Two Bloggers One Book - The Hunger

Since Stormi and I both love horror and we both were craving some, reading "The Hunger" as our feature pick for the month of March was a given.  However, I think we both wish we had picked something else.  So enjoy my thoughts below and after you are finished, hop on over to  Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and see what Stormi thought.

TITLE: The Hunger

AUTHOR: Alma Katsu

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons

PUBLISHING DATE: March 6, 2018

FROM GOODREADS: Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere. 

Tamsen Donner must be a witch. 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 pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone--or something--is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck--the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions--searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand--evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves "What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased...and very hungry?" 

MY THOUGHTS:  So I'll start by saying that a lot of my favorite bloggers loved "The Hunger" and I'm so glad they did.  I also think I kind of set myself up for disappointment with this one because I wanted it to be horrific and terrifying and as the terror was more subtle and atmospheric (which I usually like) I felt a let-down.  Also, I've seen "The Hunger" described as a "slow burn" type of novel but for me, it was more like "smoldering."  

So basically this is a tale about the infamous Donner party.  However, there's a twist and instead of just facing insurmountable obstacles related to travel, the time of year and terrain, they also face a supernatural entity.  Now I probably couldn't spoil this book if I tried because I'm still not sure I figured out what the "being" was - in fact, upon finishing, I dubbed it the vamp-shifter-wendigo-zombie-witch-thing.  

I also don't think I really connected with any of the characters, which is something I have discovered is important for me when reading a book.  I don't necessarily have to like them, but I have to feel something, and I just didn't in "The Hunger."  I did have two I liked more than the rest, and one I despised and I'll give Katsu credit for making me feel badly for the one I hated in the end.  However, to be honest, in the end I just wanted it to end.

So as I said, I'm sure lots of people will be and are enjoying this book.  I did like Katsu's writing and plan to check out more books by this author.  However, I think if you don't set your expectations high and are okay with slow-paced novels (and I mean SLOW - like wagon train slow), then give "The Hunger" a chance.

RATING: 2 PAWS