Review of Hunger of the Pine

[Mansi Chhabra 1]

[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 a story about Aria Abbott, who spent most of her life as a child in a group home. I would like to begin this review by giving a disclaimer that this book talks about abuse, drug use, overdose, sexual assault, etc. These topics are very serious and unfortunate realities that people face. If you find such topics disturbing, I would suggest that you skip this book.

I was intrigued by the title of the book since I couldn't figure out the genre or the basic plot of the book. I always appreciate such creative titles. The story begins when Aria is seventeen. We get a glimpse of her past in the very first chapter. Her tough childhood has been shared through flashbacks. The book follows Aria on her journey to find love and a safe space. The author has beautifully represented what childhood traumas can do to a person even after they have gotten out of that situation and space.

The narration is done in the third person. I would like to appreciate the author and her storytelling skills. The author narrated the anxieties, the horrors, the small rays of joy, the self-sabotage, etc. through not just the characters’ words but their thoughts, actions, expressions, and body movements. I enjoy it whenever the author uses techniques like “show, not tell," and Teal Swan has done an amazing job at it. Each character has their struggles, flaws, goals, etc. Even though the protagonist is Aria, the author has shown the struggles, journeys, and growth of other characters, such as Omkar, who would go to any lengths just to have his love reciprocated.

There were no mention-worthy negatives that I could find. I couldn't find any grammatical errors or typos. I feel confident in saying that the book seemed exceptionally well-edited.

I will give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars since I couldn't find even a single reason to deduct any stars. It is a great book for adults who are comfortable reading mature and sensitive topics. I will not recommend this to anyone under the age of sixteen.

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Hunger of the Pine
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