Review: The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Even with all their faults and flaws -- or maybe because of them -- I couldn't help but fall in love with all three Butler sisters as soon as I was introduced to them.

In her debut novel, Anissa Gray paints a portrait of three troubled adults who are hanging onto events that had profound impacts on them when they were growing up. The story starts as oldest sister Althea and her husband Proctor are being sentenced on federal charges of defrauding the government. As the story progresses, Gray hands out bits and pieces of how and why Althea and Proctor got to this point, and the effect their actions had -- and are having -- on their twin teenage daughters.

Middle sister Viola has her own problems, including the break-up of her marriage and a relapse of an eating disorder she's had since she was a teenager.

Baby sister Lillian tries to repress her memories but they manifest themselves in interesting ways, including the taking in of her late ex-husband's grandmother, who has a secret of her own.

Supporting characters include women at the jail where Althea is being held, one of whom has a pivotal role late in the book; the sisters' brother Joe, who is the only character I didn't like -- and for good reason, I might add; and a jail guard who secretly delivers messages between Althea and Proctor.

This is one of the most satisfying books I've read in a long time, and I really didn't want to let the characters go.

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