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A review by horourke
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“Culture refuses to see violence in women, and the law nurtures a special loathing for violent women.”
Really wanted to like this novel, and it was high on my Christmas list. It was fascinating to read about a female serial killer/cannibal and I enjoyed the subtle commentary on modern feminism. Unfortunately, I am not well-versed enough in the “foodie” world to speak to the novel’s critique of gourmet eateries and food snobs. Similarly, I had no idea what many of the meals discussed in the book were and if I was supposed to think they sounded good or not.
Although I enjoyed the concept and plot, I found that the narration was at times both pretentious, littered with complex SAT words, and overly cliche with millennial pop-culture aphorisms. I had to Google a handful of words on each page to fully understand what was being said, but I also was affronted with “keep calm and carry on” and similar phrases. In my opinion, the unnecessarily complex language and clunky prose hindered the plot and my enjoyment of this novel. If the style was more fast-paced and less intellectual, it could’ve been a great thriller, but due to these flaws, I found it just OK.
Really wanted to like this novel, and it was high on my Christmas list. It was fascinating to read about a female serial killer/cannibal and I enjoyed the subtle commentary on modern feminism. Unfortunately, I am not well-versed enough in the “foodie” world to speak to the novel’s critique of gourmet eateries and food snobs. Similarly, I had no idea what many of the meals discussed in the book were and if I was supposed to think they sounded good or not.
Although I enjoyed the concept and plot, I found that the narration was at times both pretentious, littered with complex SAT words, and overly cliche with millennial pop-culture aphorisms. I had to Google a handful of words on each page to fully understand what was being said, but I also was affronted with “keep calm and carry on” and similar phrases. In my opinion, the unnecessarily complex language and clunky prose hindered the plot and my enjoyment of this novel. If the style was more fast-paced and less intellectual, it could’ve been a great thriller, but due to these flaws, I found it just OK.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Death, Sexual assault, Gore, Rape, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, and Alcohol