Name: Janice Hopper's review of The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
Item: The Art of Starving
Rating: 4
Author: Janice Hopper

Sam J. Miller

“Funny, haunting, beautiful, relentless and powerful, The Art of Starving is a classic in the making.”—Book Riot Matt hasn’t eaten in days. His stomach stabs and twists inside, pleading for a meal, but Matt won’t give in. The hunger clears his mind, keeps him sharp—and he needs to be as sharp as possible if he’s going to find out just how Tariq and his band of high school bullies drove his sister, Maya, away. Matt’s hardworking mom keeps the kitchen crammed with food, but Matt can resist the siren call of casseroles and cookies because he has discovered something: the less he eats the more he seems to have . . . powers. The ability to see things he shouldn’t be able to see. The knack of tuning in to thoughts right out of people’s heads. Maybe even the authority to bend time and space. So what is lunch, really, compared to the secrets of the universe? Matt decides to infiltrate Tariq’s life, then use his powers to uncover what happened to Maya. All he needs to do is keep the hunger and longing at bay. No problem. But Matt doesn’t realize there are many kinds of hunger…and he isn’t in control of all of them. A darkly funny, moving story of body image, addiction, friendship, and love, Sam J. Miller’s debut novel will resonate with any reader who’s ever craved the power that comes with self-acceptance.

The Art of Starving

Hannah DCamp

Janice Hopper

If there is such a thing as a relatively cheerful, relatively hopeful story about a troubled gay teenage boy with an eating disorder, it's this book.

I knew this book had gotten some buzz last year. Some people were worried that a book about a teen starving himself to gain special powers might NOT be the best message to send out into the universe. I don't think I can speak to that one way or another. But I have to say, Matt and his story sucked me right in, while I sat and worried about him a LOT throughout the book. 

I think the title "The Art of Starving" was modeled on "The Art of War." Matt lays out his plan in different chapter heading that reflect what he's learning as he goes along. Whether Matt really got special powers from starving himself or not is kinda left up to the reader to decide. Whether he did or not, he goes through some changes and seems to make it out the other side more (or less) intact.

There's a nice love story here too, between Matt and Tariq. There's a lot of love for family, Matt's love for his mom and his sister Maya. And they love him too. Sometimes family love is difficult and complicated, so sometimes it's nice to read about complicated people that just love each other.

I listened to the audiobook on Scribd. The narrator did an excellent job, and brought a lot of charm to Matt's character.

I liked this book a lot. Now I want to read his second book, Blackfish City!

jess

The Art of Starving is the first book that I have read about a boy with an eating disorder, which was what intrigued me about it at first. Matt, who is gay and anorexic, reflects the prevalence of eating disorders in the gay community, which was something that was really great to bring attention to I think what turned me off about this book a lot was the writing; I wasn't expecting magical realism to be so prevalent in this book. 

Matt seemed so far removed from reality that I couldn't really connect with him throughout the book. I do think he had a very distinct voice - whimsical and disconnected, which really added to the magical realism later on in the book. The problem I have with this book, as well as a lot of magical realism, is that I was so confused about what was going on that I couldn't get into the book. Matt becomes convinced he has special powers when he doesn't eat, and I couldn't tell if they were real or just delusions. 

Another thing I wasn't too keen on was that everything wrapped up so quickly and weirdly, and Matt's recovery was brushed over.

Tiffany Robinson

I really liked this book. I thought it was different and had an original and interesting concept. Very fast read.

Ben Nathan

At times disturbing, touching, or just downright weird. I definitely enjoyed this and figure many people will, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I can recommend it for anyone. Unique for sure, with an interesting perspective from an often pitiable character.

Hannah DCamp &
The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller

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Hannah DCamp &The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller

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Hannah DCamp &
The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller