Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home—her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power—and the courage to fight her own inner demons?


I've been anticipating Hunger for a while. The synopsis had me from the moment I read it, and the cover is gorgeous. When I got the book a few days ago, I immediately tore into it. I thought I knew what this book was about, but there was a lot more to it than that.
Lisa has an eating disorder. She doesn't want to admit it to herself or anyone else, but the little voice inside her head is there. It's always telling her she's fat, always telling her she's weak, and always making sure she knows just how long she's going to have to work out to get rid of those calories she just ate. When Death (who's awesome, by the way) shows up to make her Famine, she accepts, not really knowing what she's doing.
That's the plot, but like I said, there really is more to it than that.
I've never read a book about an eating disorder, although I know a little about the subject. They're serious. This book doesn't shy away from the details. People suffering from Anorexia or Bulimia need help, but some of them don't even know it. Lisabeth believes she doesn't have Anorexia, because anorexic girls are skinny.
I liked the fact that this book was a fantasy book. Presented this way, people who normally wouldn't read a book about an eating disorder will, and maybe one of them will realize that they need help and get it. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from this book will also go toward organizations that help people with disorders, and that's pretty awesome.
Now, on to my actual review.
The book is pretty short. You could easily knock it out on a lazy afternoon. I loved the concept of the Horsemen, but I thought more could have been done with it. I wish that more detail had gone into the powers, and even the Horsemen themselves. I'd like to know how the others became War, Pestilence, and Death.
The writing was very witty, and the descriptions of the different cities and towns were nicely done.


I give Hunger a 3.5 out of 5.