for a stretch of time. There are small cracks of hope, but mostly it is hunger, exhaustion, and the constant pressure of survival.
What works is the perspective. The confusion feels right. The way Sophia tries to make sense of her parents, her identity, and the instability she’s thrust into. The writing often captures that narrow, childlike logic of trying to survive a world you don’t really understand.
But the structure is rough. The lack of chapters makes it feel like one long, unbroken stretch of distress without enough rhythm or release. It becomes draining in a way that sometimes feels more repetitive than intentional.
There is ambition here in how it tackles abuse, poverty, immigration, and identity, especially through Sophia’s mixed heritage. But the book often piles crisis on top of crisis without giving the emotional space to process any of it.
The ending, in particular, left me frustrated. Not because it is necessarily unrealistic, but because it feels like it stops rather than resolves. Given how heavy the journey is, that lack of payoff was tough to take.
A quick, intense read with a strong narrative voice, but one that ultimately feels uneven and emotionally overextended.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @HenryHoltbooks for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Sophia’s voice is strong and believable in that way kids can be, observant without fully understanding what they are seeing.
The premise is brutal from the start. Her mother, Nina, leaves an abusive husband and she and her two kids must live in their car for a stretch of time. There are small cracks of hope, but mostly it is hunger, exhaustion, and the constant pressure of survival.
What works is the perspective. The confusion feels right. The way Sophia tries to make sense of her parents, her identity, and the instability she’s thrust into. The writing often captures that narrow, childlike logic of trying to survive a world you don’t really understand.
But the structure is rough. The lack of chapters makes it feel like one long, unbroken stretch of distress without enough rhythm or release. It becomes draining in a way that sometimes feels more repetitive than intentional.
There is ambition here in how it tackles abuse, poverty, immigration, and identity, especially through Sophia’s mixed heritage. But the book often piles crisis on top of crisis without giving the emotional space to process any of it.
The ending, in particular, left me frustrated. Not because it is necessarily unrealistic, but because it feels like it stops rather than resolves. Given how heavy the journey is, that lack of payoff was tough to take.
A quick, intense read with a strong narrative voice, but one that ultimately feels uneven and emotionally overextended.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @HenryHoltbooks for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Bravo! Hungered had me feeling all the feelings from start to finish, and I loved how deeply it explored racism, prejudice, classism, trauma, cultural bias, misogyny, and everything in between. What made it hit so hard was how personal and universal it felt at the same time, especially in the way it captured the emotional reality of displacement, family pressure, and trying to survive while still holding onto yourself. I could feel the weight of the story in every scene, and it never lost that raw, human center. The POV of an innocent child made the adult themes even more powerful and interesting. Seeing all of this complexity through a child's eyes, trying to make sense of things they shouldn't have to carry, added a layer of heartbreak and honesty that made everything land harder.
The audiobook especially stood out to me because the narrator did a wonderful job making each character feel real and distinct. Other readers have mentioned how powerful the narration is and how well it carries the emotional complexity of the story, and I completely agree. The short, tightly framed sections also make the book move quickly while still leaving room for big feelings and reflection, and that structure works beautifully in audio format. It's the kind of story that stays with you because it's both beautifully told and painfully honest. This one's a keeper for me. I already preordered it because I knew I wanted a physical copy to return to, and I can't recommend it enough. It's just beautiful, and I'm so glad I experienced it this way.
Bravo! Hungered had me feeling all the feelings from start to finish, and I loved how deeply it explored racism, prejudice, classism, trauma, cultural bias, misogyny, and everything in between. What made it hit so hard was how personal and universal it felt at the same time, especially in the way it captured the emotional reality of displacement, family pressure, and trying to survive while still holding onto yourself. I could feel the weight of the story in every scene, and it never lost that raw, human center. The POV of an innocent child made the adult themes even more powerful and interesting. Seeing all of this complexity through a child's eyes, trying to make sense of things they shouldn't have to carry, added a layer of heartbreak and honesty that made everything land harder.
The audiobook especially stood out to me because the narrator did a wonderful job making each character feel real and distinct. Other readers have mentioned how powerful the narration is and how well it carries the emotional complexity of the story, and I completely agree. The short, tightly framed sections also make the book move quickly while still leaving room for big feelings and reflection, and that structure works beautifully in audio format. It's the kind of story that stays with you because it's both beautifully told and painfully honest. This one's a keeper for me. I already preordered it because I knew I wanted a physical copy to return to, and I can't recommend it enough. It's just beautiful, and I'm so glad I experienced it this way.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Soon, Soon, Soon, Soon, Soon, Soon, Soon, Soon, Soon… that is what Sofia’s mother kept telling her. Soon she can go back to school, see her friends, eat cake, and not have to sleep in the car.
What makes this book so powerful is that it is told through the eyes of Sofia, a twelve-year-old girl. Her mama, her little brother, and she had to leave their home for unforeseen and heartbreaking circumstances. As they live out of the car, her mama tries to earn money to help them find a home, as Sofia and her brother are left alone.
You must read between the lines to get the full understanding of what is happening, remembering that this is a twelve-year-old’s point of view. I could see many readers wishing the plot had been expanded, as not much happens, per se. But I felt the narrative surrounded Sofia; it made me understand her complicated world and those who had such influence over her as she tried to find her voice and her own identity. It’s hard enough to be a kid, but add trying to find a home, let alone understanding what home is, and you have a whole new level of stress and anxiety.
🎧 I chose to do an immersive reading because I enjoyed the book’s formatting. The audiobook’s narrator, Ana Isabel Dow, did an excellent job with the entire cast. She made me feel empathy for both Sofia and her mother, yet you could feel the clear distinction between their emotions as an adult vs. a child’s perspective.
Thank you @henryholtbooks and @macmillan.audio for the gifted book and audiobook.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 stars
This is a short book, but WOW does it make an impact.
Sofia lives in her mother's car with her mother and brother, and her struggles are clear to readers because she is the one to articulate them. As the novel progresses, the impetus for this state becomes clear. Like many folks who find themselves in similar situations, there isn't just one thing that goes wrong. There's definitely an inciting incident, but Rizkalla expertly reveals the ways the dominoes fall when everything hangs in such a delicate and vulnerable balance.
While Sofia's family situation makes for an excellent overview of very difficult and realistic modern challenges, it's Sofia herself who stands out in this novel. She is a young girl dealing with all of the challenges of uncertainty, peers, family challenges, and way-too-grown things that she can't control but is determined to resolve. It's impossible not to root for her, and that makes a heartbreaking situation even more gutting.
This is my first encounter with this author, and it was memorable in a good way. I'll absolutely look for more from Rizkalla but also suggest that those who want to give this one a try really consider how much of the content they'll be able to stomach. This is not for the delicate, but neither is our modern reality.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a short book, but WOW does it make an impact.
Sofia lives in her mother's car with her mother and brother, and her struggles are clear to readers because she is the one to articulate them. As the novel progresses, the impetus for this state becomes clear. Like many folks who find themselves in similar situations, there isn't just one thing that goes wrong. There's definitely an inciting incident, but Rizkalla expertly reveals the ways the dominoes fall when everything hangs in such a delicate and vulnerable balance.
While Sofia's family situation makes for an excellent overview of very difficult and realistic modern challenges, it's Sofia herself who stands out in this novel. She is a young girl dealing with all of the challenges of uncertainty, peers, family challenges, and way-too-grown things that she can't control but is determined to resolve. It's impossible not to root for her, and that makes a heartbreaking situation even more gutting.
This is my first encounter with this author, and it was memorable in a good way. I'll absolutely look for more from Rizkalla but also suggest that those who want to give this one a try really consider how much of the content they'll be able to stomach. This is not for the delicate, but neither is our modern reality.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
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