Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Lisabeth Lewis is absolutely positive she is hallucinating & that there is no way that Death seriously just showed up & gave her the job of Famine. Too bad this isn't a nightmare, it's her real life. The seemingly normal seventeen-year-old wouldn't find this job nearly so weird if it didn't contradict everything she believed about hunger. As an anorexic, Lisabeth believes that her ability to control her food intake is what gives her power.

As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Famine is learning to deal with her powers while trying to stay out of the way of the ever-itching-for-a-fight War. Where ever Lisabeth goes, she brings pain & misery. Suffering has become who she is. Or was it part of her all along? Needless to say, Lisabeth is struggling to control her personal demons & understand her role as Famine. Can she balance her life & her job? Or will she lose it all to hunger?

This was a phenomenal book! I cannot even begin to speak highly enough of it. Jackie Morse Kessler has brought a form of Christian mythology to the forefront of the YA genre. Lisabeth is one of the more compelling & discerning characters that I have read of late. How appropriate is it that a girl who chooses to starve herself must dole out the pain & suffering of famine to those who would never wish it upon anyone? It's very cathartic & emotionally draining.

What I really enjoyed about this book are the interactions between the characters. Death is one funny guy! Such a smart ass, he reminds me a lot of Tod from the Soul Screamers series. Watching Lisabeth struggle with her anorexia, trying to hide her condition from her friends & family, & then see her take such control of her powers is very stirring. I think Kessler handled this subject with the same care as the likes of Ellen Hopkins.

I must say, I can't imagine having missed out on this book & I truly hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Let me know what you think & be sure to keep an eye out for the April 18th release of Rage, the second book in the series.