“The strongest people aren’t the ones who are born strong. They’re the ones who know what it’s like to be weak, and have a reason to get stronger. The ones who’ve been hurt. Who’ve had things they love taken from them. The ones with something to fight for.”

Book club is a curse and a gift. It can be stressful: figuring out what book to read next, going on the whims of others, and taking wild chances. Such was the case when we sat there, three in a group, trying to keep the YA book club alive and fighting to find something interesting. One of us mentioned the Hugo Awards. And why not? So we scrolled and searched and researched till we came upon a gem that seemed weirdly placed on a list made up entirely of sci-fi books. “There has to be something sci-fi about it,” we all said. So, The Art of Starving became our wild chance.

I don’t think I would have ever glanced at this book otherwise.

And it would have been a sad day because we need more books like this in the world.

The Art of Starving centers around Matt - a boy struggling with life since his older sister decided to disappear one night. Question is, what made her leave? Matt is determined to discover the truth. First stop, the bullies that make his life a living hell. Their ringleader was the last to see his sister before she left. In his search, Matt learns that the less he eats, the more heightened his senses become making him the man he always wished to be: strong and sure. Eventually, his abilities lead to acceptance in the group making him wonder, why did his sister really leave?

I personally struggle with books based around LGBTQ characters. Most of the time the characters become unrealistic creations forced into a story because authors feel a need to fill a hole that they don’t have any clue about. Relationships become unrealistic, arc types overdone, and the natural flow of human nature, in general, is gone. After reading The Art of Starving, I finally feel that a good version can be created. All it takes is someone who understands the content - which introduces the fact that, yes, our author is gay.

Wow oh wow… he did it right. No surprising.

“I used to imagine Better was a place you could get to. A moment when I would look around and see that Everything Was Fine. But that’s not how this works. Being better isn’t a battle you fight and win. Feeling okay is a war, one that lasts your whole life, and the only way to win is to keep on fighting.”

Take note my readers. The world is clamoring for diverse reads, diverse characters, and diverse topics, but it might not be your place to deliver it. There is a trend now with authors throwing in diversity for the sake of diversity and not understanding one cent of the topic. Take Artemis for example. In my opinion, there was not one reason behind Weir making his protagonist an ethnicity that he has not a shred of idea about. So what happened….? The character and culture felt butchered and poorly created.

Now, look at Miller - a man that understand the nuances of being gay and used that to create a believable character that readers could love and stand behind. The message was honest, beautiful, and fully formed.

We don’t just need diverse reads, so don’t let the idea turn you off from writing. No matter our background, origin, or faith, we all have something to share. My point is, don’t make a character one way or throw a topic in just to check off the diverse box. Do your research, delve in deep, and then take the plunge.

Yes, Miller did a fantastic job but there is still the elephant in the room. Nothing in this book is sci-fi. Even if you go on the premise of Matt’s otherworldly ability when he starves himself, it reads as a mental delusion than sci-fi esck plot. I even want to say that’s what Miller intended. Not once does his actually ‘abilities’ feel anything other than delusions from lack of food. So, then why was this nominated for a Hugo award? The world may never know.

Everything about The Art of Starving screams award-worthy…. just maybe not the one award genre writers can be a part of.

“The greatest power comes from love, from knowing who you are and standing proudly in it.”

Miller pulls off a story of a lifetime, especially shocking since this is his debut book. On top of that, he throws in multiple topics that I think would send other writers spinning in circles. I’ve read those books - most of the time you end up with unanswered questions. Miller throws in LGBTQ relationships, coming out of the closet, ethnicity, single motherhood, job loss, eating disorders, etc. The list keeps going. But through it all, Miller stays truthful to his character and weaves each part into a heartfelt story for every age. I’m honored to have gotten to read the story and I walk away with a different idea of the world around me.

All in all… I give this story 4 stars. Well written, well crafted, and a read I beg everyone to try. I’m super excited to read Miller’s other book - which just happened to come into my radar before I even knew about The Art of Starving.

Happy readings.

Love Kait.

Reading Challenge: 65/100