Review of Hunger of the Pine
Posted: 07 May 2024, 22:09
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hunger of the Pine" by Teal Swan.]
Hunger of the Pine by Teal Swan
This novel follows the soul-stirring journey of a young woman, Aria Abbot, as she struggles to survive a homeless life. At the tender age of 7, Aria was taken by the state and put in a group home, as her mother was deemed unfit to take care of her. From that point on, she drifted through various foster homes. When the story begins, we see Aria in despair with her current foster family. Due to unavoidable conditions, she is forced to run away. Not having any place to go, she is compelled to live on the streets. She experiences the cruel world of homelessness, in which even acquiring the basic necessities of life becomes a serious predicament. The fact that she is a woman elevates the hurdles she encounters. Her life turns when she meets Taylor, a cheery vagrant who dreams of becoming an actor. Filled with bright hopes of a better future, they board a bus to LA and embark on a long journey with great anticipation. The rest of the story shows how they endure on the streets of LA and how their lives change.
The first thing that attracted me was the book cover. I loved the colors, the font style, and the artwork depicting a young woman. It was very captivating. The title is also an eye-catcher. After reading the blurb, my desire to read this book strengthened. I was pleased that I chose this book to read. It was a roller-coaster journey from start to finish. In her life, Aria meets many characters like Taylor, Luke, Mike, Ciarra, Aston, Omkar, Imani, Robert, Darren, EJ, Wolf, Anthony, and Pedro. Each has an interesting story intricately woven to sprinkle magic in our hearts. All the characters are well-developed, and you can easily empathize with their emotions.
There are many drug and sexual references in the story. I normally don't like them. But they blended well with the story so that it didn't feel odd to me. The story also deals with mature topics like self-injury and molestation. You can also see a lot of profane words. However, they added a realistic touch to the novel.
I was gently surprised to note Indian culture as part of the story. As an Indian, it was heartwarming to me. The author portrays the feelings of Native Americans through Wolf.
The quote, 'You can learn something from everyone you meet', found in the book, is quite true.
This book stresses how drugs affect one's life and also their family. Even though the book shows the struggle of the homeless, there is a ray of hope and sunshine throughout the book. It was uplifting to read Aria encountering kindness on the streets. When life throws lemons at her, she tries to make lemonade. We can see how life carves her and transforms her into a strong young woman. Her metamorphosis is well shown. The author has shown the brutal world of homeless people, and it was shocking to read. It makes me feel grateful for the life God has given me. We take our lives for granted when we should have been more thankful for all the things we have in our lives. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. We have to be kind to each other and love our lives. I now see the people living on the street differently. The novel made me ponder these values of life.
I loved the author's style of writing. It is simple yet elegant. The book leaves a lasting imprint on our minds and touches us emotionally. The editing is exceptional. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars, as I have no complaints. I recommend this book to mature readers who love emotional books that showcase the reality of human lives.
******
Hunger of the Pine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Hunger of the Pine by Teal Swan
This novel follows the soul-stirring journey of a young woman, Aria Abbot, as she struggles to survive a homeless life. At the tender age of 7, Aria was taken by the state and put in a group home, as her mother was deemed unfit to take care of her. From that point on, she drifted through various foster homes. When the story begins, we see Aria in despair with her current foster family. Due to unavoidable conditions, she is forced to run away. Not having any place to go, she is compelled to live on the streets. She experiences the cruel world of homelessness, in which even acquiring the basic necessities of life becomes a serious predicament. The fact that she is a woman elevates the hurdles she encounters. Her life turns when she meets Taylor, a cheery vagrant who dreams of becoming an actor. Filled with bright hopes of a better future, they board a bus to LA and embark on a long journey with great anticipation. The rest of the story shows how they endure on the streets of LA and how their lives change.
The first thing that attracted me was the book cover. I loved the colors, the font style, and the artwork depicting a young woman. It was very captivating. The title is also an eye-catcher. After reading the blurb, my desire to read this book strengthened. I was pleased that I chose this book to read. It was a roller-coaster journey from start to finish. In her life, Aria meets many characters like Taylor, Luke, Mike, Ciarra, Aston, Omkar, Imani, Robert, Darren, EJ, Wolf, Anthony, and Pedro. Each has an interesting story intricately woven to sprinkle magic in our hearts. All the characters are well-developed, and you can easily empathize with their emotions.
There are many drug and sexual references in the story. I normally don't like them. But they blended well with the story so that it didn't feel odd to me. The story also deals with mature topics like self-injury and molestation. You can also see a lot of profane words. However, they added a realistic touch to the novel.
I was gently surprised to note Indian culture as part of the story. As an Indian, it was heartwarming to me. The author portrays the feelings of Native Americans through Wolf.
The quote, 'You can learn something from everyone you meet', found in the book, is quite true.
This book stresses how drugs affect one's life and also their family. Even though the book shows the struggle of the homeless, there is a ray of hope and sunshine throughout the book. It was uplifting to read Aria encountering kindness on the streets. When life throws lemons at her, she tries to make lemonade. We can see how life carves her and transforms her into a strong young woman. Her metamorphosis is well shown. The author has shown the brutal world of homeless people, and it was shocking to read. It makes me feel grateful for the life God has given me. We take our lives for granted when we should have been more thankful for all the things we have in our lives. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. We have to be kind to each other and love our lives. I now see the people living on the street differently. The novel made me ponder these values of life.
I loved the author's style of writing. It is simple yet elegant. The book leaves a lasting imprint on our minds and touches us emotionally. The editing is exceptional. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars, as I have no complaints. I recommend this book to mature readers who love emotional books that showcase the reality of human lives.
******
Hunger of the Pine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
