The Hunger
Ratings33
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings33
Average rating3.5
"Supernatural suspense at its finest...The best thing about The Hunger is that it will scare the pants off you."--The New York Times Book Review "Deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down, not recommended reading after dark."--Stephen King A tense and gripping reimagining of one of America's most fascinating historical moments: the Donner Party with a supernatural twist. Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the isolated travelers to the brink of madness. Though they dream of what awaits them in the West, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and dissent among them escalates to the point of murder and chaos. They cannot seem to escape tragedy...or the feelings that someone--or something--is stalking them. Whether it's a curse from the beautiful Tamsen Donner (who some think might be a witch), their ill-advised choice of route through uncharted terrain, or just plain bad luck, the ninety men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American history. As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains...and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along. Effortlessly combining the supernatural and the historical, The Hunger is an eerie, thrilling look at the volatility of human nature, pushed to its breaking point.
Reviews with the most likes.
I really appreciate horror that has a grounding in reality. The psychological element is key for me. The Hunger ticks all these boxes, being firmly based on a real story. The Donner Party is very much part of the American mythos, but is a bit less known elsewhere. The story of a group of pioneers who had a disastrous attempt to cross to California in the early years of westward expansion in the US. The reality of what happened to the is truly horrific - the rumours of cannibalism in order to survive and the shear number of them who died on the trip. Katsu adds an intriguing hint of supernatural - some mysterious tribe influenced by a spirit that drives people to acts of extreme violence. The reality of how real this supernatural thing is is left entirely up to the reader - and I love that type of ambiguity.
This was a brutal read, fitting for such a brutal event. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Wow. What a page turner. I'd read this again even if it were 2000 pages long.
Well written, an interesting take on a historical event. It was a little slow in
some places, and there are some POVs I probably could have done without . I also found the end a bit abrupt, especially for such a slow burn book. Over all a pretty good book though and the characters I did like were enjoyable to read. I think anyone who loves horror and historical retellings would greatly enjoy it.
