Tremendously written thriller that was a classic "slow burn' that had me feeling uneasy, a little bit paranoid, and totally creeped out. But I mean that in a good way. Such a great book!!!

A well written historic thriller / horror based upon true events. Dark, Gripping and delves into the darkest parts of the human psyche. A tale of true desperation and the depths to which anyone can sink if dire circumstances are pushed all the way to the edge.

Well, Ms. Katsu, you have a fan for life. The Hunger is one of the most compelling debuts I've ever had the pleasure to read. An extraordinary, claustrophobic slice of pioneering life and, in particular, the infamous Donner party. As the scales begin to fall from the eyes of the wagon train, headed for a new life in California, their relationships and sanity start to unravel.

Extreme weather, the daily search for a scapegoat, brutally murdered children and the burgeoning realisation that they are being hunted by something otherworldly and fiendish starts to hack away at the collective morality.

Gossip, jealousy, the complex dynamics of our social structure and how men and women cope in a faltering and unstable environment are some of the broader themes. But it is the touch of supernatural woven between our deepest fears and Native American mythology that had me shivering under the covers and turning pages at Mach 2.

I can't recommend this enough - so much awesome.

Absorbing historical fiction with a slight touch of the supernatural. This book actually taught me something and I found the plot gripping too. Katsu is not an author who has interested me before but I will be looking out for her future work after this.

I admit to not knowing much about the original Donner expedition before reading this but there was so much more to discover because of it. Not sure what’s more horrific, the real or the imagined , actually a bit of both as the novel takes on a supernatural tone which totally freaked me out.

I expected snowy mountains to be honest but it’s more of a lost in the dry desert kind of story. Still plenty places to almost die, get in bother and then resort to...well there’s something to discover for yourself

There’s a lot of time in the novel to examine the characters and get to know them and sometimes this did take away from the focus on the creepy scenes I wanted. The chills, the horror etc...ironically got lost a few times. Having said that it was a fascinating account of a group of American pioneers. Which way should they go? What’s that up ahead? What’s just happened? What the...? That’s the kind of book this is. Horrific and chilling, disturbing but strangely compelling. A unique take on an already unique historical incident.

I think it was horrific enough without some of the supernatural bits added here. I did enjoy exploring the settings, the atmosphere and the sense of foreboding though. Scary to think some of this really did happen. Off to buy a history book on the incident now. I need to know more.

Alma Katsu's new horror novel is a cracking tale of survival in the vein of Dan Simmon's The Terror.
Based on the Donner party's tragic crossing of America in the 1840s, it follows a group of settlers who head across the plains in search of new beginnings but find themselves hunted by an unknown prey. Each have their own secrets for making the trip and it makes for a killer one-two punch as simmering tensions, along with the supernatural threat, begin to tear them apart.
The historical context is well handled and makes for a rich fish out of water setting.
It's a well constructed, slow-burn horror that simmers along nicely before an explosive final act.
Highly recommended.

The hardcover of this book, due for release in early march, shows a horse drawn wagon heading out into uncharted territory. This represented the pioneering spirit of American settlers heading west for California who felt confident in the knowledge that they were destined to occupy this territory irrespective of the affect their actions might have on the indigenous native American tribes who already populated these regions. The Hunger recalls one particular group of travellers historically referred to as the "Donner Party", led by Jacob and George Donner, who in the spring of 1846 departed Springfield Illinois on a perilous 2500 mile journey their intended destination the Mexican province of alta California. Poor planning, bad decision and snowstorms caused a number of the original pioneers to become trapped in the mountains during the severe winter of 1846. When food ran out it was said that they resorted to cannibalism; the unthinkable had happened in order to survive.

Alma Katsu expertly uses the harsh unforgiving environment and that deep rooted human weakness, fear of darkness and the unknown, to instil in the travellers a paranoia that something evil is out there stalking them....."He saw teeth sharpened like iron nails, and too many of them, far too many-a long slick of throat, like a dark tunnel, and that horrible tongue slapping like a blind animal feeling for it prey."...Some excellent characterization really made the story come alive as long held dark secrets gradually emerged. James Reed owner of a large furniture business in Springfield, married to an older woman, yet tortured inwardly by personal feelings, dark thoughts and undisclosed encounters. Charles Stanton, the quiet anti-hero whom Mary Graves...."was giddily, stupidly, happily in love.".....Tamsen Donner, young bride to George Donner, her beauty and wayward ways causing discern and rumour amongst the gradually starving disillusioned pioneers. As bad weather, low rations, and poor decisions prevailed the.... "creatures that fed on human flesh".....selected and noisily consumed the weak and innocent.

What I loved about this novel was the seamless blending of historical facts with a modern horror theme, a wolf like predator with an unquenchable longing for human flesh. As a British reader I must confess to my ignorance of the Donner Party and was pleased that the author included an "historical note" which greatly added to my enjoyment of the overall story. There were many fine observations in this ill fated journey non better than a quote at the conclusion of chapter 21....."Then the Lord must be mightily displeased with you, because he has led you into the valley of death. Make peace with your Lord before it is too late, because the hungry ones are coming for you.".... Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for this gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written. Recommended.