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Hungered (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel
OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A Goodreads Editors’ Book Pick • For readers of The House on Mango Street and We the Animals, this striking debut brings to life an unforgettable young narrator and the complicated, loving, cruel, and generous figures that make up her universe.
“A riveting new novel from first-time author Amanda Rizkalla compassionately tackles the difficult subject of families who live outside the margins, living unhoused, and makes us see not only their struggles, but their hopes, dreams, and the perseverance it takes to face another day.” ―Oprah
Sofia’s mother promises that soon she’ll have her own bedroom to decorate. Soon, too, she’ll be able to see her friends, go back to school, and eat the colorful, tempting cakes in the grocery store’s display case. For now, though, twelve-year-old Sofia lives with her mother and younger brother in their car. For now, Sofia’s days are a blur of freeways and strip malls as her mother searches for a safe place to park for the night. For now, Sofia tries to carve out a space and an identity for herself while grappling with her family’s disintegration.
This haunting and lyrical novel captures the fault lines of an existence marked by economic insecurity, exploring what it means to come of age during a moment of displacement. Beautiful, evocative, and emotionally charged, Amanda Rizkalla’s Hungered is an indelible ode to survival, memory, and the search for home in its many forms.
“A riveting new novel from first-time author Amanda Rizkalla compassionately tackles the difficult subject of families who live outside the margins, living unhoused, and makes us see not only their struggles, but their hopes, dreams, and the perseverance it takes to face another day.” ―Oprah
Sofia’s mother promises that soon she’ll have her own bedroom to decorate. Soon, too, she’ll be able to see her friends, go back to school, and eat the colorful, tempting cakes in the grocery store’s display case. For now, though, twelve-year-old Sofia lives with her mother and younger brother in their car. For now, Sofia’s days are a blur of freeways and strip malls as her mother searches for a safe place to park for the night. For now, Sofia tries to carve out a space and an identity for herself while grappling with her family’s disintegration.
This haunting and lyrical novel captures the fault lines of an existence marked by economic insecurity, exploring what it means to come of age during a moment of displacement. Beautiful, evocative, and emotionally charged, Amanda Rizkalla’s Hungered is an indelible ode to survival, memory, and the search for home in its many forms.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Amanda Rizkalla
1 book69 followersAmanda Rizkalla is a recent Steinbeck Fellow and Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellow. She has been a writer-in-residence at Ragdale, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, Mountain Words, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Monson Arts, and Blue Mountain Center. After graduating from Stanford University, she received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a Kemper Knapp Fellow. Her work has received a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund and nominations for the Pushcart Prize. Hungered is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
June 17, 2026
Powerful debut novel that follows Sofia, a girl in elementary school, as she, her mother, and her brother Rafa live out of their mother’s car. Amanda Rizkalla does a great job of capturing what it’s like to live in economic insecurity, from the physical hunger of it to the casual classism of children from more affluent backgrounds. Rizkalla’s prose is quiet and subtle, though still moving and engaging. It was great, too, to read a book from a biracial, half-Mexican, half-Egyptian narrator, as a lot of biracial media focuses on folks who are half-white. Rizkalla touches on several important topics in this novel in addition to economic insecurity, such as domestic abuse and immigration and xenophobia, though Sofia’s voice and coming-of-age remains a strong anchoring center stage.
While at times I wished Rizkalla’s prose cut a little deeper, it’s still emotionally affecting and after about 100 pages I felt invested in Sofia’s life and her emotional experience. I would definitely read whatever Rizkalla writes next.
While at times I wished Rizkalla’s prose cut a little deeper, it’s still emotionally affecting and after about 100 pages I felt invested in Sofia’s life and her emotional experience. I would definitely read whatever Rizkalla writes next.
Review of advance copy
I was thrilled to win a copy of this book at LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. I was eager to read this book. It was one that I really wanted to win. I entered to win in early February and was informed I’d won a copy on 2/26. I received the galley copy of the book on 3/24. The book’s expected publication date is 5/19. I love getting advance copies of books. I’m very appreciative that the publisher provided this copy.
This is a special book. The narrative is poetically told with spare but beautiful language and it has short sections which were easy for me to read and made me want to keep reading. It was a page turner for me. There were no chapter numbers or titles; I don’t know whether or not the finished hardcover edition will have them. I could see it being either way. It was fine as it was. I liked it as it was.
I was sure that this would be my kind of book and I was right.
At this one point something happened that was so agonizingly painful that I had to stop reading, briefly. Brutal! I’m not sure why it was that moment that got to me the most. That event had a follow up later in the story and there were so many other harrowing moments throughout the book. It was a tough read.
It was heartbreaking. It was compelling. It was also at times heartwarming.
I love Sofia’s voice. I love Sofia.
I appreciate how the history gradually unfolds, and also how this family’s life progresses, what things happen with them are revealed at just the right times. I predicted some of what transpired but only because everything made sense and what happened all the way through was realistic. I’m glad that the story didn’t have less than believable outcomes. I got frustrated with the characters at times but it was just because I cared so much and wanted them to be okay. I got worried that this would dissolve into a romance between twelve year olds and was relieved when it did not. Those relationships were true to life.
There are so many flashes of hope and of love and of grace but I would not call this an uplifting book or an easy one. What to do when there are no good choices?! So many times these people are let down and in (probably more than) one case abused/betrayed, as I see it. The racism and classism and treatment of immigrants and family strife, and the various living circumstances were all difficult to read about but absolutely accurately portrayed.
The little and bigger humiliations, the mistreatment, by the system and by many individuals, including even some of the people trying to be helpful, were also hard to read.
All the characters felt like real people to me and most of them were presented in a three dimensional manner. I do think that this trio (daughter, mother, son) are luckier than some because even though I felt despair at times, including at the end, even though I kept thinking that things could have been much worse. The reader is left wondering what is going to happen next. None of the three short term options are great (I have a preference for one of them) but I suppose there is hope that eventually something better will happen. There is no false hope though. This really is a great book!
If any reader of this book does not feel empathy and/or cannot extrapolate their feelings to other, real people in similar circumstances, well then in my opinion there is something wrong with you, very wrong.
There were quite a few Spanish words and phrases throughout the book and a few Arabic words. Their English meanings were usually obvious but I did look up a Spanish-English translation for one phrase. It turns out it also made perfect sense and I would have been right if I’d just guessed its meaning.
4-1/2 stars. I went back and forth whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. I started by rounding down but the more I thought about it I think that Sofia and some of the other people will stick with me and the story is so beautifully told and it’s an important story so I finally decided to round up.
This is a special book. The narrative is poetically told with spare but beautiful language and it has short sections which were easy for me to read and made me want to keep reading. It was a page turner for me. There were no chapter numbers or titles; I don’t know whether or not the finished hardcover edition will have them. I could see it being either way. It was fine as it was. I liked it as it was.
I was sure that this would be my kind of book and I was right.
At this one point something happened that was so agonizingly painful that I had to stop reading, briefly. Brutal! I’m not sure why it was that moment that got to me the most. That event had a follow up later in the story and there were so many other harrowing moments throughout the book. It was a tough read.
It was heartbreaking. It was compelling. It was also at times heartwarming.
I love Sofia’s voice. I love Sofia.
I appreciate how the history gradually unfolds, and also how this family’s life progresses, what things happen with them are revealed at just the right times. I predicted some of what transpired but only because everything made sense and what happened all the way through was realistic. I’m glad that the story didn’t have less than believable outcomes. I got frustrated with the characters at times but it was just because I cared so much and wanted them to be okay. I got worried that this would dissolve into a romance between twelve year olds and was relieved when it did not. Those relationships were true to life.
There are so many flashes of hope and of love and of grace but I would not call this an uplifting book or an easy one. What to do when there are no good choices?! So many times these people are let down and in (probably more than) one case abused/betrayed, as I see it. The racism and classism and treatment of immigrants and family strife, and the various living circumstances were all difficult to read about but absolutely accurately portrayed.
The little and bigger humiliations, the mistreatment, by the system and by many individuals, including even some of the people trying to be helpful, were also hard to read.
All the characters felt like real people to me and most of them were presented in a three dimensional manner. I do think that this trio (daughter, mother, son) are luckier than some because even though I felt despair at times, including at the end, even though I kept thinking that things could have been much worse. The reader is left wondering what is going to happen next. None of the three short term options are great (I have a preference for one of them) but I suppose there is hope that eventually something better will happen. There is no false hope though. This really is a great book!
If any reader of this book does not feel empathy and/or cannot extrapolate their feelings to other, real people in similar circumstances, well then in my opinion there is something wrong with you, very wrong.
There were quite a few Spanish words and phrases throughout the book and a few Arabic words. Their English meanings were usually obvious but I did look up a Spanish-English translation for one phrase. It turns out it also made perfect sense and I would have been right if I’d just guessed its meaning.
4-1/2 stars. I went back and forth whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. I started by rounding down but the more I thought about it I think that Sofia and some of the other people will stick with me and the story is so beautifully told and it’s an important story so I finally decided to round up.
May 17, 2026
Standing ovation.
There is something truly special about stories told through the eyes of a child. The narration carries a kind of honesty that adults often lose. Children observe the world without fully understanding its cruelty, which makes their perspective both innocent and devastating. More than once while reading, I found myself stopping and thinking, Oh. The kind of realization that quietly settles in once you understand what the child narrator does not.
Hungered follows Sofia and her family: Nina, her mother; Rafa, her younger brother; and Baba, her father. When Nina leaves an abusive relationship with little more than a car and her children, the story becomes a journey through survival, instability, and resilience.
Through Sofia’s perspective, the book explores silent struggles that feel painfully real. Hunger, unstable housing, motherhood, lack of resources, identity, and emotional survival all weave naturally into the story without ever feeling forced. Nina being Mexican and Baba Egyptian adds another meaningful layer, especially as Sofia navigates a new school and begins to understand where she fits within the world around her.
What makes this book stand out is how deeply human it feels. The emotional weight never relies on dramatics. Instead, it builds through small moments, observations, and the quiet realities of what families endure behind closed doors.
I just finished this book, and I already miss Sofia.
This is the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommend without hesitation.
There is something truly special about stories told through the eyes of a child. The narration carries a kind of honesty that adults often lose. Children observe the world without fully understanding its cruelty, which makes their perspective both innocent and devastating. More than once while reading, I found myself stopping and thinking, Oh. The kind of realization that quietly settles in once you understand what the child narrator does not.
Hungered follows Sofia and her family: Nina, her mother; Rafa, her younger brother; and Baba, her father. When Nina leaves an abusive relationship with little more than a car and her children, the story becomes a journey through survival, instability, and resilience.
Through Sofia’s perspective, the book explores silent struggles that feel painfully real. Hunger, unstable housing, motherhood, lack of resources, identity, and emotional survival all weave naturally into the story without ever feeling forced. Nina being Mexican and Baba Egyptian adds another meaningful layer, especially as Sofia navigates a new school and begins to understand where she fits within the world around her.
What makes this book stand out is how deeply human it feels. The emotional weight never relies on dramatics. Instead, it builds through small moments, observations, and the quiet realities of what families endure behind closed doors.
I just finished this book, and I already miss Sofia.
This is the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommend without hesitation.
January 4, 2026
A stunning, devastating, heartbreaking novel that tackles housing insecurity, racism, abuse, class discrepancies, cruelty towards immigrants, and systems designed to work against mothers in this country. This is such a well-written, sad story that is unfortunately relatable to a lot of people. This is the kind of book that should prompt everyone to be more compassionate and understanding.
May 7, 2026
4.25 A heavy and moving debut. This story follows a mother and her two children as they leave a stable life behind for incredibly challenging circumstances. The writing is wonderfully descriptive; you can truly feel the ‘hunger’ the family experiences as they navigate displacement, homelessness, and the harsh realities of racism as a mixed family.
The narrator was great and added to the overall experience, making it the kind of story that stays with you. It’s a beautiful example of making the most of what you have amidst having nothing. A great read for anyone who loves character-driven stories that dig deep into complex emotions.
The narrator was great and added to the overall experience, making it the kind of story that stays with you. It’s a beautiful example of making the most of what you have amidst having nothing. A great read for anyone who loves character-driven stories that dig deep into complex emotions.
November 13, 2025
A gripping, powerfully raw read!! HUNGERED will be staying with me for quite some time, and I urge everyone to read it. This book shines light on the fastest growing segment of the unhoused population in the United States - families. The book is told from 12-year-old Sofia’s point of view as she grapples with the disparity between the seemingly secure life she once had to the uncertain life she is now living with her mom and brother out of their car.
The characters in the story are well portrayed and complex. The book masterfully handles and fleshes out the intense range of differing emotions felt by each character as the story develops. My heart went out to Sofia and her mom throughout book. Their inner strength is something to behold. The book has a heavy subject matter, but the story is not overwhelming. I found myself wanting to continue to read to see how Sofia’s days and life unfolded. The story went by all too quickly; I’d LOVE to read more about Sofia and her family.
This would be a great discussion book for a book club! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for offering me an ARC of HUNGERED.
The characters in the story are well portrayed and complex. The book masterfully handles and fleshes out the intense range of differing emotions felt by each character as the story develops. My heart went out to Sofia and her mom throughout book. Their inner strength is something to behold. The book has a heavy subject matter, but the story is not overwhelming. I found myself wanting to continue to read to see how Sofia’s days and life unfolded. The story went by all too quickly; I’d LOVE to read more about Sofia and her family.
This would be a great discussion book for a book club! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for offering me an ARC of HUNGERED.
October 27, 2025
Told from Sofia’s point of view as her and her mother and brother leave her father and experience homelessness and scraping to get by, this was a raw play by play that touched my soul. Complete with the experience of being a girl in the world, friends, family, and more watching how Sofia and her family endure their situation was absolutely fascinating. The characters are all so well developed and it feels like I got to know them in real life. This is a must read book for everyone. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 6, 2026
4🌟 Hungered is eye opening and heartbreaking. It’s the story of Sophia, her mother, and younger brother as they navigate a season of homelessness, living in their car. I have a whole new empathy for those who find themselves in this situation. Told through the eyes of a 12 year old Sophia, it sheds light on the unfortunate predicament that is no fault of her own. My heart went out to her as she had to go to school hungry and without a bath or a good night’s sleep. Another debut novel that will stay with me for a long time. It is fiction, but reads like a memoir. Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for early access to this thought provoking read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sophia is a teen who has suddenly found herself homeless and living in her car with her mom and brother. From this teen’s perspective, we see how she navigates her relationships with her family, her friends (both old and new), and with herself as she tries to make sense of the chaos going on in her life.
I have to admit that this book was not for me. Had I not received an advanced copy, I would have quit the book before the halfway point. There were several instances throughout the book that were just not believable. While the writing was well done, the unbelievable parts ultimately were the reason for the low star rating. Sophia’s mom was a very frustrating, unlikable character. Where I am sure the author wanted the reader to feel compassion towards the mom, I did not.
Even though the book was not for me, others might like it. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. Hungered comes out on May 19th.
September 26, 2026
Full warning: if you grew up poor and faced any level of homelessness and/or had a complicated mother who had to make pretty impossible decisions, this one is gonna be triggering 😭
May 29, 2026
When you're only a young child and you live in a car and you got nothing to eat,
you don't go to school; and for something to do you write in your diary and think life is cruel.
Your mother has no clue of what she will do. How are you supposed to feel and when you wonder when it will all end.
When you sit in the car all day with your little brother and pray at lunchtime you mom
will bring you scraps from the employee lounge, and a tear runs down your cheek as you eat
that humble pie. You look up to the sky and ask "why?"
You wonder if anything will ever change and when it dose how long it will last until the next crisis comes if your mother will break or how much she can take because you always worry first about her
So, you make a wish as your anxiety grows by plucking your eyebrows out one by one and put them in the palm of your hand. Make a wish and you blow them into the wind and pray your mom and dad get back together again or how much she will have to endure for you to be secure
jodell2026
This book is along the lines of "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle.
you don't go to school; and for something to do you write in your diary and think life is cruel.
Your mother has no clue of what she will do. How are you supposed to feel and when you wonder when it will all end.
When you sit in the car all day with your little brother and pray at lunchtime you mom
will bring you scraps from the employee lounge, and a tear runs down your cheek as you eat
that humble pie. You look up to the sky and ask "why?"
You wonder if anything will ever change and when it dose how long it will last until the next crisis comes if your mother will break or how much she can take because you always worry first about her
So, you make a wish as your anxiety grows by plucking your eyebrows out one by one and put them in the palm of your hand. Make a wish and you blow them into the wind and pray your mom and dad get back together again or how much she will have to endure for you to be secure
jodell2026
This book is along the lines of "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle.
June 15, 2026
Synopsis: Sofia’s mother promises that she’ll have her own bedroom to decorate soon. Soon, too, she’ll be able to see her friends, go back to school, and eat the colorful, tempting cakes in the grocery store’s display case. For now, though, twelve-year-old Sofia lives with her mother and brother, Rafa, in their car. For now, Sofia’s days are a blur of freeways and strip malls across the West Coast as her mother searches for a safe place to park for the night. For now, her mother contemplates impossible choices, while Sofia catches glimpses of kindness and cruelty from strangers, and tries to carve out a space and an identity for herself while grappling with her family’s disintegration. This haunting and lyrical novel captures the fault lines of an existence marked by economic insecurity, exploring what it means to come of age during a moment of displacement. Beautifully rendered and emotionally charged, Hungered is an indelible ode to survival, memory, and the search for home in its many forms.
What an absolutely eye opening and heart wrenching memoir! I really feel for anyone in this type of life situation, but specifically reading it through the eyes of a 12 year old girl is incredibly emotional. There were many heartbreaking stories but specifically the story about the giftcard made me break down. It is also difficult to read about how differently her mother treated her and her brother. Sofia’s story is so powerful and I’m glad she is able to tell it! She provides an authentic look into the realities of racism, poverty, and homelessness in America. The book is short and easy to fly through but packs a major gut punch. I highly recommend this memoir and I think it will bring more awareness to what exactly people face with poverty and homelessness.
Thank you to Amanda Rizkalla, Henry Hold & Co, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. This is a voluntary and honest review.
What an absolutely eye opening and heart wrenching memoir! I really feel for anyone in this type of life situation, but specifically reading it through the eyes of a 12 year old girl is incredibly emotional. There were many heartbreaking stories but specifically the story about the giftcard made me break down. It is also difficult to read about how differently her mother treated her and her brother. Sofia’s story is so powerful and I’m glad she is able to tell it! She provides an authentic look into the realities of racism, poverty, and homelessness in America. The book is short and easy to fly through but packs a major gut punch. I highly recommend this memoir and I think it will bring more awareness to what exactly people face with poverty and homelessness.
Thank you to Amanda Rizkalla, Henry Hold & Co, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. This is a voluntary and honest review.
May 23, 2026
This was definitely a heartbreaking read. I had goosebumps throughout and found myself crying multiple times while reading it.The book portrays a wide range of difficult realities within certain family structures poverty, infidelity, societal neglect, the devaluation of women, and bullying. It feels like a layered reflection of how these issues intersect and affect people’s lives, rather than focusing on a single theme.What struck me the most was how realistic it all felt, especially towards the ending. It made me reflect deeply on these issues, and it was truly devastating to see how the story unfolded.The main character and narrator, Sophia, a 12 year old girl, felt incredibly innocent and vulnerable, which made everything even more emotionally intense and painful to read.I honestly don’t know what else to say my heart really broke while reading this book.
July 8, 2026
Hungered is a story of living in limbo through the eyes of twelve year old Sofia, whose life doesn't look the same now that she lives in the car with her mom and younger brother.
I loved that the story was told through Sofia's observations about the world around her and the choices of the adults in her life. Where her life should be focused on school and friends, she's left with an underlying anxiety of the unknown, like the next shoe could drop at any moment. Things no child should face.
As a mother, my heart broke for Sofia, and her mom, who had very few choices and was just trying her best to get her feet under her but kept running into road blocks. It's maddening how the system is set against single mothers and children. God forbid kids get free school lunch, but the government can spend millions on a lobster dinner.
This quietly devastating debut tackled housing and food insecurity and the additional hurdles for immigrants in a simple yet deeply affecting way. Rizkalla's writing is lyrical and compelling; I can't wait to see what she does next.
🎧 Ana Isabel Dow's narration captured Sofia perfectly. The chapters are super short in some spots which felt a bit disconnected via audio, so I switched to immersive reading with the physical copy and that made a huge difference.
Thank you Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies!
I loved that the story was told through Sofia's observations about the world around her and the choices of the adults in her life. Where her life should be focused on school and friends, she's left with an underlying anxiety of the unknown, like the next shoe could drop at any moment. Things no child should face.
As a mother, my heart broke for Sofia, and her mom, who had very few choices and was just trying her best to get her feet under her but kept running into road blocks. It's maddening how the system is set against single mothers and children. God forbid kids get free school lunch, but the government can spend millions on a lobster dinner.
This quietly devastating debut tackled housing and food insecurity and the additional hurdles for immigrants in a simple yet deeply affecting way. Rizkalla's writing is lyrical and compelling; I can't wait to see what she does next.
🎧 Ana Isabel Dow's narration captured Sofia perfectly. The chapters are super short in some spots which felt a bit disconnected via audio, so I switched to immersive reading with the physical copy and that made a huge difference.
Thank you Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies!
May 27, 2026
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Ana Isabel Dow. Her performance captured Sofia’s confusion and emotions well. That said, I do think some of the pauses and chapter transitions would translate even better in a physical copy.
This was a heartbreaking story told through the perspective of 12 year old Sofia. Watching her family unravel after her father impregnates a 21 year old woman was devastating, especially because Sofia is still trying to process everything with the limited understanding of a child. The story follows Sofia, her brother Rafa, and their mother as they leave and end up living in their car. Through Sofia we see her mother’s devastation and depression regarding her husband’s betrayal.
The story is more than just about Sofia’s broken family. We have her experience with being a minority at her new school, as well as her dealing with mean-spirited peers. One of the most interesting aspects was how the book explored Sofia’s Egyptian-Mexican upbringing. Her mother’s Mexican culture and her father’s Egyptian background created such an interesting cultural dynamic.
4.5 stars (rounding up to 5)
I really enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Ana Isabel Dow. Her performance captured Sofia’s confusion and emotions well. That said, I do think some of the pauses and chapter transitions would translate even better in a physical copy.
This was a heartbreaking story told through the perspective of 12 year old Sofia. Watching her family unravel after her father impregnates a 21 year old woman was devastating, especially because Sofia is still trying to process everything with the limited understanding of a child. The story follows Sofia, her brother Rafa, and their mother as they leave and end up living in their car. Through Sofia we see her mother’s devastation and depression regarding her husband’s betrayal.
The story is more than just about Sofia’s broken family. We have her experience with being a minority at her new school, as well as her dealing with mean-spirited peers. One of the most interesting aspects was how the book explored Sofia’s Egyptian-Mexican upbringing. Her mother’s Mexican culture and her father’s Egyptian background created such an interesting cultural dynamic.
4.5 stars (rounding up to 5)
June 10, 2026
This book absolutely gutted me in a way that I can’t stop thinking about. So many important themes - homelessness, food insecurity, racism, abuse, bullying. You will not regret reading this book.
May 24, 2026
This book is incredible. A searing and heartbreaking portrait of a family struggling with poverty, homelessness, racism, and domestic violence. The narrator, a young teen girl is both wise beyond her years and strangely innocent because of how her religious family have sheltered her. I raced through it wanting to know what would happen next, but I look forward to rereading it more slowly to take it all in. Definitely a book I’m considering teaching as well.
May 25, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla is going to stay with me for a long time. Simple in its execution yet profoundly moving, deeply human, and utterly devastating. I wanted to reach into the pages and hug Sofia, Rafa, and Nina. What a tender, heartbreaking story. ❤️
Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla is going to stay with me for a long time. Simple in its execution yet profoundly moving, deeply human, and utterly devastating. I wanted to reach into the pages and hug Sofia, Rafa, and Nina. What a tender, heartbreaking story. ❤️
July 1, 2026
Heart-wrenching story told through the eyes of a middle-schooler whose family struggles with housing insecurity, experiences that say so much more than the short chapters they are a part of. Although a work of fiction, it begs the question, how many people do we know or come across that have to live their life like this? How can we live with such excess, yet some people struggle with the basic human rights of food and shelter? It takes so little, one decision, one event can throw a whole family into a life they never thought would be.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What a wonderful debut novel.
Sofia is 12 years old, and she, her younger brother Rafa, and their mom Nina are living in their car. It is surely only temporary, but that does not lessen the hunger pains, the shame, the embarrassment, the missed school days, the confusion, the shying away from pity, the typical struggles of adolescence, and the longing for a return to what had always felt so normal before.
*** I received my copy of this book for free as an advance reader's edition from the publisher through Library Thing (but I promise that did not influence my thoughts on this book). Scheduled for release on May 19, 2026.
Sofia is 12 years old, and she, her younger brother Rafa, and their mom Nina are living in their car. It is surely only temporary, but that does not lessen the hunger pains, the shame, the embarrassment, the missed school days, the confusion, the shying away from pity, the typical struggles of adolescence, and the longing for a return to what had always felt so normal before.
*** I received my copy of this book for free as an advance reader's edition from the publisher through Library Thing (but I promise that did not influence my thoughts on this book). Scheduled for release on May 19, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sophia is 12; smart with outstanding grades. She enjoys writing. This is her story.
It’s not happy. Her mother, Nina, one afternoon piled her two kids, Sophia and her younger brother, Rafa, into the car with a few bags of clothes. She couldn’t take living one more day in an abusive situation. She drove for days and, finally they reached a clinic where Nina had a friend who helped her get a job as a nurse.
However, for some time, they didn’t have much to eat living in Nina’s car. Their world was dark and depressing. Yet, there were some signs of hope. Would there be a good outcome? That’s what every reader would want.
The story had no chapters. There wasn’t a good place to take a break without losing the continued flow of thoughts. Plus, it was sad -- really sad. It made me feel desperate. I wanted to pluck the kids out of the story and do something to help out.
The family was on the edge of surviving. Yet, I wondered how Sophia and Rafa were able to use a computer in the car to create spreadsheets and play games. Also, their mother had a cellphone. Was she still on her husband’s plan and if so, wouldn’t he be able to track where she was? Why didn’t she plan better before leaving?
Sophia told her new friends she was half Spanish and half Egyptian. Sadly, there was a question related to the color of her skin. From time to time, there were phrases in Spanish without interpretation for readers not familiar with the language.
The plot was strong with the struggling mother who wasn’t able to get the help she needed. It was effective coming from the eyes of a young girl covering poverty, prejudice and abuse of women. However, the end was puzzling.
My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and NetGallery for this ARC with an expected release date of May 19, 2026. The views I share are my own.
It’s not happy. Her mother, Nina, one afternoon piled her two kids, Sophia and her younger brother, Rafa, into the car with a few bags of clothes. She couldn’t take living one more day in an abusive situation. She drove for days and, finally they reached a clinic where Nina had a friend who helped her get a job as a nurse.
However, for some time, they didn’t have much to eat living in Nina’s car. Their world was dark and depressing. Yet, there were some signs of hope. Would there be a good outcome? That’s what every reader would want.
The story had no chapters. There wasn’t a good place to take a break without losing the continued flow of thoughts. Plus, it was sad -- really sad. It made me feel desperate. I wanted to pluck the kids out of the story and do something to help out.
The family was on the edge of surviving. Yet, I wondered how Sophia and Rafa were able to use a computer in the car to create spreadsheets and play games. Also, their mother had a cellphone. Was she still on her husband’s plan and if so, wouldn’t he be able to track where she was? Why didn’t she plan better before leaving?
Sophia told her new friends she was half Spanish and half Egyptian. Sadly, there was a question related to the color of her skin. From time to time, there were phrases in Spanish without interpretation for readers not familiar with the language.
The plot was strong with the struggling mother who wasn’t able to get the help she needed. It was effective coming from the eyes of a young girl covering poverty, prejudice and abuse of women. However, the end was puzzling.
My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and NetGallery for this ARC with an expected release date of May 19, 2026. The views I share are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This one is right up there with my favorite book of the year so far. But do not read Hungered if you require closure at the end of a book. You’ll be left hungry. Haha haha but don’t.
Anyway,
I personally read this to count toward my monthly personal challenge of “Read a book about food”. This is not really about food, but I’ll count it. It is about hunger, which can mean so much more than just food.
The narrator of the novel is a 6th grade girl, and we jump into her story as her mother drives her and her younger brother away from their home. Her father has been verbally and emotionally abusive (at minimum, likely more) to her mother, and the threat came close to touching her brother. Also, her father’s pregnant 21 yr old mistress had moved into the house. Mom decides to flee a bad situation, finding only worse things in front of her. Along with lack of support programs in the community, they deal with homelessness, racism, class disparities, lack of childcare, religious zealots, religious zealots who think you owe them something when they help you, and food insecurities. They would hunger for many things, including some patience and understanding that our 12 yr old narrator didn’t often grant to her mother because she really didn’t understand herself. I had to keep reminding myself of that. Young Sofia shows us that once stability is lost, one can copy/paste food hunger onto a hunger for kindness, dignity, respect, equality, safety, and the ability to ever become stable again. Or perhaps not. Who knows, I’m hungry now. 5 stars
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan Audio, Amanda Rizkalla (author), Edelweiss, and Libro.fm for the digital review copy and advance listener copy of Hungered (narrated by Ana Isabel Dow). Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
The narrator of the novel is a 6th grade girl, and we jump into her story as her mother drives her and her younger brother away from their home. Her father has been verbally and emotionally abusive (at minimum, likely more) to her mother, and the threat came close to touching her brother. Also, her father’s pregnant 21 yr old mistress had moved into the house. Mom decides to flee a bad situation, finding only worse things in front of her. Along with lack of support programs in the community, they deal with homelessness, racism, class disparities, lack of childcare, religious zealots, religious zealots who think you owe them something when they help you, and food insecurities. They would hunger for many things, including some patience and understanding that our 12 yr old narrator didn’t often grant to her mother because she really didn’t understand herself. I had to keep reminding myself of that. Young Sofia shows us that once stability is lost, one can copy/paste food hunger onto a hunger for kindness, dignity, respect, equality, safety, and the ability to ever become stable again. Or perhaps not. Who knows, I’m hungry now. 5 stars
Thank you to Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan Audio, Amanda Rizkalla (author), Edelweiss, and Libro.fm for the digital review copy and advance listener copy of Hungered (narrated by Ana Isabel Dow). Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
March 30, 2026
Sofia, her brother Rafa and mom, Nina are homeless after leaving her emotionally abusive dad. They live out of a car while Nina looks for employment and saves enough to get them into housing. While she does find a nursing position, getting into housing is becoming increasingly difficult.
Sofia is worried how this will impact her relationship with friends, school, and teachers. They struggle and it is overwhelming much of the time. Nina is reluctant to ask her father for help. Once they do secure a subsidized apartment, Nina has trouble staying on top of the rules and regulations.
It is an emotionally disturbing picture of homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health. The mental strain and unrelenting anxiety takes a toll on the whole family. Other problems are hinted at and it was difficult to make assumptions that were excruciatingly haunting.
Leaning toward 4 1/2 to 5 stars, I eventually dropped to 4 for the utterly ambiguous ending. Drawing my conclusions left me baffled. However, it is beautifully written and the story begs for empathy and understanding.
Update: We can now post a 4.25, 4.5, or 4.75. So I’ve adjusted my rating to 4.5. A solid 4.25/4.5.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Henry Holt and Company, and Amanda Rizkalla for this ARC.
Sofia is worried how this will impact her relationship with friends, school, and teachers. They struggle and it is overwhelming much of the time. Nina is reluctant to ask her father for help. Once they do secure a subsidized apartment, Nina has trouble staying on top of the rules and regulations.
It is an emotionally disturbing picture of homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health. The mental strain and unrelenting anxiety takes a toll on the whole family. Other problems are hinted at and it was difficult to make assumptions that were excruciatingly haunting.
Leaning toward 4 1/2 to 5 stars, I eventually dropped to 4 for the utterly ambiguous ending. Drawing my conclusions left me baffled. However, it is beautifully written and the story begs for empathy and understanding.
Update: We can now post a 4.25, 4.5, or 4.75. So I’ve adjusted my rating to 4.5. A solid 4.25/4.5.
Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Henry Holt and Company, and Amanda Rizkalla for this ARC.
May 15, 2026
Twelve-year-old Sofia, her mother and little brother leave a life of physical comfort to escape some difficult circumstances of living with their Baba (father). They face the tough realities of housing insecurity and not having enough to eat.
This story packs such a powerful punch. It addresses the utter despair of not having a place to call home, of domestic abuse and class/race inequity. It is told from the viewpoint of a child, which I felt was really impactful for me. It broke my heart to think of the people who experience this all the time. 💔
The audio is very well done. I would absolutely recommend this book when you are in the right headspace. I would have preferred a more definitive ending is my only real complaint. Hungered is a very apt title. It would be a great book for a book club discussion.
CA | Contains some strong profanity, not frequent. Infidelity is referenced, and includes one vague description.
This story packs such a powerful punch. It addresses the utter despair of not having a place to call home, of domestic abuse and class/race inequity. It is told from the viewpoint of a child, which I felt was really impactful for me. It broke my heart to think of the people who experience this all the time. 💔
The audio is very well done. I would absolutely recommend this book when you are in the right headspace. I would have preferred a more definitive ending is my only real complaint. Hungered is a very apt title. It would be a great book for a book club discussion.
CA | Contains some strong profanity, not frequent. Infidelity is referenced, and includes one vague description.
December 13, 2025
A heart wrenching reality of a homeless girl, Sophia, that endures living in a car with her Mom and younger brother. Suffering with too much time to think of both the good and bad times. This was a glimpse into their never ending struggle to live a normal life surrounded by cruel people.
This is told from the eyes of a Mexican Egyptian preteen that used terms such as baba, abuelo and abuela, so for me, I had to stop several times to figure out who she was referring to. The characters were well written, easy to visualize and credible. It almost went by too quickly, I would have liked to have seen a longer timeline in hopes that there would be some steps forward.
I would recommend this book.
Thank you Amanda Rizkalla and Henry Holt & Company for providing this book for review consideration.
This is told from the eyes of a Mexican Egyptian preteen that used terms such as baba, abuelo and abuela, so for me, I had to stop several times to figure out who she was referring to. The characters were well written, easy to visualize and credible. It almost went by too quickly, I would have liked to have seen a longer timeline in hopes that there would be some steps forward.
I would recommend this book.
Thank you Amanda Rizkalla and Henry Holt & Company for providing this book for review consideration.
June 13, 2026
Hungered is one of those books that will stay with me long after I finished it.
Amanda Rizkalla’s debut follows 12-year-old Sofia as she, her mother, and younger brother navigate homelessness and life lived largely out of a car. As the story unfolds, we learn more about what led them there, including the emotional abuse Sofia’s mother experienced in her marriage and the cultural pressures that left her feeling trapped and isolated.
Because the story is told entirely through Sofia’s eyes, readers often have to piece together what is happening from observations and conversations she doesn’t fully understand herself. I thought this was one of the book’s greatest strengths. Sofia feels like a real child—perceptive, curious, and trying to make sense of situations that are far bigger than she is.
What struck me most was how heartbreaking the novel felt. While circumstances like Sofia’s are a reality for some families, experiencing them through the eyes of a child made them feel almost unreal at times. Through Sofia’s perspective, we witness the exhaustion of never knowing where you’ll sleep, the hunger that becomes a constant companion, and the instability of having no place to truly call home. The novel also explores questions of race, culture, and identity as Sofia struggles to understand where she belongs amid the tensions and divisions within her own family. It was difficult to watch this child carry burdens that no child should have to bear, and I found myself desperately hoping things would improve for her and her family.
At the same time, there were sections that felt overly drawn out. The book is very much focused on atmosphere, character, and survival rather than plot, and there were times when it felt like hardship was piled on top of hardship with little room to process any of it. I understood the intention, but some portions began to feel repetitive, and I found myself wanting more moments of relief or forward momentum.
The writing is thoughtful and compassionate, and the novel tackles difficult topics such as abuse, poverty, identity, and displacement with sensitivity. However, after spending so much time with these characters and their struggles, I wanted a stronger payoff at the end. The ending felt less like a conclusion and more like the story simply stopped, which left me feeling somewhat frustrated.
Overall, Hungered is a beautifully written debut that asks readers to see the world through the eyes of a child living through circumstances no child should have to endure. It’s not an easy read, and at times it can feel relentless, but it is also moving, memorable, and filled with empathy. I think it would make for an excellent book club discussion.
Amanda Rizkalla’s debut follows 12-year-old Sofia as she, her mother, and younger brother navigate homelessness and life lived largely out of a car. As the story unfolds, we learn more about what led them there, including the emotional abuse Sofia’s mother experienced in her marriage and the cultural pressures that left her feeling trapped and isolated.
Because the story is told entirely through Sofia’s eyes, readers often have to piece together what is happening from observations and conversations she doesn’t fully understand herself. I thought this was one of the book’s greatest strengths. Sofia feels like a real child—perceptive, curious, and trying to make sense of situations that are far bigger than she is.
What struck me most was how heartbreaking the novel felt. While circumstances like Sofia’s are a reality for some families, experiencing them through the eyes of a child made them feel almost unreal at times. Through Sofia’s perspective, we witness the exhaustion of never knowing where you’ll sleep, the hunger that becomes a constant companion, and the instability of having no place to truly call home. The novel also explores questions of race, culture, and identity as Sofia struggles to understand where she belongs amid the tensions and divisions within her own family. It was difficult to watch this child carry burdens that no child should have to bear, and I found myself desperately hoping things would improve for her and her family.
At the same time, there were sections that felt overly drawn out. The book is very much focused on atmosphere, character, and survival rather than plot, and there were times when it felt like hardship was piled on top of hardship with little room to process any of it. I understood the intention, but some portions began to feel repetitive, and I found myself wanting more moments of relief or forward momentum.
The writing is thoughtful and compassionate, and the novel tackles difficult topics such as abuse, poverty, identity, and displacement with sensitivity. However, after spending so much time with these characters and their struggles, I wanted a stronger payoff at the end. The ending felt less like a conclusion and more like the story simply stopped, which left me feeling somewhat frustrated.
Overall, Hungered is a beautifully written debut that asks readers to see the world through the eyes of a child living through circumstances no child should have to endure. It’s not an easy read, and at times it can feel relentless, but it is also moving, memorable, and filled with empathy. I think it would make for an excellent book club discussion.
June 5, 2026
Thank you Henry Holt and Co for this ARC. Hungered is out now!
*
Sometimes a book grips you because it takes you out of reality, but sometimes you pick up one that shows the truth in such a way you can’t stop turning the page.
I think it’s the POV that triggered me—I’ve experienced some of the things Sofia lives through. But being a mixed race child (half Mexican, half Egyptian) in a country that looks down on all shades of brown is truly a heartbreaking perspective. Not only is Sofia and her brother, Rafa, children, but they consider themselves like other children they know. They have a roof over their head and a mother and father, but you physically move through the world with Sofia, see how it treats her different, treats her entire family different. You see the hunger she has for a sense of normalcy, and you live with her as she gets proven time and time again that the world doesn’t care if you’re starving.
Hunger is not just the title, but the theme, the purpose of this debut. We see how Sofia and her family live in contrast to how everyone else moves through the world with less attention, less intention, less need for survival. There’s evidence of people throwing wealth around, wasting food, blatantly questioning her for how she looks—how they outright demand to know “what” she is.
All throughout the book I wanted to scream, but this just tells the truth. This is our reality, and kids you see every day live similar lives. But hunger is selfish, and turning a blind eye is easier than offering a hand—and that’s exactly what Rizkalla shows us here.
This is as devastating as it is honest, and it’s told through a child’s eye—that almost unflinching, desperately curious, and often angry perspective, making it the best POV this story could have been told by.
Some may not like how it ends, and some may not be able to get through what they would claim is hyperbole for the sake of fiction—but this is raw and honest and important. This is a stunning debut. All the stars, Rizkalla. Every one of them.
*
Sometimes a book grips you because it takes you out of reality, but sometimes you pick up one that shows the truth in such a way you can’t stop turning the page.
I think it’s the POV that triggered me—I’ve experienced some of the things Sofia lives through. But being a mixed race child (half Mexican, half Egyptian) in a country that looks down on all shades of brown is truly a heartbreaking perspective. Not only is Sofia and her brother, Rafa, children, but they consider themselves like other children they know. They have a roof over their head and a mother and father, but you physically move through the world with Sofia, see how it treats her different, treats her entire family different. You see the hunger she has for a sense of normalcy, and you live with her as she gets proven time and time again that the world doesn’t care if you’re starving.
Hunger is not just the title, but the theme, the purpose of this debut. We see how Sofia and her family live in contrast to how everyone else moves through the world with less attention, less intention, less need for survival. There’s evidence of people throwing wealth around, wasting food, blatantly questioning her for how she looks—how they outright demand to know “what” she is.
All throughout the book I wanted to scream, but this just tells the truth. This is our reality, and kids you see every day live similar lives. But hunger is selfish, and turning a blind eye is easier than offering a hand—and that’s exactly what Rizkalla shows us here.
This is as devastating as it is honest, and it’s told through a child’s eye—that almost unflinching, desperately curious, and often angry perspective, making it the best POV this story could have been told by.
Some may not like how it ends, and some may not be able to get through what they would claim is hyperbole for the sake of fiction—but this is raw and honest and important. This is a stunning debut. All the stars, Rizkalla. Every one of them.
May 24, 2026
Some books tell a story. Others quietly break your heart.
Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla is one of those literary fiction debuts that feels less concerned with plot and more interested in immersing the reader in a state of survival. The novel follows a young girl and her brother as they drift through poverty and instability with their mother, beginning with a moment where they are “driving away,” not running away, as their mother insists, while parked outside a motel. From there, the story unfolds in fragments, observations, and emotional impressions rather than major plot twists.
This is not an easy read emotionally. At times it feels unbearably dark, but that darkness serves a purpose. Rizkalla captures the confusion and vulnerability of childhood with remarkable precision, and the writing itself is what impressed me most. Every sentence feels carefully considered and deeply polished in a way that reminded me of literary fiction that has been revised with immense care over many years. You can really feel the craftsmanship behind it.
More than anything, this book builds empathy. It forces you to sit with discomfort and see the world through the eyes of children trying to make sense of instability they cannot control. If you enjoy literary fiction driven by atmosphere, characterization, and emotional depth rather than fast-moving plot, this debut may really resonate with you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla is one of those literary fiction debuts that feels less concerned with plot and more interested in immersing the reader in a state of survival. The novel follows a young girl and her brother as they drift through poverty and instability with their mother, beginning with a moment where they are “driving away,” not running away, as their mother insists, while parked outside a motel. From there, the story unfolds in fragments, observations, and emotional impressions rather than major plot twists.
This is not an easy read emotionally. At times it feels unbearably dark, but that darkness serves a purpose. Rizkalla captures the confusion and vulnerability of childhood with remarkable precision, and the writing itself is what impressed me most. Every sentence feels carefully considered and deeply polished in a way that reminded me of literary fiction that has been revised with immense care over many years. You can really feel the craftsmanship behind it.
More than anything, this book builds empathy. It forces you to sit with discomfort and see the world through the eyes of children trying to make sense of instability they cannot control. If you enjoy literary fiction driven by atmosphere, characterization, and emotional depth rather than fast-moving plot, this debut may really resonate with you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
June 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.
I might not have been in the headspace to fully appreciate this book when I listened to it, because I was bored at several points in it, but I was also stuck at an airport for hours with absolutely nothing else to do, so that'll do it. When listening, this book honestly felt a bit underwhelming for much of it, but when I then thought about it after listening, I fully noticed and was able to appreciate the nuances of it all, the many difficult topics it deals with and what the novel was trying to do. I think part of why it felt boring and underwhelming at times might be because this novel does not try to overly dramatise the experiences of its main characters, and instead shows the mundaneness of poverty, of racism, of everything the characters have to deal with. It shows the everyday of precarity. While reading, especially in the situation I was in where I was already in a bit of a bad mood anyway, I wasn't fully able to appreciate the depth of this novel, but thinking about it afterwards, I am seeing a lot of themes and topics that are very important and that were dealt with really well in this novel.
It was a 3 star listening experience (not because of the narrator! The narrator was great), but I'm giving it 4 stars because I can really appreciate what the novel did, even though I wasn't able to appreciate it as much in the moment.
I might not have been in the headspace to fully appreciate this book when I listened to it, because I was bored at several points in it, but I was also stuck at an airport for hours with absolutely nothing else to do, so that'll do it. When listening, this book honestly felt a bit underwhelming for much of it, but when I then thought about it after listening, I fully noticed and was able to appreciate the nuances of it all, the many difficult topics it deals with and what the novel was trying to do. I think part of why it felt boring and underwhelming at times might be because this novel does not try to overly dramatise the experiences of its main characters, and instead shows the mundaneness of poverty, of racism, of everything the characters have to deal with. It shows the everyday of precarity. While reading, especially in the situation I was in where I was already in a bit of a bad mood anyway, I wasn't fully able to appreciate the depth of this novel, but thinking about it afterwards, I am seeing a lot of themes and topics that are very important and that were dealt with really well in this novel.
It was a 3 star listening experience (not because of the narrator! The narrator was great), but I'm giving it 4 stars because I can really appreciate what the novel did, even though I wasn't able to appreciate it as much in the moment.
September 8, 2026
This was a 2026 new release that I'm surprised more people aren't talking about! It follows a young girl and her brother who suddenly find themselves homeless and living in their mother's car. Amanda Rizkalla shines a light on an issue that's more prevalent than we would like to admit and the struggles that not only parents, but also their children experience in the face of poverty.
I read this while also listening to the audiobook, which is so well done. Sofia's voice and her character are equally mature and that of a typical 12-year-old girl. My heart broke for this family and all they experienced. I would recommend this book, but with a few caveats. If you're looking for a redemptive, life-giving read, this is probably not the book for you. However, if you want a book that makes you reflect on the very real experiences of other people (many of whom probably live in your very city), I'd encourage you to pick it up. This book is bleak though, and if you go in thinking everything will be resolved in the end, you may be disappointed.
Content Considerations:
-Occasional to moderate strong language
-Brief mention of the main character walking in on two adults having sex (from the perspective of a 12-year-old who doesn't understand; not explicit)
-Vivid descriptions of homelessness
I read this while also listening to the audiobook, which is so well done. Sofia's voice and her character are equally mature and that of a typical 12-year-old girl. My heart broke for this family and all they experienced. I would recommend this book, but with a few caveats. If you're looking for a redemptive, life-giving read, this is probably not the book for you. However, if you want a book that makes you reflect on the very real experiences of other people (many of whom probably live in your very city), I'd encourage you to pick it up. This book is bleak though, and if you go in thinking everything will be resolved in the end, you may be disappointed.
Content Considerations:
-Occasional to moderate strong language
-Brief mention of the main character walking in on two adults having sex (from the perspective of a 12-year-old who doesn't understand; not explicit)
-Vivid descriptions of homelessness
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