Hungry by H. A. Swain (review)

In a world where you take medication to ward off hunger and a supplement to satisfy all of your nutritional needs, one girl’s growling stomach can be revolutionary. In her own family, it’s shocking and dangerous, as Thalia’s parents are key scientists involved with this complex system where people are distracted by flashy technology, drugged up to address any problems that emerge, and kept in the dark about the true state of the world. The familiarity of drugs that fix the problems of other drugs and of genetic tampering that is meant to yield perfection is compelling—readers tapped into medical science will find Swain’s scenario startlingly realistic. Thalia’s privilege makes her a rather unreliable narrator as she begins to interact with the have-nots of the world, and she sees a noble struggle in what the actual participants actually find just degraded lives. This is more endearing than exasperating, however, and Thalia does grow considerably over the course of the novel. Unfortunately, there are too many plot phases, so the various situations in which Thalia finds herself end up being confusing and tiring, detracting from the momentum of the story. Nevertheless, a female protagonist who isn’t staunch, heroic, and perfect is increasingly rare in dystopias, so Thalia’s fumbling around for the right path is refreshingly different.