Hunger: A Memoir of (My) BodyHunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
Score Modern
What it's about
When Roxane Gay was twelve, she was gang-raped by a boy she liked and his friends. Afterward she began to eat, to make her body big enough to feel safe. In this memoir she writes about her body and her life in it, living as a very fat woman in a world that judges, mocks and restricts her, and her complicated feelings about food, desire, and wanting to change.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's brave, unflinching and deeply honest.
You'll love it if you liked
Thick
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The ArgonautsGood to know
The assault is described early and is central. It's written in short chapters.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics21 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller45 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz5 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #134 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #399 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #783 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Between the World and Me
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Educated: A Memoir
When Breath Becomes Air
The Passage of Power
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert OppenheimerExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #783 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body about?
When Roxane Gay was twelve, she was gang-raped by a boy she liked and his friends. Afterward she began to eat, to make her body big enough to feel safe. In this memoir she writes about her body and her life in it, living as a very fat woman in a world that judges, mocks and restricts her, and her complicated feelings about food, desire, and wanting to change.
How long does it take to read Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body?
About 8 hours (306 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body?
If you liked it, try Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou or The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.