Hunger by Roxane Gay Review

Title: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
Author: Roxane Gay
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Series: Standalone
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book through my local library and reviewed it.

Roxane Gay has become a household name in the arenas of both fiction and nonfiction, and when I heard that she had a new book coming out, a memoir about her body and her own personal experiences, I was really excited. I've read short fiction and articles by her, and was so stoked to finally get my hands on her work, to gain some personal insight on one of my favorite authors of all time. What I discovered is a deeply honest, painful, and poignant memoir that highlighted the pain of severe trauma, the deep love of family, both blood and not, and resilience of every kind. I read this book and came away with a feeling of inspiration and hope; I feel like everyone should read this moving, wonderful memoir. Gay lays herself bare for the reader, all of her scars and wants and hopes and regrets, welcoming you into her mind. One of my favorite books of 2017, hands down!

Roxane Gay is a highly successful author and professor at a university in Indiana, but in Hunger, she talks about her childhood, her past and how it formed her into the woman she is today, and I was just awed by the sheer degree of honesty. Memoirs are very touch and go with me, because if I feel that the author is not being truthful, that can turn me off and make me hate the book. But Hunger was so honest and so open, about every great and ugly thing that ever happened to Gay. I'm so awed, moved, inspired. (And it also didn't hurt that she talked about writing, a lot!) Gay writes frankly about feminism, body image, the meaning of self-love and getting there on her own terms, as well as a whole life's worth of personal growth. What an amazing, outstanding memoir; I can't wait to see what Roxane Gay has in store next! The bottom line: A warm, funny, and completely no-holds barred, honest memoir that had me feeling everything, I loved Hunger! One of the best books of 2017, hands down!

Comments

Popular Posts