Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A certain hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

85 reviews

vallyore's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

shawty was crazy but mad entertaining 😭 the ending was ok cause the letter kinda made no sense but i’m not going to go into that. i have some other qualms but imma keep them to myself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Rape, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Death of parent

erinbarton's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

slightly disappointed as i thought this was going to be a book i would really love, having seen it compared numerous times to american psycho and hannibal. the narrative device of a character recounting their story from prison is never one that i enjoy and to me the sections talking about her present day in prison disrupted the pacing and were slightly tedious. 

the sections depicting the actual murders were my favourite, and the sensory descriptions of the food throughout the book were delicious even when closely followed by graphic depictions of cannibalism. 

i really enjoyed the concept, main character, and writing style however i wish a linear narrative and more condensed timeline were used to create more momentum for the story - seeing dorothy’s murders become more elaborate and unhinged as she tries to suppress these urges and becomes increasingly paranoid would have heightened the pace and tension.

overall, i still really enjoyed a certain hunger and would love to read more from chelsea g summers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Cannibalism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, and Rape

mmccombs's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

A wet, gross, luxurious novel. I went into this knowing only that she was a food critic so I was, uh, surprised! But it was gloriously written and executed, it was so pretentious but in a way that keeps you invested just to see what’s coming to her. It was a bit meandering but in the whole I found this to be really fun in a “good for her” kind of way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Car accident, Blood, Animal death, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent

alrauna's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Gore, Blood, Murder, and Infidelity

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

asapphicandacat's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

at times this book was tricky, mostly because it’s culinary related content and vocabulary could go over my lil brain, but i thoroughly enjoyed the challenge! it brings you deep inside of dorothy’s brain and why she makes the decisions she does, however fucked up. i really liked this!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, and Gore

gewaechshausgeist's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Infidelity, Blood, Death, Body horror, and Animal death

Moderate: Death of parent

missbreathing's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I gave this 4⭐️. Some thoughts:
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This book is a delight! Dorothy is a fascinating protagonist; she’s cold and calculating, embittered and smart. Her story goes exactly where you’d think, but it does so beautifully.
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Slow-paced and tense, this book demands your careful attention every step of the way. You’ll want to savor its 250 pages. The language oscillates between appropriate and superfluous, yet it fits the narrative voice well.
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Full of darkly funny moments, this book got a few giggles out of me. It also made me think. It grossed me out (I mean this as a compliment) and it kept me hooked.
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The best thing about this book is its approach to female rage and the twisted, dark desires some women harbor. Dorothy is an interesting variation of the “deranged female character” archetype, mainly because her story revolves around the taking back of power rather than focusing on powerlessness and hopelessness. In a way, this is a darkly feminist story.
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Fans of the darker side of literature should definitely check this out! (But tread carefully if at all squeamish!!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Death of parent, and Gore

Moderate: Cancer

freyanjani's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I haven’t read many books post-reading slump that I’ve had since I was 16, but this book truly changed me. If you can appreciate a vivid, delicious descriptions of glamorous foods, and at the same time stomach gory, violent details of murder… this is truly for you. I found Dorothy Daniels not lovable, but an amusing narrator of this gut-wrenching fem American Psycho of a book, and you know what I fuck with her for it (kinda, not really, don’t hold this statement against me). I was fully prepared for what I was going to read, but not of the person I’d become after. I now know too much about stuff I don’t really want to know… but a knowledge is knowledge, however fucked up it may be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Death of parent

hayleyw's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Violence, Torture, Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, and Cannibalism

boglord's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death of parent, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Antisemitism, Cancer, Body shaming, Incest, and Adult/minor relationship