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Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler is a YA novel about Lisa, a teenage girl with anorexia. One day, a messenger shows up at her door, gives her a set of scales, and informs her that she is now Famine, a Horseman (horsewoman?) of the Apocalypse. So, that's pretty much the best premise ever and dictated that I would read this book. And a lot of the fun is just exploring the idea. I don't want to give away the best part, but I particularly LOVED it when Death showed up. Death is currently incarnated as a famous dead person, who I thought was a genius choice. War and Pestilence also show up, and a lot of the plot just centers on Lisa learning what it means to be Famine, how to control her powers, and the way this new development reflects back on her relationships with family and friends. The topic of food- the power of it, attraction to it, uses of it, etc- is really well-written.

Obviously the most important question is: how is the eating disorder issue handled? I've never dealt with anorexia, so I'm probably not the best person to evaluate this aspect of the book, but it seemed very realistic and respectful to me. Also, the author is donating a portion of the proceeds to the National Eating Disorders Association. Which is great, and hey, a good reason to justify buying the book.

Highly recommended, and I cannot wait for the sequel (about a self-injuring girl who becomes War!). Hunger came out in October of 2010.