WHAT HUNGER

VyVy Nguyen delivers a powerful performance of this coming-of-age horror novel. Fourteen-year-old "Ronny" Nguyen's brother, Tommy, the pride of their Vietnamese immigrant parents, will soon be the first in their family to go to college. When Tommy dies in a car accident, the family is devastated. Ronny's world further collapses when she's sexually assaulted at a party. When she fights off her attacker by biting off his ear, the taste of blood and raw meat invigorates her, briefly quelling her rage and craving for vengeance. But she keeps needing more. Nguyen's fluid pronunciation of Vietnamese words enriches the story's atmosphere. Her layered portrayal of Ronny's turmoil and isolation amid her family's grief and earlier trauma from the Vietnam War makes for a compelling listening experience. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2025]