The Art of Starving

The Art of Starving

Authors

Sam J. Miller

Publisher

HarperTeen

Publication Year

2017

ISBN

9780062456717

Pages

372 pages

Genre

realism

Format

novel

Item Type

Fiction

Annotation

Matt hasn’t eaten in days. His stomach stabs and twists inside, pleading for a meal, but Matt won’t give in. The hunger clears his mind, keeps him sharp—and he needs to be as sharp as possible if he’s going to find out just how Tariq and his band of high school bullies drove his sister, Maya, away. Matt’s hardworking mom keeps the kitchen crammed with food, but Matt can resist the siren call of casseroles and cookies because he has discovered something: the less he eats the more he seems to have...powers. The ability to see things he shouldn’t be able to see. The knack of tuning in to thoughts right out of people’s heads. Maybe even the authority to bend time and space. So what is lunch, really, compared to the secrets of the universe? Matt decides to infiltrate Tariq’s life, then use his powers to uncover what happened to Maya. All he needs to do is keep the hunger and longing at bay. No problem. But Matt doesn’t realize there are many kinds of hunger...and he isn’t in control of all of them.

Grade Level

9-12

Lexile Measure

HL730L

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Disability and Health; Single parent; Poverty; Family violence; Gay/Lesbian; Mental illness; Addiction; single mother; financial hardship; domestic abuse; abusive father; gay; gay teenager; eating disorder; teenager with an eating disorder; anorexia; anorexic teenager; alcoholism

Main Character

male teenager

Race/Ethnicities

White

Family Formation

single mother

LGBTQ+

gay males

Awards

Andre Norton Award, 2018, Winner
Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Young Adult Fiction
James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award, 2017, Long List
Rainbow List, 2018 Young Adult Fiction
NPR's Book Concierge, 2017 Young Adult

Keywords

missing sister; coming of age; starving; hallucinations; New York; food; superpowers; delusions

Diversity Impact

direct

The Art of Starving

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