As Matt’s body deteriorates and his “powers” reach new levels, readers must decide for themselves what is and isn’t real. Strunt said the allosaurus coming to Hudson Falls was the best thing that ever happened. Believing “if someone knows what you want, they can hurt you in all sorts of ways,” Matt is a master at suppressing his urges, but there is nothing romantic about debut novelist Miller’s portrayal of anorexia his descriptions are often graphic and disturbing, and discussion of Matt’s future is brutally honest. Each chapter opens with Matt’s rules detailing the “art of starving,” and readers will realize the depth of his dangerous downward spiral straightaway. Though Matt insists that he doesn’t have an eating disorder, he limits his food intake, believing the hunger sharpens his senses and allows him to see beyond the facade of everyday life. His stomach stabs and twists inside, pleading for a meal, but Matt wont give in. Certain that something happened between Maya and Tariq, Matt works to earn Tariq’s trust, ignoring his own attraction to him while planning his revenge. Millers debut novel will resonate with any reader whos ever craved the power that comes with self-acceptance. The Art of Starving is a rule book where its rules self-destruct, slowly but surely, in tandem with its narrator. Matt, a gay high school junior, is bent on uncovering the reason his older sister, Maya, suddenly left town after meeting up with senior soccer star Tariq. A darkly funny, moving story of body image, addiction, friendship, and love, Sam J.

The art of starving by sam j miller