Graphic Novel Preview: Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying

Graphic Novel Preview: Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying

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Our Graphic Novel Preview series invites readers to look inside graphic novels. This month, we’re highlighting a new graphic novel Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying, one of our must-read books of 2023.

A young adult graphic novel about Valerie, a girl who is hiding an eating disorder from her friends and family and is forced to reevaluate her own self-image after her life is turned upside down.

Sixteen-year-old Valerie Chu is quiet, studious, and above all, thin. No one, not even her best friend Jordan suspects that she has been binging and purging for years. But Valerie’s life, and priorities, are upended when her father dies abruptly. At home, she abandons her ED patterns as she tries to comfort her mother and her little brother.

Val begins to reevaluate her life, her choices, and her own body. She realizes that the path to happiness might lead her away from her hometown and her mother’s toxic projections. But first she must apologize to Jordan and find the strength to seek help.

This beautiful and heart-wrenching young adult graphic novel takes a look at eating disorders, family dynamics, and ultimately, a journey to self-love.