Review of Hunger of the Pine

[Samina Moiyadi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hunger of the Pine" by Teal Swan.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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'Hunger of the Pine' by Teal Swan is the story of Aria, a homeless teenager. The state took her to a group home when she was seven. From there, she was transferred to other group homes and foster homes every few months. She was abused as a child, both physically and mentally. Until one day, she couldn’t take it anymore and quietly left her foster home.

Her life journey starts when she becomes homeless and faces the reality of life. Does she regret leaving her foster home, where she does not have to worry about her next meal? Does she miss the basic facilities of life like a fresh pair of clothes, a shower, and a bed? Or does she value her independence above all the dangers of living life on the road? Read this detailed account of Aria’s life to find out.

The author’s knowledge and research are awe-inspiring. The book is divided into four parts. Each part has a musical subtitle, which describes the phase of Aria’s life succinctly. Even the word Aria means a song. I Googled these subtitles to understand the author’s reason for the nomenclature and was amazed by it. Talking about research, there are a lot of characters in the book. I am from India, and I would not have been able to appreciate how well their cultures are portrayed had the author not included an Indian family in the midst. The personalities, food habits, dressing, attitudes—everything is to the point.

The language is an experience in itself. It is beautiful, and I am happy that I got to treat my brain cells with such exotic language. The cherry on top is the editing. I could only find two errors. I also got to learn a lot about the United States and its history, for example, the Black Panther movement. Most of all, I got to feel how food has the power to decrease other strong feelings like anxiety and anger in a hungry person.

The character is a seventeen-year-old girl, but she sees the world through a different lens than most teenagers. This lens shows all the vulnerabilities of human life. I would like to recommend this book to adult readers for this reason. But there is hope in the climax, which makes it suitable for a few YA readers who are looking for the experience shared in the above paragraphs. I cannot compliment the book enough. It is definitely a 5 out of 5 star read for me.

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Hunger of the Pine
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