Reviews with content warning for Stalking - A Certain Hunger

As a non native english speaker, I had too google quite a few words
Incredibly delicious, colourful and visceral descriptions
The sex was - at times - a bit much for me, but it fit the theme very well and I got used to it
Timeless vibes for some reason
The protagonist (and writer of the story in form of a memoir) is deadly smart and she knows it well, hence some uncommon turns of phrase, some unusual words, some very pretty poetic writing
Feels strangely detached from the happenings of the story, readers will know why. It works.

Content Warnings

autumngk's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

2.75

I honestly don’t know what I was expecting from this book-cannibalism, sure, but the nonlinear format took me by surprise. Something about it felt too reliant on shock value and grotesque tropes, but after all it is a cannibal serial killer. I don’t know if I’m just beginning to be turned off by horror novels, but this one did the trick. There were really great sections, and I mean chapters at a time where the writing was absolutely beautiful and engaging. I wish we got to know more about Dorothy’s life as the prison librarian and how that began to effect her; I can’t tell if my reservations with this book are that if felt too short and heavy/reliant on the gore to tell its story or what! We get this really nice look into her life…..

after she’s adjusted to prison life during their group when the arsonist is telling her story and some of the other women are talking and Dorothy reveals a possible change in her feelings about what she’s done/herself. It’s not worthy of a sequel, just a couple more chapters here and there. While what we’re left with is a complete picture, it felt like there were just some missed opportunities. So many offers were put up in the air by introducing her in the present as working in the library; especially given her relationship with Emma, it felt unfinished in a way. We know so much about her while she’s cannibalizing and murdering these men senselessly, but it feels pointless to still know her while she’s imprisoned and know so little about her in the present. She still has the same voice. She still speaks the same about humanity. What about her changed? if nothing did, why this story? Why now? Just to sell cannibal torture porn?

Content Warnings

itsheyfay's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

My head is still reeling from this 😵‍💫 It was funny and sharp, but it took me all over the place with its pacing and random interludes of memory/commentary.

Either way, I’m going to be thinking about this for a while.

Content Warnings

aubreybrooke's review against another edition

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dark funny 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

4.0

Content Warnings

jhaneveauguste's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective fast-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

3.5

Content Warnings

karina_aracely's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Blunt, fatalistic, crass, and smart - this was a surprisingly delightful read for such a dark subject matter. There were moments that had my jaw on the floor followed immediately by a line or a brutally honest assessment by the MC that had me laughing out loud.

The writing is verbose and tedious, you get used to it after a bit, but you will be adding to your mental dictionary. I do wish there was a more development and insight into Dorothy's and Emma's friendship. The friendship is obviously very important to the MC, but it would have been nice to have more emphasis and time with it as we got with all of Dorothy's lovers.

Overall, I loved the tangental and reflective story telling, the MC's narration and the satirical nature of the novel. The rich, detailed descriptions of food dishes were positively mouth-watering and I thoroughly enjoyed the inherent sexuality the MC experiences in those moments of consuming food...which is a theme obviously carried throughout her new culinary ✨adventures✨.

P.S. Fellow tauruses: you'd eat this shit up

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