A review by triviahanni
Hunger by Choi Jin-young

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

— 4.25/5 ★ // arc review

“You will die only when I die. I won't follow you into death; I will have you follow me.” 

(I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for accepting my request to read this arc in exchange for an honest review ♡) 

Firstly, can I just say how excited I was to be notified that I’d been granted access to read this arc? I didn’t think at all think I’d be accepted, so I was over the moon when I was, and I was even happier when I finished this story and found that I wasn’t at all unsatisfied. 

The majority of this book felt like a fever dream, flicking between the two main characters, Dam and Gu, and many years of their lives and experiences, some moments shared together, some not. It’s inbetween these segments of story and past, that you’re invited to witness the devastation of Dam as bit by bit she steadily devours parts of her Gu’s body in the hopes that with each mouthful he will find a place inside her where he’ll never be able to abandon and leave her behind

This story isn’t a happy one, in fact it’s quite the opposite, as you’re faced with miss-communication, missed opportunities, debt, death, failure, and loneliness, however despite these issues ravaging Gu and Dam’s lives, they never give up having hope in other another, even when they’re separated by trauma and fear. Their love for one another is so strong that I’m not quite sure if love is the correct way to describe it, it’s something more between obsession, desperation, desire, and hope (if anyone knows whether there’s a word for that please let me know). Their connection and feelings for one another were strong, but unfortunately it really did seem like the world was trying to keep them apart throughout, and ultimately they’re both kept apart by two different phases of existence: life and death. Reading about Gu as he’s torn between reminiscing about his life and the torment that his, essentially soulmate, is going through as she eats away at his body, is gutting. Learning about how he wishes for her to stop and to instead move on and live a long, fulfilling life while he watches and waits for her to hopefully join him, is even more gutting. 

Despite Hungry being largely a “tragic love story” throughout, we are also met with philosophical questioning and real-world commentary. There’s conversation on debt and loan-sharks, capitalism, human value, dehumanisation, and how people struggle to keep themselves afloat when in poverty, including the injustice you feel when you reflect on how you’re just one single, tiny speck in the never-ending cycle.

Ultimately, this novel was everything I was hoping it to be and more. While I did leave this story wishing for it to be just a bit longer, the breadth of emotions I experienced were enough for me to feel satisfied and happy. In conclusion: this is a weird book meant for weird people and I love it for that. 
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