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Hungry Ghost
A beautiful and heart-wrenching young adult graphic novel takes a look at eating disorders, family dynamics, and ultimately, a journey to self-love.
Valerie Chu is quiet, studious, and above all, thin. No one, not even her best friend Jordan, knows that she has been binging and purging for years. But when tragedy strikes, Val finds herself taking a good, hard look at her priorities, her choices, and her own body. The path to happiness may lead her away from her hometown and her mother's toxic projections―but first she will have to find the strength to seek help.
Valerie Chu is quiet, studious, and above all, thin. No one, not even her best friend Jordan, knows that she has been binging and purging for years. But when tragedy strikes, Val finds herself taking a good, hard look at her priorities, her choices, and her own body. The path to happiness may lead her away from her hometown and her mother's toxic projections―but first she will have to find the strength to seek help.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
40 people are currently reading
7592 people want to read
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May 10, 2024
‘I’ve lived like a prisoner to my body.’
The struggle to fit into idealized beauty standards and expectations puts a lot of pressure on a person. Feeling she needs to be ‘gwai’, a term with no direct English translation ‘but it means good or obedient,’ Val has grown up equating body image with self worth in Victoria Ying’s graphic novel Hungry Ghost. Gorgeously illustrated by Ying as well, this visual narrative examines issues of eating disorders and the pressures of meeting strict familial expectations. Most difficult for Val is her mother’s constant supervision of her food intake and openly fatphobic criticisms that only exacerbate her inner struggles and obsessions with food and calorie counting. This all comes to a head during a tumultuous time of family tragedy, social drama and the rapidly ending final year of high school, making it a story many will find easy to empathize with. It is written as a YA but it could be enjoyed by any readers of any age as the topics are issues that aren’t just teenage issues. It is a quick read, perhaps a bit too brief to fully invest in all the themes, but it is a heartbreaking story that leads towards a place of healing.
First off, the limited color palette and Ying’s character design are stunning. The architectural art is lovely and the characters are quite effectively expressive. The story moves along at a quick pace—it can easily be read in a single sitting—though when the family tragedy strikes it does feel brushed aside too soon and the threads of family grief, friendship struggles, and Val’s eating disorder seem to be overly competing for space. Ying does succeed however by addressing them all through examinations of mental health and has a positive message of overcoming issues, learning to live with difficult parents and to ‘find your own way to be happy. Whatever that means.’ It is a nice lesson to love yourself for you and not due to social or cultural expectations, as Ying says in the afterword.
‘Val is not me, but I was her,’ Ying writes, and this story is a deeply personal look at eating disorders and family dynamics. Studies have shown 13.2% of girls will have suffered from an eating disorder in the US by the age of 20, and Ying handles addressing the issue with sensitivity. There is a lot of fatphobia in the book and depictions of purging, so approach the novel at your own comfort level. I do enjoy that Ying includes resources at the back of the book or those seeking more information as well.
Hungry Ghosts is a gracefully handled look at mental health and eating disorders and makes for a well-done and accomplished graphic novel. I love the best friend, Jordan, and she deserves all the happiness. I also feel this will be a rather moving read for many and I am glad I read it.
4/5
The struggle to fit into idealized beauty standards and expectations puts a lot of pressure on a person. Feeling she needs to be ‘gwai’, a term with no direct English translation ‘but it means good or obedient,’ Val has grown up equating body image with self worth in Victoria Ying’s graphic novel Hungry Ghost. Gorgeously illustrated by Ying as well, this visual narrative examines issues of eating disorders and the pressures of meeting strict familial expectations. Most difficult for Val is her mother’s constant supervision of her food intake and openly fatphobic criticisms that only exacerbate her inner struggles and obsessions with food and calorie counting. This all comes to a head during a tumultuous time of family tragedy, social drama and the rapidly ending final year of high school, making it a story many will find easy to empathize with. It is written as a YA but it could be enjoyed by any readers of any age as the topics are issues that aren’t just teenage issues. It is a quick read, perhaps a bit too brief to fully invest in all the themes, but it is a heartbreaking story that leads towards a place of healing.
First off, the limited color palette and Ying’s character design are stunning. The architectural art is lovely and the characters are quite effectively expressive. The story moves along at a quick pace—it can easily be read in a single sitting—though when the family tragedy strikes it does feel brushed aside too soon and the threads of family grief, friendship struggles, and Val’s eating disorder seem to be overly competing for space. Ying does succeed however by addressing them all through examinations of mental health and has a positive message of overcoming issues, learning to live with difficult parents and to ‘find your own way to be happy. Whatever that means.’ It is a nice lesson to love yourself for you and not due to social or cultural expectations, as Ying says in the afterword.
‘Val is not me, but I was her,’ Ying writes, and this story is a deeply personal look at eating disorders and family dynamics. Studies have shown 13.2% of girls will have suffered from an eating disorder in the US by the age of 20, and Ying handles addressing the issue with sensitivity. There is a lot of fatphobia in the book and depictions of purging, so approach the novel at your own comfort level. I do enjoy that Ying includes resources at the back of the book or those seeking more information as well.
Hungry Ghosts is a gracefully handled look at mental health and eating disorders and makes for a well-done and accomplished graphic novel. I love the best friend, Jordan, and she deserves all the happiness. I also feel this will be a rather moving read for many and I am glad I read it.
4/5
June 28, 2025
My teenage self would’ve been very triggered by this book, but reading this in my thirties has been quite cathartic.
I had the pleasure to meet Victoria and Deb JJ Lee at their shared book launch. Both of their graphic novels deal with hard subjects relating to mommy issues and generational trauma. Both are done quite well. This one resonated with me just a tad more, because I participated in disordered eating for most of my high school years.
I didn't really see it as such at the time, but I counted calories, purged, and often ran for hours on the treadmill to "earn" my next meal. I see this for what it is now. I wouldn't recommend this read if you're in active recovery, but if enough time has passed, it is truly a godsend.
There are notes of depression, grief, and fat shaming, so if any of these trigger you, I would stay very far away. Growing up is hard. Growing up female is hard. Growing up a minority is hard. Growing up with a mother constantly telling you to "taste" food is hard.
I thought this was beautifully done. Graphic novels aren't my usual genre, but I attended a few events that are outside my usual scope, e.g. poetry, that have really opened my eyes to new art.
Art is beautiful, and I'll be on the lookout for more of Victoria's work.
I had the pleasure to meet Victoria and Deb JJ Lee at their shared book launch. Both of their graphic novels deal with hard subjects relating to mommy issues and generational trauma. Both are done quite well. This one resonated with me just a tad more, because I participated in disordered eating for most of my high school years.
I didn't really see it as such at the time, but I counted calories, purged, and often ran for hours on the treadmill to "earn" my next meal. I see this for what it is now. I wouldn't recommend this read if you're in active recovery, but if enough time has passed, it is truly a godsend.
There are notes of depression, grief, and fat shaming, so if any of these trigger you, I would stay very far away. Growing up is hard. Growing up female is hard. Growing up a minority is hard. Growing up with a mother constantly telling you to "taste" food is hard.
I thought this was beautifully done. Graphic novels aren't my usual genre, but I attended a few events that are outside my usual scope, e.g. poetry, that have really opened my eyes to new art.
Art is beautiful, and I'll be on the lookout for more of Victoria's work.
September 17, 2023
I felt moved by this gripping and sad graphic novel about Valerie Chu, a teenager struggling with an eating disorder. I thought Victoria Ying did an excellent job of portraying how an eating disorder can narrow your worldview and make it so fixated on weight, calories, and restriction. Ying’s illustrations showcased Valerie’s emotions well, like her self-loathing and her difficulty breaking free from her disordered eating. I thought Ying did a great job too of portraying Valerie’s relationship with her mother. Ying definitely showed that Valerie’s mother’s behavior was toxic, while also highlighting the complexity of putting up boundaries with someone, still having them in your life, all while knowing they won’t change.
Valerie is a super fatphobic character and takes her fatphobia out on her best friend, so watch out for that going into the book if that’ll activate you. Ying does highlight this fatphobia as horrible and toxic.
Overall, I give this book four stars for its accurate and emotionally resonant portrayal of disordered eating. I think the novel could have gone deeper in certain areas, such as the issue of wanting boys/men to like your appearance, intergenerational trauma, perhaps some general deepening of Valerie’s character. However, given the graphic novel format, I feel like it told a meaningful story that I imagine will resonate with people who’ve had difficult relationships with their mothers or with food. I appreciate Ying ending the graphic novel on a note of hope.
Valerie is a super fatphobic character and takes her fatphobia out on her best friend, so watch out for that going into the book if that’ll activate you. Ying does highlight this fatphobia as horrible and toxic.
Overall, I give this book four stars for its accurate and emotionally resonant portrayal of disordered eating. I think the novel could have gone deeper in certain areas, such as the issue of wanting boys/men to like your appearance, intergenerational trauma, perhaps some general deepening of Valerie’s character. However, given the graphic novel format, I feel like it told a meaningful story that I imagine will resonate with people who’ve had difficult relationships with their mothers or with food. I appreciate Ying ending the graphic novel on a note of hope.
March 19, 2025
I want to thank S Penkevich for his stunning and compelling review of this book https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... that made such a difference for me.
The story focuses on a young girl with an eating disorder.
Because of him…This book is now in our local community library. Yes, reviewers, your words do make a difference. I was so entranced by what he said, that I knew this book would be meaningful to young readers. The issues this book addresses are critical, timely, and real.
And…Sometimes it takes a colorful, beautifully graphic novel such as this book to showcase a message of this importance that can drive a point.
And…When I read Steve’s review, I knew this would be an important book for our community, so I made the request, and they accepted it and purchased it.
And…Now, I had the opportunity to read it, too.
Why, did this issue drive me so hard? So importantly?
Because…My sister and I lived this experience, too.
And…Even as I enter into a new decade, it doesn’t mean that I still don’t struggle with body image issues. Did you think this was just a teenage thing? Think again.
Yet…If we can find a way to reach out to our young readers sooner than later, maybe we can help them before they become my age.
So…That they aren’t having to be looking at themselves in the mirror with guilt while straddling a weight machine and punishing themselves if they gained a 100 grams for eating an apple the day before.
Can we just be happy with ourselves, just as we are?
In this book…The very first graphic bubble shows the words…
“For as long as I can remember, my mother always watched what I ate.”
That sentence hit me like a train running off the tracks. I could feel the impact as if the character were speaking directly to me.
And…I knew immediately, this was the right book. The right decision for so many readers.
I know my Mom never knew that her actions, or even her words, about what we eat, or how we look, could have such an impact on us (my sister and I)…
But…How many really do?
Because…Val’s thought bar says exactly what is so true for any of us who suffer from an eating disorder…
“My mom acts like I don’t ever think about what I eat…but the truth is, I don’t think about much else.”
The constant weighing in, the counting calories, the denying food intake if weight should exceed the desired number on the weight machine could be a relentless daily ritual. In the case of the character, Val, she purges her meals. Thankfully, this is something, I never did. I had other tricks I will keep to myself. Something I am not proud about – but, no longer do…gratefully.
And…The constant scrutiny of her mother, and the stress of it, puts her over the edge to the point that she almost loses her friendship because she can’t admit that she has this problem. Not even to her mother. Especially after a devastating family tragedy.
And…Can this unfortunate tragedy and friendship help Val come to terms with her eating disorder and find the help she needs?
Val places some truly difficult questions before herself as she struggles to face what is happening…
“Am I my body?”
And…Directly to her mother…
“Why does it matter so much? Who cares if I am fat?” “Why can’t I be enough? Why am I not okay as I am?”
But…The greatest message of all from her Aunt Nikki…
“Love yourself the way that you want her to love you.”
In the end it always comes down to doing just that. Knowing that “I am enough.”
Does Val find her peace with her mother?
Most importantly, does she find her peace with herself?
And…Even more so, will young readers find value in reading a story like this…especially if they are struggling?
I’d like to believe that the answer will always be yes.
But…I don’t give away spoilers. I too, am still a work in progress.
The story focuses on a young girl with an eating disorder.
Because of him…This book is now in our local community library. Yes, reviewers, your words do make a difference. I was so entranced by what he said, that I knew this book would be meaningful to young readers. The issues this book addresses are critical, timely, and real.
And…Sometimes it takes a colorful, beautifully graphic novel such as this book to showcase a message of this importance that can drive a point.
And…When I read Steve’s review, I knew this would be an important book for our community, so I made the request, and they accepted it and purchased it.
And…Now, I had the opportunity to read it, too.
Why, did this issue drive me so hard? So importantly?
Because…My sister and I lived this experience, too.
And…Even as I enter into a new decade, it doesn’t mean that I still don’t struggle with body image issues. Did you think this was just a teenage thing? Think again.
Yet…If we can find a way to reach out to our young readers sooner than later, maybe we can help them before they become my age.
So…That they aren’t having to be looking at themselves in the mirror with guilt while straddling a weight machine and punishing themselves if they gained a 100 grams for eating an apple the day before.
Can we just be happy with ourselves, just as we are?
In this book…The very first graphic bubble shows the words…
“For as long as I can remember, my mother always watched what I ate.”
That sentence hit me like a train running off the tracks. I could feel the impact as if the character were speaking directly to me.
And…I knew immediately, this was the right book. The right decision for so many readers.
I know my Mom never knew that her actions, or even her words, about what we eat, or how we look, could have such an impact on us (my sister and I)…
But…How many really do?
Because…Val’s thought bar says exactly what is so true for any of us who suffer from an eating disorder…
“My mom acts like I don’t ever think about what I eat…but the truth is, I don’t think about much else.”
The constant weighing in, the counting calories, the denying food intake if weight should exceed the desired number on the weight machine could be a relentless daily ritual. In the case of the character, Val, she purges her meals. Thankfully, this is something, I never did. I had other tricks I will keep to myself. Something I am not proud about – but, no longer do…gratefully.
And…The constant scrutiny of her mother, and the stress of it, puts her over the edge to the point that she almost loses her friendship because she can’t admit that she has this problem. Not even to her mother. Especially after a devastating family tragedy.
And…Can this unfortunate tragedy and friendship help Val come to terms with her eating disorder and find the help she needs?
Val places some truly difficult questions before herself as she struggles to face what is happening…
“Am I my body?”
And…Directly to her mother…
“Why does it matter so much? Who cares if I am fat?” “Why can’t I be enough? Why am I not okay as I am?”
But…The greatest message of all from her Aunt Nikki…
“Love yourself the way that you want her to love you.”
In the end it always comes down to doing just that. Knowing that “I am enough.”
Does Val find her peace with her mother?
Most importantly, does she find her peace with herself?
And…Even more so, will young readers find value in reading a story like this…especially if they are struggling?
I’d like to believe that the answer will always be yes.
But…I don’t give away spoilers. I too, am still a work in progress.
April 30, 2023
Hungry Ghost is a graphic novel about a girl trying to deal with her eating disorder while juggling school, first love, and family problems. I really wanted to love it, because the theme of EDs is one very close to my heart, but I sadly found this book lacking. I am sure that it could be triggering to MANY readers and if you are looking for a book that deals with mental health and specifically EDs, I would not recommend this one.
And here are just some things that I think should've been handled with better care:
- ED behaviours are shown on-page - and we know that this sort of modeling can be triggering to people with EDs
- EDs are shown in a pretty hopeless, "you are probably never gonna get better" way. I think this could be so discouraging to so many people, because NO; You can heal from an ED. Period. It's a complex issue that deserves care and attention, but it is not hopeless.
- MCs fatphobia was never challenged. She has a fat friend who is happy and content - and this was such a good thing, a plus-size SC who loved to eat and liked herself. But sadly the MC and her honestly horrible and toxic views of fat people ruined even that good aspect of the book. The MC was downright vicious with her friend and the fight they had never really got resolved. Yes, they "became friends again" but where were the discussions about the fatphobia she expressed very plainly in their fight? Where was the growth on the MCs part? We'll just let her feel bad about the fight itself and losing her friend, but not about all the horrible things she said about her body.
- A big part in the MCs journey was her mother, who had very toxic views on beauty and weight. A lot of people who struggle with EDs can sometimes track the origins to the views of their families. BUT despite the MC realizing that she should distance herself from her toxic mother, she still doesn't challenge her views. Once her aunt tells her that her mother still "loves her in her own way", the MC just rolls with it. Sure, family is important and the relationship between the MC and her mother is worth something, but Hungry Ghost makes it seem like you should endure that toxicity without talking about it and regardless of the toll it takes on your mental health.
- There was also a grief component that played a part in the MCs questionable growth, but I think this graphic novel was simply too ambitious - too many themes in too few pages, none handled with care and sensitivity it deserves.
I would never want to minimize the experiences of the author who dealt with an ED as well (or still does?). There are so few books out there aimed at teens who deal with EDs, I simply wish the ones that do get published dealt with this theme in a more sensitive way, thinking about all the people who might stumble upon this book, who might have an ED, a loved one with an ED or are in recovery. Some might find solace in it, but I do believe that it could be triggering to many more with the messages it passes on.
And here are just some things that I think should've been handled with better care:
- ED behaviours are shown on-page - and we know that this sort of modeling can be triggering to people with EDs
- EDs are shown in a pretty hopeless, "you are probably never gonna get better" way. I think this could be so discouraging to so many people, because NO; You can heal from an ED. Period. It's a complex issue that deserves care and attention, but it is not hopeless.
- MCs fatphobia was never challenged. She has a fat friend who is happy and content - and this was such a good thing, a plus-size SC who loved to eat and liked herself. But sadly the MC and her honestly horrible and toxic views of fat people ruined even that good aspect of the book. The MC was downright vicious with her friend and the fight they had never really got resolved. Yes, they "became friends again" but where were the discussions about the fatphobia she expressed very plainly in their fight? Where was the growth on the MCs part? We'll just let her feel bad about the fight itself and losing her friend, but not about all the horrible things she said about her body.
- A big part in the MCs journey was her mother, who had very toxic views on beauty and weight. A lot of people who struggle with EDs can sometimes track the origins to the views of their families. BUT despite the MC realizing that she should distance herself from her toxic mother, she still doesn't challenge her views. Once her aunt tells her that her mother still "loves her in her own way", the MC just rolls with it. Sure, family is important and the relationship between the MC and her mother is worth something, but Hungry Ghost makes it seem like you should endure that toxicity without talking about it and regardless of the toll it takes on your mental health.
- There was also a grief component that played a part in the MCs questionable growth, but I think this graphic novel was simply too ambitious - too many themes in too few pages, none handled with care and sensitivity it deserves.
I would never want to minimize the experiences of the author who dealt with an ED as well (or still does?). There are so few books out there aimed at teens who deal with EDs, I simply wish the ones that do get published dealt with this theme in a more sensitive way, thinking about all the people who might stumble upon this book, who might have an ED, a loved one with an ED or are in recovery. Some might find solace in it, but I do believe that it could be triggering to many more with the messages it passes on.
November 27, 2024
Man that was a tough read. Valerie's mum is so obsessed with her daughter staying thin that her constant criticisms and comments about food choices and hurtful body-shaming lead to Val developing an incredibly dangerous relationship with food. Her disordered eating interferes with her friendships as she spirals down into a dark place. Tragedy strikes and the family is left reeling in its aftermath. An emotional YA graphic novel that is both confronting and hopeful.
November 3, 2024
Read for suki's readathon 🤍
Read
May 28, 2023I'm refraining from giving this book a star rating because I feel genuinely unqualified to rate its effectiveness. This story deals with two very heavy topics- a character struggling with an eating disorder and grief after the death of a parent- which I have no experience with. The book portrays the main character binging and purging, which could potentially be very triggering for some readers in ED recovery, but could also be extremely cathartic to those who haven't seen their experiences reflected before. That's really going to depend on the reader. What I can say is that the art is very beautiful, I enjoyed the limited color palette, and I hope this book finds the readers who need it.
June 4, 2023
I wish it was longer
May 27, 2023
Eeeeep, this felt really icky. I can’t pretend to know what ED is like, but I do very much know what it’s like to have to count carbs and monitor everything you eat and how it’ll effect your body (type 1 diabetes) and also what it’s like to absolutely hate yourself and your body. And this just…didn’t sit right with me.
Val’s mom might love her, but holy hell was that not the way to deal with her mom’s disturbing and abusive behavior. “You see, even though you are hurt, you still want what’s best for your mom. That’s what love is. Your mom loves you like that, too.” WTF? No. Comparing a teen not wanting to leave their grieving mother for college to their moms abusive and toxic behavior as “wanting what’s best for her?” Fuck all that. And I understand that her thoughts about bodies were a direct result of the abuse, but the way her blowup at her best friend was immediately resolved by her disclosing her ED was just…what?? Not to mention the fact that Jordan, the fat character, literally had no depth. There was NOTHING about her but FOOD. That’s literally her only character trait. Which means the author didn’t do the work to see that fat people aren’t just people who only have food on their mind 24/7 and have that be their entire personality, despite listing some pretty great resources in the back matter that should have made her recognize this.
This is a big time no for me, despite it having a beautiful cover and artwork. It was not handled appropriately whatsoever.
Val’s mom might love her, but holy hell was that not the way to deal with her mom’s disturbing and abusive behavior. “You see, even though you are hurt, you still want what’s best for your mom. That’s what love is. Your mom loves you like that, too.” WTF? No. Comparing a teen not wanting to leave their grieving mother for college to their moms abusive and toxic behavior as “wanting what’s best for her?” Fuck all that. And I understand that her thoughts about bodies were a direct result of the abuse, but the way her blowup at her best friend was immediately resolved by her disclosing her ED was just…what?? Not to mention the fact that Jordan, the fat character, literally had no depth. There was NOTHING about her but FOOD. That’s literally her only character trait. Which means the author didn’t do the work to see that fat people aren’t just people who only have food on their mind 24/7 and have that be their entire personality, despite listing some pretty great resources in the back matter that should have made her recognize this.
This is a big time no for me, despite it having a beautiful cover and artwork. It was not handled appropriately whatsoever.
November 26, 2022
"Will people care that much about my body when I die? Am I my body? How can this thing, this thing that I hate- How could anyone care about it that much?"
From the cover you just know that this will be a story that will hit you emotionally and mentally. I know when I saw the cover that I had to prepare myself before diving right in. It was a difficult one because it brought back so many memories.
This was a beautifully crafted graphic novel. The author really took her time and carefully brought forth something that everyone should read. This is an important one and no one should shy away from this.
The artwork was absolutely gorgeous. Every scene was mesmerizing and the perfect fit to this story.
Hungry Ghost was an amazing graphic novel. It was powerful and raw. And if anyone needs a friend like Jordan, you know where I’m at.
From the cover you just know that this will be a story that will hit you emotionally and mentally. I know when I saw the cover that I had to prepare myself before diving right in. It was a difficult one because it brought back so many memories.
This was a beautifully crafted graphic novel. The author really took her time and carefully brought forth something that everyone should read. This is an important one and no one should shy away from this.
The artwork was absolutely gorgeous. Every scene was mesmerizing and the perfect fit to this story.
Hungry Ghost was an amazing graphic novel. It was powerful and raw. And if anyone needs a friend like Jordan, you know where I’m at.
December 5, 2022
Apparently I'm on a roll with the tough reads today, because Hungry Ghost is a painful one for sure. It follows a teen girl named Val whose mother's constant body-shaming and food obsessions have gradually pushed her to the point of disordered eating. Don't go into this expecting a perfect protagonist who heals easily or quickly, or views the world in the right ways, because we definitely get to see how broken her perspective is at times, especially when she even begins to body-shame her fat best friend.
As a fat person with a long history of disordered eating, stories like this can carry an extra layer of pain because of the combination of ED rep mixed with the main character's fatphobic views of those around them, but I'm really glad that I kept going, because Val grows so much as a character within these pages and I was absolutely rooting for her all the while. I only wish we had seen some sort of character growth from her mother, anything at all, but unfortunately, that isn't always how these things go.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Val and her family are Asian-American
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
As a fat person with a long history of disordered eating, stories like this can carry an extra layer of pain because of the combination of ED rep mixed with the main character's fatphobic views of those around them, but I'm really glad that I kept going, because Val grows so much as a character within these pages and I was absolutely rooting for her all the while. I only wish we had seen some sort of character growth from her mother, anything at all, but unfortunately, that isn't always how these things go.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Val and her family are Asian-American
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
February 9, 2023
This was a very hard read. And for what?
The fatphobia was so difficult to read. Jordan, the fat funny best friend, is portrayed in a very caricaturale manner, always talking about food.
The central plot point is absolutely useless.
The ending is rushed.
This is a no for me
TW: Eating Disorder, fatphobia, bullying, death, grief
The fatphobia was so difficult to read. Jordan, the fat funny best friend, is portrayed in a very caricaturale manner, always talking about food.
The central plot point is absolutely useless.
The ending is rushed.
This is a no for me
TW: Eating Disorder, fatphobia, bullying, death, grief
January 24, 2024
You don’t need enemies when you have a mom like this.
Rosy and simplistic ending took away from the story for me. I firmly believe that people who cause you harm on a daily basis shouldn’t be in your life.
Rosy and simplistic ending took away from the story for me. I firmly believe that people who cause you harm on a daily basis shouldn’t be in your life.
July 19, 2023
A teenage girl develops an eating disorder due to her toxic relationship with her mother. A family tragedy brings everything to a head in a too tidy, YA manner, but it's an effective tale nevertheless.
If I seem lukewarm, know that I've read a few too many books about eating disorders in the past few years, including a particularly brutal one earlier in the same week: Nervosa by Hayley Gold.
If I seem lukewarm, know that I've read a few too many books about eating disorders in the past few years, including a particularly brutal one earlier in the same week: Nervosa by Hayley Gold.
July 14, 2023
maybe i shed a tear or two, whatever
December 4, 2023
This book just really rubbed me the wrong way. There was too much trying to go on at one time for the length it was and alot felt unnecessary. I dont even really think it has a good message behind it. Especially toward the end when val thought she was never get over her ED, like that's not very encouraging??? My girl Jordan was also done her dirty. And idk the family dynamics felt VERY unrealistic to me. My parents literally used to PAY me to lose weight and they weren't nearly up my ass as much as this girl's mom was. The dad randomly died for what too?? Literally no reason for like the whole middle of this book.
November 3, 2022
It's never easy to tell the story of someone suffering from an eating disorder, but the author did it here beautifully and with such care!
June 29, 2025
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2023
thank you netgalley for the arc!
Val is always trying to be the perfect daughter, especially when it comes to her mother's expectations for her appearance. but Val isn't perfect. she's sick, secretly struggling with an eating disorder for years.
as someone who has struggled with disordered eating pretty much my whole life, I was really looking forward to reading something like this. the highlight of this book is definitely the art and color pallette. it's seriously beautiful. the representation of how eating disorders/disordered eating can be generational/learned and how seriously they can impact your relationships was spot on. eating disorders are incredibly isolating and I think this book did a great job of showing how that happens.
slight spoiler coming in order to describe what warranted a low rating from me.
however. I did not enjoy how by the end of the book Val literally credits seeing her fat friend being pursued by a man as the reason she "saw the light" and realized that you don't have to be thin to be loved. I also did not rock with the idea of "your mom is just loving you the best way she knows how" almost absolving someone of pushing disordered eating patterns and body shame onto their child?
overall, I think this book had potential but really fell flat in the resolve for the character.
Val is always trying to be the perfect daughter, especially when it comes to her mother's expectations for her appearance. but Val isn't perfect. she's sick, secretly struggling with an eating disorder for years.
as someone who has struggled with disordered eating pretty much my whole life, I was really looking forward to reading something like this. the highlight of this book is definitely the art and color pallette. it's seriously beautiful. the representation of how eating disorders/disordered eating can be generational/learned and how seriously they can impact your relationships was spot on. eating disorders are incredibly isolating and I think this book did a great job of showing how that happens.
slight spoiler coming in order to describe what warranted a low rating from me.
however. I did not enjoy how by the end of the book Val literally credits seeing her fat friend being pursued by a man as the reason she "saw the light" and realized that you don't have to be thin to be loved. I also did not rock with the idea of "your mom is just loving you the best way she knows how" almost absolving someone of pushing disordered eating patterns and body shame onto their child?
overall, I think this book had potential but really fell flat in the resolve for the character.
January 14, 2025
I didn’t enjoy this. While I do think it is incredibly important for eating disorders to be represented (I’ve had eating disorders ranging from anorexia and bulimia/purging throughout my life), I felt like the representation in this book was so poor. While I know the main character Valerie was obviously going through some very serious things, I hated how she thought of her friend Jordan. Their argument…words could not describe how mad I was. I also felt like Jordan and Allan’s relationship in this book came completely out of left field. Plus the ending was so abrupt. It was just like “Okay well I’m getting treatment and everything is great now!” Recovery is extremely, extremely hard and you don’t just overcome it the second you realize you’re unhealthy. Yeah, just didn’t like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2023
i’m afraid that i found this graphic novel’s portrayal of eating disorders, bulimia specifically, rather simplistic. the drawings, dialogues, & character dynamics also struck me as one-note. ymmv so check out I recommend you check more positive reviews out if this title happens to be on your radar.
July 28, 2024
⋆˚࿔ 3.75 stars 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
❝ my version of being good is being good to myself. ❞
❝ my version of being good is being good to myself. ❞
October 7, 2025
Well. I'm pretty angry actually.
And as I write this review, I only become angrier!
This has struck me in such a way that I need to take a deep breath. Way to become part of the problem!
Before getting into the actual content, I will say that I thought the illustrations in this were great. Typically I would like a graphic novel with a little bit more color, but I think the color palette here fits the solemn mood quite nicely.
This story follows a teenage girl suffering from bulimia, stemming from her mother’s constant obsession with staying thin and cutting calories.
She hides her disorder, sneaking off to purge whenever she can, and all of her thoughts are centered around that.
This is naturally a difficult read, with a super heavy theme.
It really depicts the way the way that girls are casually taught from a super young age to watch their weight, be careful of how much they eat, be careful of what they eat, etc. and how easily that can grow into something so much bigger.
Alas, as much as I liked this main characters growth and journey to healing and self love- I cannot give this a high rating.
I guess it is somewhat of a spoiler, so stop reading if you really care I guess.
The villain in this story. The mother. The mother who is putting these insane restrictions on her daughter, feeding her a single cup of yogurt for dinner, is not even held accountable.
The end is iterally like "i know she just loves me".
Stop. Full stop.
All of that growth that we just did. All of the messages that we just sent to young audiences about learning to love themselves, and how they do not have to be thin to be beautiful and loved.
ALL of that, just lost so much potency and so much meaning.
Because we are also apparently teaching them that unrealistic body standards, fat shaming and literal promotion of starving yourself- COMES FROM A PLACE OF LOVE! GREAT! JUST WHAT I WANTED! I AM SO PLEASED THAT WE'VE GONE IN THIS DIRECTION! (sarcasm)
So what was the point, exactly?
And look. I am not saying that anyone in life who has ever acted this way toward their child or loved one- is doing it because they hate them.
There are a lot of generational and cultural aspects to these sort of things.
I too grew up with some of these messages coming from people close to me. Do I now hate those people? No, I don't.
Do I think they hated me? No, I don't.
But change takes place when people are held accountable for their actions.
You don't need to go cut anyone off, or yell at anybody! But also don't justify the things that they have said/done?
Justifying problematic, harmful beliefs and treatment and chopping them down to "a form of love" is how you breed generational trauma and abuse.
This really set up to be great! and in the very last second, we go from 5 stars to 2! And I am honestly considering giving it 1 star.
I have never reacted to a book in such a way that I have reacted to this.
And as I write this review, I only become angrier!
This has struck me in such a way that I need to take a deep breath. Way to become part of the problem!
Before getting into the actual content, I will say that I thought the illustrations in this were great. Typically I would like a graphic novel with a little bit more color, but I think the color palette here fits the solemn mood quite nicely.
This story follows a teenage girl suffering from bulimia, stemming from her mother’s constant obsession with staying thin and cutting calories.
She hides her disorder, sneaking off to purge whenever she can, and all of her thoughts are centered around that.
This is naturally a difficult read, with a super heavy theme.
It really depicts the way the way that girls are casually taught from a super young age to watch their weight, be careful of how much they eat, be careful of what they eat, etc. and how easily that can grow into something so much bigger.
Alas, as much as I liked this main characters growth and journey to healing and self love- I cannot give this a high rating.
I guess it is somewhat of a spoiler, so stop reading if you really care I guess.
The villain in this story. The mother. The mother who is putting these insane restrictions on her daughter, feeding her a single cup of yogurt for dinner, is not even held accountable.
The end is iterally like "i know she just loves me".
Stop. Full stop.
All of that growth that we just did. All of the messages that we just sent to young audiences about learning to love themselves, and how they do not have to be thin to be beautiful and loved.
ALL of that, just lost so much potency and so much meaning.
Because we are also apparently teaching them that unrealistic body standards, fat shaming and literal promotion of starving yourself- COMES FROM A PLACE OF LOVE! GREAT! JUST WHAT I WANTED! I AM SO PLEASED THAT WE'VE GONE IN THIS DIRECTION! (sarcasm)
So what was the point, exactly?
And look. I am not saying that anyone in life who has ever acted this way toward their child or loved one- is doing it because they hate them.
There are a lot of generational and cultural aspects to these sort of things.
I too grew up with some of these messages coming from people close to me. Do I now hate those people? No, I don't.
Do I think they hated me? No, I don't.
But change takes place when people are held accountable for their actions.
You don't need to go cut anyone off, or yell at anybody! But also don't justify the things that they have said/done?
Justifying problematic, harmful beliefs and treatment and chopping them down to "a form of love" is how you breed generational trauma and abuse.
This really set up to be great! and in the very last second, we go from 5 stars to 2! And I am honestly considering giving it 1 star.
I have never reacted to a book in such a way that I have reacted to this.
June 22, 2025
This pains me because I was ready for this to rip my heart to shreds and heal me.
Valerie Chu needs to be perfect. The perfect student, the perfect daughter, the perfect ‘thin’ girl. No one knows she manages this with purging.
Perfect on the outside is all that matters.
I’ve lived like a prisoner to my body.
Why this didn’t work for me - her disordered behaviour was easily blamed on Val’s mother’s constant supervision of her food intake and openly fatphobic criticisms that only exacerbate Val’s inner struggles and obsessions with food and calorie counting.
Val proceeds to forgive her mother because she is just doing it to show her care for Val…. WHAT?! Okay, yes there are cultural differences, but I would hope we live in a day and age that we know this type of controlling, narcissistic, damaging behaviour is wrong.
We should not accept generational attitudes, but grow from them. Challenge them.
What I did appreciate is how self-obsessive and involved Val is shown to be. She is surrounded by incredible friends and yet she is so wrapped up in her body image that she sees her worth, and theirs, in terms of thinness and fatness.
Not to mention, no one’s fatphobia was ever challenged.
There was a theme of grief that could have been explored in more depth, otherwise it just felt inserted in and not properly developed. Maybe I am asking too much from a YA novel, but that feels like a disservice to the genre.
This graphic novel is for young adults and contains no triggering content apart from the subject matter.
What I mean by that is that there is no numbers, scales, ribs poking out, graphic scenes of purging etc.
Whilst I liked the calming pastel colour palette, I expecting more. The art style is soothing, but I wish there was a contrast to show the ‘eating disorder’ taking over. The negative thoughts encompassing Val.
I think this book is heartfelt, but was so singularly expressed that it did not accomplish anything other than showing.
I would recommend The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, If my Body Could Speak, and Lighter Than my Shadow.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Valerie Chu needs to be perfect. The perfect student, the perfect daughter, the perfect ‘thin’ girl. No one knows she manages this with purging.
Perfect on the outside is all that matters.
I’ve lived like a prisoner to my body.
Why this didn’t work for me - her disordered behaviour was easily blamed on Val’s mother’s constant supervision of her food intake and openly fatphobic criticisms that only exacerbate Val’s inner struggles and obsessions with food and calorie counting.
Val proceeds to forgive her mother because she is just doing it to show her care for Val…. WHAT?! Okay, yes there are cultural differences, but I would hope we live in a day and age that we know this type of controlling, narcissistic, damaging behaviour is wrong.
We should not accept generational attitudes, but grow from them. Challenge them.
What I did appreciate is how self-obsessive and involved Val is shown to be. She is surrounded by incredible friends and yet she is so wrapped up in her body image that she sees her worth, and theirs, in terms of thinness and fatness.
Not to mention, no one’s fatphobia was ever challenged.
There was a theme of grief that could have been explored in more depth, otherwise it just felt inserted in and not properly developed. Maybe I am asking too much from a YA novel, but that feels like a disservice to the genre.
This graphic novel is for young adults and contains no triggering content apart from the subject matter.
What I mean by that is that there is no numbers, scales, ribs poking out, graphic scenes of purging etc.
Whilst I liked the calming pastel colour palette, I expecting more. The art style is soothing, but I wish there was a contrast to show the ‘eating disorder’ taking over. The negative thoughts encompassing Val.
I think this book is heartfelt, but was so singularly expressed that it did not accomplish anything other than showing.
I would recommend The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, If my Body Could Speak, and Lighter Than my Shadow.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
February 23, 2023
Très beau et très touchant ! (Sorry pour cet avis pas du tout constructif 😂)
TW : troubles alimentaires, deuil
TW : troubles alimentaires, deuil
July 27, 2024
hicbir sey olmasa bile beyazlik ve zayiflikla kafayi kirmis dogu asyali ebeveynler 20-30 senede bir bombalanmali
January 22, 2025
The art was beautiful, but the story wrapped up so fast and so abruptly I had mild whiplash. Still, it was the first graphic novel I read on my new kindle color so I definitely have some nostalgia for that!
May 12, 2023
I think there were a lot of things going on in this book.
While I think this is a very important topic to address with teens and young adults, I don’t think this gave a very hopeful outlook towards EDs. The main character was fatphobic even to her best friend and there was never any growth there, not to mention that the best friend was there to only be fat and love food. I think it’s fine to showcase fat characters liking to eat and having a healthy relationship with food, but that’s not how I felt with this book. Their lukewarm “resolution” to their fight felt forced after the MC was awful to her friend.
And the mom’s toxic behavior was never challenged either. Towards the end the MC just is like, well I guess she’ll always be that way but she still loves me so I guess it’s okay for her to remind me to taste and not eat.
I loved the artwork, and I do appreciate that the author is upfront about her experiences with EDs, but I just think this would’ve landed better with me if there were less themes and plot lines all vying to be in the spotlight.
While I think this is a very important topic to address with teens and young adults, I don’t think this gave a very hopeful outlook towards EDs. The main character was fatphobic even to her best friend and there was never any growth there, not to mention that the best friend was there to only be fat and love food. I think it’s fine to showcase fat characters liking to eat and having a healthy relationship with food, but that’s not how I felt with this book. Their lukewarm “resolution” to their fight felt forced after the MC was awful to her friend.
And the mom’s toxic behavior was never challenged either. Towards the end the MC just is like, well I guess she’ll always be that way but she still loves me so I guess it’s okay for her to remind me to taste and not eat.
I loved the artwork, and I do appreciate that the author is upfront about her experiences with EDs, but I just think this would’ve landed better with me if there were less themes and plot lines all vying to be in the spotlight.
May 23, 2023
The way I really need for BIPOC mothers to STOP COMMENTING on what their daughters have their plates.
To them, it’s “guidance”. To the daughter, it’s like needle constantly pricking at a wound
To them, it’s “guidance”. To the daughter, it’s like needle constantly pricking at a wound
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