Review of Hunger of the Pine
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Rosa Joy
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Review of Hunger of the Pine
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hunger of the Pine" by Teal Swan.]
Hunger of the Pine by Teal Swan tells about a single year in Aria's life. Her history is reflected as well. During her seventeenth birthday, she misses a class. This leads to admonishment by her religious foster mother and a night session with her perverse foster father. The following day, she slices her upper arm to experience the pain, even for a time. Her foster mother discovers her in the act, and this greatly affects her adoption chances as it was pending. She is forced to attend a session with a psychiatrist. Later, she overhears a conversation between her foster parents and experiences the pain of rejection over again. In the dark of the night, she sneaks out with her diary, a cat, and a change of clothes. This marks the beginning of her year of street life.
This book is outstanding in many ways. To begin with, the writing style is simple and inviting. There are no hesitations, over-explanations, or dragging. The author has told it as if narrating to an audience in parts. A variety of perspectives were used. This varied from omniscient third person to different characters. Another aspect that I liked was the diversity. When Aria becomes a street person, she meets a gay man with whom she becomes friends. They go to LA, where they meet a group of homeless people. The group has a native Indian, a military veteran, and others, each representative of different lifestyles. Later, she discovers the kindness of Mexicans and the delicious cuisine of Indians from Pakistani. I enjoyed how the characters were introduced and brought to life. They were realistic and cast a light upon the lives of street people and abused children. Themes of suffering, poverty, family, and drug abuse were explored.
One thing I did not enjoy about the book was the obscenities. Many things considered, the characters seemed not to be the cussing type except for Ciarra, a stripper forced by circumstances. She was sharp-tongued and domineering. Her character was aggressive.
I rate Hunger of the Pine by Teal Swan 5 out of 5 stars. Lesser rating would not be just for this writing. The author has brought to life the story of many people in society. As fictional as it is, it mirrors true society. From teen pregnancy, drug abuse, foster systems, rape, pimping, charity, and homelessness to love. The book was professionally edited.
I recommend this book to readers of fiction. It will impress those interested in coming of age, multiculturalism, and romance. There are sexual scenes from prostitution, to romantic ones. Therefore, this book is for a mature audience.
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Hunger of the Pine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Hunger of the Pine by Teal Swan tells about a single year in Aria's life. Her history is reflected as well. During her seventeenth birthday, she misses a class. This leads to admonishment by her religious foster mother and a night session with her perverse foster father. The following day, she slices her upper arm to experience the pain, even for a time. Her foster mother discovers her in the act, and this greatly affects her adoption chances as it was pending. She is forced to attend a session with a psychiatrist. Later, she overhears a conversation between her foster parents and experiences the pain of rejection over again. In the dark of the night, she sneaks out with her diary, a cat, and a change of clothes. This marks the beginning of her year of street life.
This book is outstanding in many ways. To begin with, the writing style is simple and inviting. There are no hesitations, over-explanations, or dragging. The author has told it as if narrating to an audience in parts. A variety of perspectives were used. This varied from omniscient third person to different characters. Another aspect that I liked was the diversity. When Aria becomes a street person, she meets a gay man with whom she becomes friends. They go to LA, where they meet a group of homeless people. The group has a native Indian, a military veteran, and others, each representative of different lifestyles. Later, she discovers the kindness of Mexicans and the delicious cuisine of Indians from Pakistani. I enjoyed how the characters were introduced and brought to life. They were realistic and cast a light upon the lives of street people and abused children. Themes of suffering, poverty, family, and drug abuse were explored.
One thing I did not enjoy about the book was the obscenities. Many things considered, the characters seemed not to be the cussing type except for Ciarra, a stripper forced by circumstances. She was sharp-tongued and domineering. Her character was aggressive.
I rate Hunger of the Pine by Teal Swan 5 out of 5 stars. Lesser rating would not be just for this writing. The author has brought to life the story of many people in society. As fictional as it is, it mirrors true society. From teen pregnancy, drug abuse, foster systems, rape, pimping, charity, and homelessness to love. The book was professionally edited.
I recommend this book to readers of fiction. It will impress those interested in coming of age, multiculturalism, and romance. There are sexual scenes from prostitution, to romantic ones. Therefore, this book is for a mature audience.
******
Hunger of the Pine
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Final Keystone by John Kevin Crowley
