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Armenian Genocide
The Hunger
Fifteen-year-old Paula’s perfectionism drives every facet of her life, from her marks in Grade 10 to the pursuit of a "perfect body." A history project brings her face to face with her grandmother’s early life and, as she delves deeper, she is disturbed to find eerie parallels between her own struggles and what she learns of the past. As Paula slowly destroys the very body she’s trying to perfect, her spirit is torn between settling for her imperfect life or entering the shadowy mystery of her grandmother’s Armenian past. The shimmering Euphrates River beckons her, but, as she soon discovers, there are many things worse than imperfection.
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 1999
1 person is currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
33 books888 followersMarsha Skrypuch is an internationally bestselling children’s author whose books span a century of wars from a kid’s view, concentrating on those stories that have been erased by oppressive regimes. Her best-known book is Making Bombs for Hitler. Her most recent is the Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. She has received death threats and honors for her writing. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario, Canada and you can visit her online at calla.com
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 29, 2016
What a gripping description of bulimia! I don't think I've ever read one so realistic. I can only hope that the author isn't writing from experience. I was getting nauseous just reading about the vomiting! However, I now feel, as I never did before, that I really understand what it's like to think like a bulimic. If the story had been solely about Paula and her battle with bulimia, I would have given it 5 stars.
However, over halfway through the story it switched to a near-death experience, where Paula slips back in time into the body of an Armenian ancestor, Marta, who survived the Armenian massacre in Turkey during World War I. I understand why the author did this. Paula had an assignment about her Armenian ancestry, for one thing, and, for another, Marta's experience of starvation by the Turks contrasted with Paula's deliberate self-starvation. Also, the experience of living Marta's life for a short time made Paula realize that she wanted to live and helped her on the road to recovery.
I'm not sure that this time-travel thing worked, even though I found the section about Marta just as interesting and gripping as the sections about Paula. I think I would have preferred two separate books. I also thought it ended rather abruptly, but I'm not sure what else it needed. Nevertheless, I still give it 4 stars because it was such a good read.
By the way, the section about Marta is actually a sequel to Daughter of War, which deals at greater length with the early incidents of Marta's life as described in The Hunger.
However, over halfway through the story it switched to a near-death experience, where Paula slips back in time into the body of an Armenian ancestor, Marta, who survived the Armenian massacre in Turkey during World War I. I understand why the author did this. Paula had an assignment about her Armenian ancestry, for one thing, and, for another, Marta's experience of starvation by the Turks contrasted with Paula's deliberate self-starvation. Also, the experience of living Marta's life for a short time made Paula realize that she wanted to live and helped her on the road to recovery.
I'm not sure that this time-travel thing worked, even though I found the section about Marta just as interesting and gripping as the sections about Paula. I think I would have preferred two separate books. I also thought it ended rather abruptly, but I'm not sure what else it needed. Nevertheless, I still give it 4 stars because it was such a good read.
By the way, the section about Marta is actually a sequel to Daughter of War, which deals at greater length with the early incidents of Marta's life as described in The Hunger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2019
I find the other novels on the trilogy we're better written, but this was my first exposure to the Georgetown Boys, anorexia, and fiction weaving in the genocide. It was my exposure to near death experiences and gaming obsessions. I was 10 the first time I read it.
July 27, 2024
It's a good book I was hooked on it the second I pick it up. Most people didn't like how it shaped around page 110 but I enjoyed it.
May 8, 2012
Bluntly, The Hunger by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch has been a flawed book. Several other mixed reviews mention its positive aspects: the historical accuracy, the evidence of research done for the latter half of the novel. They also mention the negative, weaker aspects, which I too picked up on. They include a certain rocky transition, which I thought was the weakest point and will discuss later, and a lack of character depth, which is an opinion some may not share.
The book revolves around two characters. Paula claims the first half, dealing with her serious anorexic and bulimic issues. The reader will explore the poor choices she makes, such as losing emotional control, buying fatty foods then purging, and refusing help offered by those around her. The latter half involves the similarly-named Marta, whose life takes place in the Armenian Genocide of 1925-1923. Here, Marta struggles to stay alive, cherishing the very food that Paula deemed so horrible. The two characters are connected through (SPOILER BEGIN) a link I thought was weak in my opinion, as Paula only began to have interest in her Armenian descent after being assigned a history project about her ancestors. Personally I felt the link between them should have been stronger, to build a deeper connection between the very different two main characters.
The section I thought was weakest was the halfway transition I mentioned earlier. What happens is Paula goes out for a vigorous jog in her weak condition, and subsequently faints from exhaustion. Then she has what I believe was intended to be a near-death experience, which is set engulfed in white light, still waters, and lifeless sand while viewing the events of her own life. She is beckoned forth by a vision of Marta, and the two switch roles by “stepping into” each other, all in a course of 4 ¼ pages. Overall, this section felt rushed, as if Skrypuch, the author, struggled to find a way to transition between two very different storylines. (SPOILER END). Perhaps the two storylines of Paula and Marta would have been better in two separate novels, as the two share little between them other than Armenian family relation, and an opposite view on the value of food. If the author insists on having them in the same book, an alternate transition, or smoother, longer transition would have been more effective.
On a more positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical accuracy. Even if the book does not explicitly take the path of a real-life account (though the author’s grandmother had direct input and experience during the genocide), the heat of the desert and the fight for life feels very authentic. There is a strong quote from Adolf Hitler which is mentioned multiple times, and somewhat defines the second half of the novel: “after all, who today remembers the Armenians?” Just this quote alone makes the book an informative piece for information about the Armenian Genocide, and an appropriate read for those suffering from anorexic conditions. If you can tolerate two very different topics in one book, and tolerate a little bit of writing roughness, it makes a satisfying and educational read.
The book revolves around two characters. Paula claims the first half, dealing with her serious anorexic and bulimic issues. The reader will explore the poor choices she makes, such as losing emotional control, buying fatty foods then purging, and refusing help offered by those around her. The latter half involves the similarly-named Marta, whose life takes place in the Armenian Genocide of 1925-1923. Here, Marta struggles to stay alive, cherishing the very food that Paula deemed so horrible. The two characters are connected through (SPOILER BEGIN) a link I thought was weak in my opinion, as Paula only began to have interest in her Armenian descent after being assigned a history project about her ancestors. Personally I felt the link between them should have been stronger, to build a deeper connection between the very different two main characters.
The section I thought was weakest was the halfway transition I mentioned earlier. What happens is Paula goes out for a vigorous jog in her weak condition, and subsequently faints from exhaustion. Then she has what I believe was intended to be a near-death experience, which is set engulfed in white light, still waters, and lifeless sand while viewing the events of her own life. She is beckoned forth by a vision of Marta, and the two switch roles by “stepping into” each other, all in a course of 4 ¼ pages. Overall, this section felt rushed, as if Skrypuch, the author, struggled to find a way to transition between two very different storylines. (SPOILER END). Perhaps the two storylines of Paula and Marta would have been better in two separate novels, as the two share little between them other than Armenian family relation, and an opposite view on the value of food. If the author insists on having them in the same book, an alternate transition, or smoother, longer transition would have been more effective.
On a more positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical accuracy. Even if the book does not explicitly take the path of a real-life account (though the author’s grandmother had direct input and experience during the genocide), the heat of the desert and the fight for life feels very authentic. There is a strong quote from Adolf Hitler which is mentioned multiple times, and somewhat defines the second half of the novel: “after all, who today remembers the Armenians?” Just this quote alone makes the book an informative piece for information about the Armenian Genocide, and an appropriate read for those suffering from anorexic conditions. If you can tolerate two very different topics in one book, and tolerate a little bit of writing roughness, it makes a satisfying and educational read.
October 21, 2019
Oh. My. God. When I initially picked up this book, I’ll admit, the cover caught my eye. I read the back cover and thought that this would be a Canadian after school special adapted into a book. Boy, was I wrong! This book is not only a story of bulimia recovery, it’s about empathy, family, and shining light on the survivors of the Armenian genocide. I thought that this book would be comparing victims to an able-bodied girl in the western to innocent victims, but the once I got to the ending, it all made sense; Paula was feeling empathy and becoming grateful for what she had whilst dealing with her horrid case of mental illness and eating disorder. I was confused when Paula became Marta, but as I read on, the pieces fell into place and it made me fall in love with this book. Thank you for shedding light on the Armenian genocide. It’s important to talk about history and to provide support to survivors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2013
I was looking for a book about the Armenian genocide to use with a class of teenagers. This was recommended to me, and it certainly is an interesting book to read with a class - but the focus is much more on eating disorders than the Armenian genocide. I'm pretty sure this would not work well with the group of boys I'll have in that class, although it's clear that anorexia is not a "girls only" theme.
So as a book about the journey of an anorexic, it's very good - at times borderline TMI, but I think that's probably ok too. There are some suggestions for further reading at the back -I'll try to see what I can find there.
So as a book about the journey of an anorexic, it's very good - at times borderline TMI, but I think that's probably ok too. There are some suggestions for further reading at the back -I'll try to see what I can find there.
June 10, 2025
This was a reread for me. One of the first historical fiction novels I've read, and I love how relatable Paula is in relation to her social anxiety or overall image. Paula's story also educates on some of the facts of anorexia and bulimia. My favorite part is when she starts to learn more about her ancestors.
December 12, 2018
This is a book I read and sincerely appreciated in adolescence. I couldn't get it out of my head and had been searching for years for the title of this novel. I'm happy to have finally found it so I can revisit it.
July 25, 2022
I wanted more!
December 23, 2016
Mm...very, very typical late-90s treatment of eating disorders, but with one notable twist: Hunger ties in the Armenian Genocide through Paula's understanding of her grandmother's experience. There's a big chunk of that in the second half of the book, but I would have loved to see more of it sooner—I know so little about the genocide, and I didn't come out of the book with all that more of an understanding. Part of that, I think, is that Paula doesn't know anything about it either, at the beginning of the book; her understanding is gained through a sort of...dream...she has when she's very ill. I'm reminded some of If I Should Die Before I Wake (which I adored when I was younger), but...either that gave me more info on the Holocaust than this does about the Armenian Genocide, or I already knew enough about the Holocaust for it not to matter, but here I really needed more info to fully appreciate it.
Anyway. It also remains interesting to see how eating disorders are treated in these older books...here we have another Miracle Doctor, but there's also just lots of little things, like Paula's parents being kept away from her entirely (the pendulum is, fortunately, swinging in the other direction now), and the hospital putting her on bedrest but not taking any steps to ensure she eats, and the fact that when she goes to a specialised clinic she has to agree to stay for a six-month minimum (which some people now and then need, but which clinics are much, much less likely to get away with now because of insurance policies). So nothing to write home about, but I did appreciate that twist of bringing in Armenia.
Anyway. It also remains interesting to see how eating disorders are treated in these older books...here we have another Miracle Doctor, but there's also just lots of little things, like Paula's parents being kept away from her entirely (the pendulum is, fortunately, swinging in the other direction now), and the hospital putting her on bedrest but not taking any steps to ensure she eats, and the fact that when she goes to a specialised clinic she has to agree to stay for a six-month minimum (which some people now and then need, but which clinics are much, much less likely to get away with now because of insurance policies). So nothing to write home about, but I did appreciate that twist of bringing in Armenia.
November 30, 2011
“The Hunger” by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch was quite honestly a mediocre read. Centered around 15-year-old Paula, the novel focuses on her battle to attain the ideal figure and the personal struggles she confronts throughout her battle with bulimia. However, more than partway through the story, the perspective changes as Paula is transported back in time to the early 1900s. She delves into the life of Marta, a young Armenian girl on the brink of death during the Armenian Massacre of the first World War, and Paula is forced to relive the inhumane atrocity of her own ancestors’ pasts. Upon returning to reality, Paula comes to be aware of the value of life and how the detriment she is causing to her body is for no good reason, especially when people have experienced pain as brutal as Marta’s.
I was pleased to see that the novel was thoroughly researched. Plenty of facts on Armenian history were provided in a way that was easily comprehensible for the intended audience. Paula’s symptoms and bulimic behaviour also seemed to be accurate and were described graphically in order to convey a negative outlook on disordered eating. Not only does Skrypuch illustrate many of the horrendous consequences of anorexia and bulimia, but the author also implicitly states the importance of seeking help, and how crucial the role of family is in recovering from an illness.
On the other hand, I found that the novel was poorly structured, the author’s style was far from ideal and the second story introduced halfway through was irrelevant. The change of focus from eating disorders to the Armenian massacre was confusing, as we were only beginning to get acquainted with Paula’s character. Although it was related to Paula’s grade 10 history project, the time travel took away from the original story when I believe more time should have been spent describing the horrors of eating disorders in order to more effectively emphasize the gravity of such mental disorders. When dealing with as mature a subject as eating disorders, we can assume the target audience would be teens who can relate to this sort of situation. However, the vocabulary used in the novel was fairly basic for a teen audience.
Finally, I am thoroughly dissatisfied with the shallowness of the characters. There was a lack of insight into their lives which resulted in the novel being unsuccessful in allowing readers to develop an emotional connection to the characters. In my opinion, the novel would have been much more enjoyable if it was solely about Paula’s eating disorder. While it may be somewhat overused, anorexia and bulimia remain to be appealing and chilling topics to many teens. Therefore, adding the element of history to it was unnecessary, and would be better off in a completely separate book.
Personally, I would not recommend this book, as it was poorly written and only mildly entertaining, save for the fact that I was able to relate the issues faced to my own life. If you are looking for a deep, thoughtful book with a great deal of imagery and vivid characters, I would pass this one by.
I was pleased to see that the novel was thoroughly researched. Plenty of facts on Armenian history were provided in a way that was easily comprehensible for the intended audience. Paula’s symptoms and bulimic behaviour also seemed to be accurate and were described graphically in order to convey a negative outlook on disordered eating. Not only does Skrypuch illustrate many of the horrendous consequences of anorexia and bulimia, but the author also implicitly states the importance of seeking help, and how crucial the role of family is in recovering from an illness.
On the other hand, I found that the novel was poorly structured, the author’s style was far from ideal and the second story introduced halfway through was irrelevant. The change of focus from eating disorders to the Armenian massacre was confusing, as we were only beginning to get acquainted with Paula’s character. Although it was related to Paula’s grade 10 history project, the time travel took away from the original story when I believe more time should have been spent describing the horrors of eating disorders in order to more effectively emphasize the gravity of such mental disorders. When dealing with as mature a subject as eating disorders, we can assume the target audience would be teens who can relate to this sort of situation. However, the vocabulary used in the novel was fairly basic for a teen audience.
Finally, I am thoroughly dissatisfied with the shallowness of the characters. There was a lack of insight into their lives which resulted in the novel being unsuccessful in allowing readers to develop an emotional connection to the characters. In my opinion, the novel would have been much more enjoyable if it was solely about Paula’s eating disorder. While it may be somewhat overused, anorexia and bulimia remain to be appealing and chilling topics to many teens. Therefore, adding the element of history to it was unnecessary, and would be better off in a completely separate book.
Personally, I would not recommend this book, as it was poorly written and only mildly entertaining, save for the fact that I was able to relate the issues faced to my own life. If you are looking for a deep, thoughtful book with a great deal of imagery and vivid characters, I would pass this one by.
December 23, 2019
I read the sequel to this "Nobody's Child" as an assigned book reading during high school. It was one of the few assigned books that a thoroughly enjoyed. It's been about ten years now and I have decided to go back and read the whole series. Though this book is intended for teens and as a learning experience about anorexia it is still an enjoyable story. The author put a lot of research into the book and it shows. It's taken seriously and isn't dumb-downed for a younger audience. I would recommend this to those interested in learning about historical events.
July 18, 2012
This book I find it amazing,the author did great job in the transformation it was really creative.
August 29, 2025
eh - I can see what she was trying to do by connecting and juxtaposing the starvation that occured during Armenian massacre in the early C20th, with the starvation that comes with anorexia. There's also the lack of control over one's life - through the evil of genocide and through the terror of a disease that takes over one's mental faculties. The trouble is, it doesn't/didn't work.
It feels contrived. It feels preachy. It both throws light on a horrible illness and on a lesser known genocide and in the same breath uses the one to shame the other. Like: this family didn't overcome these atrocities for you to be so selfish as to k*** yourself with this illness, as if the main character had any intention of being that way on purpose?! And yet this is the juxtaposition that supposedly gets the MC to agree to try and recover?!
Plus points for the book - although the descent into the illness seems to happen very quickly, the hospitalisation and recovery is given the bigger weight (hehe) in the book, which is more realistic. The novella is not shy about numbers though, so warnings about that. Based on the target audience being, I guess, around 14/15 years old, there are many better books on the market that cover topics of EDs. But as I have only read this one about the Armenian Massacre, I can't comment on its depiction of that.
Weird idea, flawed execution, 1.5 stars rounded up.
It feels contrived. It feels preachy. It both throws light on a horrible illness and on a lesser known genocide and in the same breath uses the one to shame the other. Like: this family didn't overcome these atrocities for you to be so selfish as to k*** yourself with this illness, as if the main character had any intention of being that way on purpose?! And yet this is the juxtaposition that supposedly gets the MC to agree to try and recover?!
Plus points for the book - although the descent into the illness seems to happen very quickly, the hospitalisation and recovery is given the bigger weight (hehe) in the book, which is more realistic. The novella is not shy about numbers though, so warnings about that. Based on the target audience being, I guess, around 14/15 years old, there are many better books on the market that cover topics of EDs. But as I have only read this one about the Armenian Massacre, I can't comment on its depiction of that.
Weird idea, flawed execution, 1.5 stars rounded up.
December 11, 2017
Paula is a typical fifteen year old whose life revolves around her looks, and body image. Paula is a perfectionist and she has this goal to achieve the perfect body. Then at school she is tasked with a history project and she goes to her grandma for help. As she learns about her grandmas past she notices similarities between her life and the past. Slowly Paula is ruining her body and eventually she has to make a choice. Choose to live an imperfect life where she can't achieve the perfect body or learn about her grandmothers mysterious past.
This book is very creepy as it does deal with body image and a creepy past. I would use caution when reading this book simply because of the pursuit to achieve a perfect body. However, I did enjoy this story and the messages it deals with. Growing up I struggled with body image and in a way I still do. So in that way I was able to relate to the story but for me it was a little hard to read.
This book is very creepy as it does deal with body image and a creepy past. I would use caution when reading this book simply because of the pursuit to achieve a perfect body. However, I did enjoy this story and the messages it deals with. Growing up I struggled with body image and in a way I still do. So in that way I was able to relate to the story but for me it was a little hard to read.
October 23, 2016
I have been an avid reader of all of Skrypuch's books and have been impressed with them all. She writes well-researched books that draw on the reader's emotions and empathy and she presents information that is not prominent in publishing yet still accessible. This title fell short of that precedent. The link between the main character's eating disorder in the present and her past life experience of her great grandmother and aunt during the Armenian genocide felt odd and disconnected. I feel that I understood the message that the author was trying to relay, but it didn't work for me as a reader, especially since I had read Daughter of War (featuring the characters of the past life segment) and was enraptured by their story.
September 3, 2009
Paula’s parents don’t notice when she turns anorexic/bulimic because dad is too busy being proud at her running and mom is too busy with her own life. Trying to complete a history project, she begins to delve into her grandmother’s past. The past becomes all too real when Paula’s body shuts down because of self starvation and she is sucked into reliving her great grandmother’s history as an Armenian orphan struggling to survive in the midst of the Armenian Turkish massacres of the early twentieth century. Though the protagonist is only fifteen, this book is suitable to high school readers. It is positive, but there is graphic detail of her bulimia and also graphic violence.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews