I would like to thank the folks at LibraryThing for the opportunity to have a complimentary copy of this wonderful novel. I really enjoyed reading it. I am a child of the 1990's myself, and was able to relate to the characters and era it represents. I grew up in a small town, am white and straight and not a sports minded person so I absolutely loved the glimpse into a whole new world that is basically the antithesis of my own experience. (The novel is set in LA and the main characters are part of the LGBT Community.) I liked the story line and am pleased to have this amazing book to share with friends. I tend to read a lot of memoirs and like the real life aspect to this novel. Also, this book was effortless for me to visualize as the story unfolded. I would recommend this book to anyone who like to read about real life situations-even though I believe that it is fiction. ( )

Originally published in 1997, Nina Revoyr's debut novel The Necessary Hunger is now back in print thanks to Akashic Books. The new edition also includes an introduction by Lynell George as well as a short author's statement reflecting on the work.

The Necessary Hunger is a thoughtful and honest coming-of-age story set in Los Angeles in the late 1980s. The novel follows Nancy Takahiro — and through her the young woman with whom she's in love and their respective and collective friends — as she makes her way through her final year of high school. As a star basket ball player she has more opportunities available to her if she wants to try to leave the inner-city behind after graduation than many of her classmates do, but it is still a challenging time for her.

Among many other things, the The Necessary Hunger touches on issues of gender and sexuality, class and race, family and friendship. The Necessary Hunger isn't a quickly-paced novel, but it is an engaging one. The narrative is an authentic and realistic portrayal (sometimes heartbreakingly so) of one young woman's experiences growing into adulthood. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. The way the author focuses on race and differences is great. You can relate to the struggles that they go through. I felt like it enough real life issues into people's perspective. ( )

"I was driven by hunger… I wanted to show people what I was capable of, and to prove myself–to the teachers who thought I was undisciplined and lazy; to the white kids who’d laughed at the idea of a Japanese kid playing basketball; to Raina, who I admired but also envied; to my father; to my mother; to anyone who had ever believed that I couldn’t succeed."

Nancy is a Japanese-American all-star high school basketball player who has no shortage of college recruiters asking her to join their basketball programs. Her fans are many, she has a loving father, great friends, but she’s out of sorts. Her life as a high school senior was almost over and the pressure of finals, tournaments, deciding what college to attend and loving someone who didn’t love her back was tortuous. What does her future hold? Will basketball always be a part of it? Will Raina continue to be in her life?

This book was originally published in 1997. The story is located near Los Angeles, California, in the late 1980s before the L.A. riots so race relations are volatile, neighborhoods are unsafe, and basketball is more than just a sport.

Ms. Revoyr wrote this story from experience. Her characters are diverse and full of vulnerabilities, passion, and drive, and it is commendable to see a gay, Asian-American, female athlete as the protagonist. However, I felt the protagonist, Nancy, didn’t really grow at the end and I felt nothing really happened other than she made it through high school.

As a person who did not enjoy sports in high school, I found the basketball talk boring and repetitive and felt the story could have moved faster without so much play-by-play commentary on girl’s basketball.

All in all, the story is worth reading to experience the racial tensions and teenage gay love and angst in a city that is growing restless.

Thank you to Ms. Revoyr and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectation of a positive review given. ( )