Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I did indeed start another graphic novel this week, and I actually finished it last night, which was highly satisfying. The ‘of a sort’ qualifier just means that it wasn’t a library book–or at least, not anymore. I always take a look at the library book sale when I’m picking up my holds, and if I see a graphic novel in pristine (or near pristine) condition, I generally buy it. (For either $1 or $.10, you understand.) That’s how I acquired a copy of Victoria Ying’s Hungry Ghost. (By the by, yes, this post should have happened yesterday. But I spent the first half or so of the day driving around, and the last half first in a house full of grumpiness and then recovering from it.)

So. In Hungry Ghost we have Valerie, whose mother’s ideas about food and thinness are highly disordered and whose behavior is frequently abusive as a result. Unsurprisingly, Valerie’s eating is also disordered and she purges frequently. When hit by a perfect storm of catalysts, however, Valerie takes a serious look at how she views herself, and the result puts her on the path towards healing.

I admit, the shift towards healing feels surprisingly complete; it also takes a surprisingly short time. My guess, however, is that Ying is an artist first and a writer second, and so the pacing of the story takes a back seat to the lovely, muted look of Valerie’s world. Ying’s art is beautifully expressive, adding immeasurably to the impact of Valerie’s story; I also noticed that Valerie is occasionally drawn as more of a child than usual, which worked for me. (After all, isn’t that what being a teenager is? Being a young woman three quarters of the time and a child the last quarter?)

Ultimately, Hungry Ghost is a beautifully drawn, moving novel. The story would likely benefit from some fleshing out, true, but it felt like more of an artistic creation, and that worked for me as well. Between the mother’s behavior and a couple of instances of language it’s definitely for the high school crowd, but it’s well worth reading. It’ll be interesting to see what my 17-year-old thinks of it.

On the home front, I attended my first junior high PTSA meeting yesterday, but had to duck out early to hit my hubby’s work blood drive. And I think, after their first full week, that all my school-aged kiddos (plus their parents!) are more than ready for the weekend!