Author: Alma Katsu
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons - Copyright 2018
Review Copy Source: Purchased via Barnes & Noble
Read: March 22-29, 2018
Disclaimer: I purchased the copy of this book that is reviewed here and have received no compensation from the author or publisher. All opinions are my own.
Review: I heard whisperings of a new horror story blending fact with fiction based on the tragic events surrounding the ill-fated Donner Party. If you're unfamiliar with the history surrounding the Donner Party (sometimes referred to as the Donner-Reed Party), then I offer a little background:
The Donner Party was a wagon train led by George Donner and James F. Reed seeking their way across the plains to California in 1846. Due to a series of unfortunate events, weather, and the questionable decision to take an alternate route from the majority of wagon trains, the group found itself stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter with diminished supplies. By the time a rescue was mounted and found the survivors the following spring, only forty-eight of the roughly ninety original settlers made it to California. The most gruesome and lasting detail of their story is that some of the survivors resorted to cannibalism in order to make it through the harsh winter.
That is historical fact, and it's a fact Alma Katsu doesn't shy away from in her compelling yet insidiously gothic novel, The Hunger. The cover alone tells of the desperation and isolation faced by
settlers making the crossing from East to West in the 1800s. A lone wagon trudges across the barren, dry plains with darkening skies over ominous mountains in the distance. Being the keen observer that I am, I noticed the blood spattered along the side of the wagon's canvas covering after having read the entire book. (Yep, just call me Eagle-Eye. 😉)
I admit I was a little concerned that maybe I'd fallen for hype when I first started reading. The first chapter didn't really grab my attention by the throat like I'd hoped a novel about the Donner Party might, but I kept reading, and reading, and reading, and reading reading reading reading. Just like the wagon trail pushing through pages of ever increasingly dire situations, I found I had no choice but to keep turning page after page. Katsu's writing is tight and vivid. The characters slowly emerged from the darkness of my mind to become fully formed people. The landscapes--having lived in Colorado and traveled across the Plains States several times--were brilliantly captured.
The Katsu brought the creepy, and oh, man...chills. More than once I found myself setting the book aside and saying, "That ain't right!" But I always came back to it because I needed to know who survived and how. Even though I'm familiar with the historical circumstances surrounding the Donner Party, I needed to keep reading to learn their fate.
The Hunger is a masterful blend of myth and reality written by a stellar talent, and I look forward to reading more of Alma Katsu's work...but only in a well-lit room because, damn.
Review at a Glance:
Concept: A+
Execution: A+
Writing Style: A+
Characters: A-
Reader Connection: A
Overall Grade: A+
Would I Buy This Author Again: Absolutely!
The Donner Party was a wagon train led by George Donner and James F. Reed seeking their way across the plains to California in 1846. Due to a series of unfortunate events, weather, and the questionable decision to take an alternate route from the majority of wagon trains, the group found itself stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter with diminished supplies. By the time a rescue was mounted and found the survivors the following spring, only forty-eight of the roughly ninety original settlers made it to California. The most gruesome and lasting detail of their story is that some of the survivors resorted to cannibalism in order to make it through the harsh winter.
That is historical fact, and it's a fact Alma Katsu doesn't shy away from in her compelling yet insidiously gothic novel, The Hunger. The cover alone tells of the desperation and isolation faced by
I admit I was a little concerned that maybe I'd fallen for hype when I first started reading. The first chapter didn't really grab my attention by the throat like I'd hoped a novel about the Donner Party might, but I kept reading, and reading, and reading, and reading reading reading reading. Just like the wagon trail pushing through pages of ever increasingly dire situations, I found I had no choice but to keep turning page after page. Katsu's writing is tight and vivid. The characters slowly emerged from the darkness of my mind to become fully formed people. The landscapes--having lived in Colorado and traveled across the Plains States several times--were brilliantly captured.
The Katsu brought the creepy, and oh, man...chills. More than once I found myself setting the book aside and saying, "That ain't right!" But I always came back to it because I needed to know who survived and how. Even though I'm familiar with the historical circumstances surrounding the Donner Party, I needed to keep reading to learn their fate.
The Hunger is a masterful blend of myth and reality written by a stellar talent, and I look forward to reading more of Alma Katsu's work...but only in a well-lit room because, damn.
Review at a Glance:
Concept: A+
Execution: A+
Writing Style: A+
Characters: A-
Reader Connection: A
Overall Grade: A+
Would I Buy This Author Again: Absolutely!
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