The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere. Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone–or something–is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck–the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions–searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand–evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves “What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased…and very hungry?”

Edition:

E-book

Awards and Nominations:

• Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Best Novel (2018)
• Locus Award Nominee for Horror Novel (2019)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Horror (2018)

My Thoughts:

I heard some stuff about this book being kind of a slow burn. Well, that’s something that I’m actually really into so I was pretty psyched for this one. Well, also because it had been sitting in my Kindle queue for basically ever. So I bucked up and read the damned thing!

“Hope, Tamsen realized, could be a very dangerous thing, especially when dealt to desperate hands.”

I’m really glad I finally got to it. It was really good! It is definitely a slow burn. And it’s probably not quite what you’re expecting going in (at least it wasn’t for me). But I’m amazed with the way that Katsu combined historical facts with fictional elements in a way that made what is already a terrifying story a little scarier still.

I will say though, that if you go into this expecting some sort of Cannibal Holocaust-type situation you’re going to be terribly disappointed. Think more of a historical fiction story with a sideline in what I can only assume the move The Ravenous must be like (I haven’t seen it yet – I knowwww – I want to).

“It’s madness, that’s what it is. After what we’ve been through, we’re all going mad.”

The writing is great, the story moves slowly and methodically toward a truly wonderful ending, and I think that I fell a little bit in love with Tamsen Donner.

About the Author:

Alma Katsu writes novels that combine history and horror. Her latest are The Deep, a reimagining of the sinking of the Titanic, and The Hunger, a reimagining of the story of the Donner Party with a horror twist. The Hunger made NPR’s list of the 100 Best Horror Stories, was named one of the best novels of 2018 by the Observer, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, and was nominated for a Stoker and Locus Award for best horror novel. It recently won Spain’s Kelvin 505 award for Best Novel (translated) and was also won the Western Heritage Award for Best Novel.

The Taker, her debut novel, has been compared to the early works of Anne Rice and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander for combining historical, the supernatural, and fantasy into one story. The Taker was named a Top Ten Debut Novel of 2011 by Booklist, was nominated for a Goodreads Readers Choice award, and has been published in over 10 languages. It is the first in an award-winning trilogy that includes The Reckoning and The Descent.
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Ms. Katsu lives outside of Washington DC with her husband, musician Bruce Katsu. In addition to her novels, she has been a signature reviewer for Publishers Weekly, and a contributor to the Huffington Post. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Program and Brandeis University, where she studied with novelist John Irving. She also is an alumni of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

Prior to publication of her first novel, Ms. Katsu had a long career in intelligence, working for several US agencies and a think tank. She currently is a consultant on emerging technologies. Additional information can be found on Wikipedia and in this interview with Ozy.com.

(Photo credit: Patrick Milliken)

(All information comes from the author’s website)

Rating:

This was my first time reading Alma Katsu’s work, but it certainly won’t be the last. I already have her Titanic-based The Deep ready and waiting for me!

The Hunger
By Alma Katsu
G. P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 0735212511
Published: March 6, 2018
Hardcover, Paperback, E-book
384 Pages
Author's Website