Gay, R: Hunger A Memoir of (My) Body

"A gripping book, with vivid details that linger long after its pages stop. . . . Hunger is arresting and candid. At its best, it affords women, in particular, something so many other accounts deny them-the right to take up space they are entitled to, and to define what that means." - Atlantic

"A work of staggering honesty . . . . Poignantly told." - New Republic

"The book's short, sharp chapters come alive in vivid personal anecdotes. . . . And on nearly every page, Gay's raw, powerful prose plants a flag, facing down decades of shame and self-loathing by reclaiming the body she never should have had to lose." - Entertainment Weekly

"Bracingly vivid. . . . Remarkable. . . . Undestroyed, unruly, unfettered, Ms. Gay, live your life. We are all better for having you do so in the same ferociously honest fashion that you have written this book." - Los Angeles Times

"Searing, smart, readable. . . . "Hunger," like Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me," interrogates the fortunes of black bodies in public spaces. . . . Nothing seems gratuitous; a lot seems brave. There is an incantatory element of repetition to "Hunger": The very short chapters scallop over the reader like waves." - Newsday

"Luminous. . . . intellectually rigorous and deeply moving." - The New York Times Book Review

"Her spare prose, written with a raw grace, heightens the emotional resonance of her story, making each observation sharper, each revelation more riveting. . . . It is a thing of raw beauty." - USA Today

"This is the book to read this summer . . . she's such a compelling mind . . . . Anyone who has a body should read this book." - Isaac Fitzgerald on the TODAY Show

"Unforgettable. . . . Breathtaking. . . . We all need to hear what Gay has to say in these pages. . . . Gay says hers is not a success story because it's not the weight-loss story our culture demands, but her breaking of her own silence, her movement from shame and self-loathing toward honoring and forgiving and caring for herself, is in itself a profound victory." - San Francisco Chronicle

"Hunger is Gay at her most lacerating and probing. . . . Anyone familiar with Gay's books or tweets knows she also wields a dagger-sharp wit." - Boston Globe

"Wrenching, deeply moving. . . a memoir that's so brave, so raw, it feels as if [Gay]'s entrusting you with her soul." - Seattle Times

"It is a deeply honest witness, often heartbreaking, and always breathtaking. . . . Gay is one of our most vital essayists and critics." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Searing." - Miami Herald

"This raw and graceful memoir digs deeply into what it means to be comfortable in one's body. Gay denies that hers is a story of "triumph," but readers will be hard pressed to find a better word." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A heart-rending debut memoir from the outspoken feminist and essayist. . . . An intense, unsparingly honest portrait of childhood crisis and its enduring aftermath." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Displays bravery, resilience, and naked honesty from the first to last page. . . . Stunning . . . essential reading." - Library Journal (starred review)

"A work of exceptional courage by a writer of exceptional talent." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Praise for Bad Feminist:"A strikingly fresh cultural critic." - Ron Charles, Washington Post

"Roxane Gay is the brilliant girl-next-door: your best friend and your sharpest critic. . . . She is by turns provocative, chilling, hilarious; she is also required reading." - People

"[Gay is] hilarious. But she also confronts more difficult issues of race, sexual assault, body image, and the immigrant experience. She makes herself vulnerable and it's refreshing." - Tanvi Misra, Atlantic, "The Best Book I Read This Year"