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sophafie'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
ennui_09's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Where should I start? I am not a native English speaker, but I consider myself fluent or properly fluent in understanding texts and having conversations with people. This being said…I struggled to read some bits in the book because of the word choice. It was pretentious. I had to stop, put the book down and google the definition of the said word which took me out of the story and took away from the whole experience. I learned some new words from this, I will give it that. I don’t know if it’s because the author is or used to be a teacher or because she did it on purpose to make Dorothy seem extra pretentious. Either way, it made me curious to see what other people had to say and it made me feel better to see other people’s reviews (native English speakers) state the same feeling about the language used.
There was another thing that got annoying after a while and that is the enumerating (?) or repetition of something but said in different ways, put in different words to emphasize what the author wants to say. I understand doing this with a few comparisons to get your point across but it happened so so so often in the first couple of pages. It stopped towards the middle.
I think this book is perfect for someone who loves food, who understands and knows what the dishes Dorothy is speaking about are. Who is familiar with cooking techniques and who has knowledge about food. Dorothy names the foods by their names, most of the time it’s in Italian and then she goes on to explain what the food is, sometimes she doesn’t but often times I found myself a little lost? I am not blaming the book for this, I think the descriptions were well done but I am not one to speak since I’ve never had those foods in my life and I don’t know how accurate it was. To me, it was nicely described although it got a lot here and there. I got a little annoyed at her for complaining so much about the food in prison, which…is my fault. Of course, a food critic and someone who’s a gourmand would complain about it so much. I think I would too if I was in her place.
I was very hooked from the start then towards the middle it kind of dragged out a little, when we got to the story about Marco I was over the description about the cattle and the whole process. I was tempted to skip those few pages but I sucked it up. I just didn’t really care about the dude’s business, not gonna lie and it dragged out. There’s also an explicit description of a cow getting killed for meat in case you’re sensitive to stuff like that. I found the part about Alex interesting, same goes with Emma. I wish we saw more of Dorothy’s friendship with Emma. It was pretty interesting.
For some murders, I found it a bit weird how she got away with it. Are the cops lacking so much to not look more into it or am I missing something? I was a little skeptical about it.
I know this review sounds like I hated this book which makes no sense since I gave it a 3-star rating BUT I liked the take on female killers, and how society sees females fit for motherhood but not able of violence. I found some quotes I really liked that got me thinking about stuff. Oh, what I liked is that at times Dorothy is speaking to the reader and calls us out. I think this happens a lot these days, I mean people got so interested in true crime and read books on it or listen to podcasts. And I felt like she was calling out people like that. I liked that part. Not gonna lie, at some parts, I was in a way rooting for her? I am not justifying what she did but I guess reading about an unhinged woman can be a little empowering.
I liked reading about her family too although dysfunctional and not the healthiest. This is all I can think about for now but if you’re someone who loves food, loves something graphic, and read about unhinged women then I think this is for you.
Maybe I would have given it more if it wasn’t for the word choice which led to me taking forever to finish this book then just made me wanna be over although it got better towards the end.
There was another thing that got annoying after a while and that is the enumerating (?) or repetition of something but said in different ways, put in different words to emphasize what the author wants to say. I understand doing this with a few comparisons to get your point across but it happened so so so often in the first couple of pages. It stopped towards the middle.
I think this book is perfect for someone who loves food, who understands and knows what the dishes Dorothy is speaking about are. Who is familiar with cooking techniques and who has knowledge about food. Dorothy names the foods by their names, most of the time it’s in Italian and then she goes on to explain what the food is, sometimes she doesn’t but often times I found myself a little lost? I am not blaming the book for this, I think the descriptions were well done but I am not one to speak since I’ve never had those foods in my life and I don’t know how accurate it was. To me, it was nicely described although it got a lot here and there. I got a little annoyed at her for complaining so much about the food in prison, which…is my fault. Of course, a food critic and someone who’s a gourmand would complain about it so much. I think I would too if I was in her place.
I was very hooked from the start then towards the middle it kind of dragged out a little, when we got to the story about Marco I was over the description about the cattle and the whole process. I was tempted to skip those few pages but I sucked it up. I just didn’t really care about the dude’s business, not gonna lie and it dragged out. There’s also an explicit description of a cow getting killed for meat in case you’re sensitive to stuff like that. I found the part about Alex interesting, same goes with Emma. I wish we saw more of Dorothy’s friendship with Emma. It was pretty interesting.
For some murders, I found it a bit weird how she got away with it. Are the cops lacking so much to not look more into it or am I missing something? I was a little skeptical about it.
I know this review sounds like I hated this book which makes no sense since I gave it a 3-star rating BUT I liked the take on female killers, and how society sees females fit for motherhood but not able of violence. I found some quotes I really liked that got me thinking about stuff. Oh, what I liked is that at times Dorothy is speaking to the reader and calls us out. I think this happens a lot these days, I mean people got so interested in true crime and read books on it or listen to podcasts. And I felt like she was calling out people like that. I liked that part. Not gonna lie, at some parts, I was in a way rooting for her? I am not justifying what she did but I guess reading about an unhinged woman can be a little empowering.
I liked reading about her family too although dysfunctional and not the healthiest. This is all I can think about for now but if you’re someone who loves food, loves something graphic, and read about unhinged women then I think this is for you.
Maybe I would have given it more if it wasn’t for the word choice which led to me taking forever to finish this book then just made me wanna be over although it got better towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Minor: Rape
taviarz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think I’ll get something different from this book every time I read it as I get older
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Antisemitism
lkocsis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The prose of this book is extremely rich and indulgent. It’s a challenging read in terms of vocabulary and, equally, if you have a soft stomach. However, the story is really engaging and the writing style is of high quality.
Would recommend for anyone who likes Moshfegh and/or stories portraying dark, mentally unbalanced females and the nasty tricks they get into.
Would recommend for anyone who likes Moshfegh and/or stories portraying dark, mentally unbalanced females and the nasty tricks they get into.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, and Cannibalism
savvylit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A Certain Hunger is wildly gory, beautifully written, disgusting, and delightful all at once. Like the gourmet meals that narrator Dorothy relishes, Chelsea G. Summers' prose is a delectable treat.
Summers is a modern master of metaphor and simile. There were so many occasions while reading in which I had to stop to marvel over an evocative turn of phrase. Here are just a few of my favorite examples:
"Then, he slid off his chair, smooth as a pat of butter oozing from a pile of hot flapjacks."
"As I stepped out into the gimlet dawn, sunlight was beginning to slip like white lies between the skyscrapers."
"Casimir wandering dazed as a startled possum."
"Flashes of the evening popped like firecrackers, while shards of conversation with Wasserman lacerated me."
Beyond Summers' delightful writing style, this book had many other strengths with which to cleanse the reader's palate between what were truly appalling descriptions of homicide and cannibalism. The scenery, setting, and characters of this book were so exaggerated as to become parodies. And in many ways, this book is satirical. A Certain Hunger is a satire of so much but especially of foodie culture, of obsession with serial killers, of societal pressures on womanhood, and of big agriculture. Ultimately I loved it all.
In creating Dorothy Daniels, Chelsea G. Summers has given the world an unforgettable, charming, and likable serial killer to join the ranks of Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman. This book is certainly not for the faint-hearted, though, so avoid it if body horror and gore are too much for you to digest.
Summers is a modern master of metaphor and simile. There were so many occasions while reading in which I had to stop to marvel over an evocative turn of phrase. Here are just a few of my favorite examples:
"Then, he slid off his chair, smooth as a pat of butter oozing from a pile of hot flapjacks."
"As I stepped out into the gimlet dawn, sunlight was beginning to slip like white lies between the skyscrapers."
"Casimir wandering dazed as a startled possum."
"Flashes of the evening popped like firecrackers, while shards of conversation with Wasserman lacerated me."
Beyond Summers' delightful writing style, this book had many other strengths with which to cleanse the reader's palate between what were truly appalling descriptions of homicide and cannibalism. The scenery, setting, and characters of this book were so exaggerated as to become parodies. And in many ways, this book is satirical. A Certain Hunger is a satire of so much but especially of foodie culture, of obsession with serial killers, of societal pressures on womanhood, and of big agriculture. Ultimately I loved it all.
In creating Dorothy Daniels, Chelsea G. Summers has given the world an unforgettable, charming, and likable serial killer to join the ranks of Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman. This book is certainly not for the faint-hearted, though, so avoid it if body horror and gore are too much for you to digest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape
alainareading's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
arys_library's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m glad I’m a vegan.
I absolutely loved this book. I knew it would be graphic but it was beyond what I was thinking it would be. Everything was so graphic and detailed which made me read a bit slower than usual but the writing style was still amazing. At times I feel like the author was being too descriptive, she described everything in great detail but it got to the point where things were so repetitive and I had to take a break. But besides that, I absolutely loved it
I absolutely loved this book. I knew it would be graphic but it was beyond what I was thinking it would be. Everything was so graphic and detailed which made me read a bit slower than usual but the writing style was still amazing. At times I feel like the author was being too descriptive, she described everything in great detail but it got to the point where things were so repetitive and I had to take a break. But besides that, I absolutely loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Minor: Cursing and Vomit
swellshark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is carnal and creepy and gross and I loved it. Beautiful, horrifying writing, unapologetically, though self-awaredly, monstrous protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism
This book has graphic, detailed scenes of murder and cannibalism. There is at least one rape scene that is described for at least a paragraph in very detached terms.
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