What Hunger is a body horror, coming of age story about a teenage girl, Ronny, who after a traumatic event finds herself hungry for raw flesh. We follow our protagonist as she begins to learn what it means to be a girl in the world and from an immigrant family on top of that. I thought the discussion on immigration, cultural differences and family dynamics was really intriguing. The exploration of grief, especially when that person is your support system, was heartbreaking but well done. While I understood how the element of body horror came to play a part in this story and I liked the depiction of female rage, I did find the images to be too vivid for me. The ending also fell a bit flat, but overall it was an interesting story.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for the eARC of this title - all opinions are my own.

Oh I just love female rage so much

I really felt like I was a teenager again reading this. Dang portrays the turbulence of adolescence so well, I just loved it. Veronica is a great character and I really enjoyed the way Vietnamese culture was presented.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc

★ 3 stars

𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝.

📚 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝: e-book
📆 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 12th August 2025
📎 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛: Little, Brown Book Group UK / Corsair
🏷️ 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚜: female rage, horror, cannibalism, revenge, generational trauma, coming of age

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙: I enjoyed the cultural references throughout the book, and the growing relationship between Veronica and her aunt. I feel like the author captured the attitudes of high schoolers towards what happened quite spot on, and I enjoyed the representation within it.

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙: I do feel like Tommy’s death happened so early on in the book that as a reader I didn’t get to grow attached to him enough to feel Veronica’s anger and grief. The turn into cannibalism did feel slightly random and without depth, like it felt almost unjustified? I also wish that the neighbour storyline with Gigi was slightly different.

𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: The book up until about 60/70% through was quite interesting to me but once the aunt left, I felt like I didn’t care much for the storyline. I didn’t really enjoy the ‘plot twist’ at the end and ultimately how the book ended. The cannibalism in this book is particularly descriptive so maybe don’t read it unless you have a strong stomach. Overall I thought it was okay and an easy & quick read but I wouldn’t say that it was amazing.

𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I REALLY enjoyed this, we follow Ronny, a first generation Vietnamese immigrant in her early teens. She is struggling through coming of age, having parents that do not understand the local culture and the loss of a family member. Confused, isolated and then suffering trauma from an unexpected source Ronny starts to unravel.
Only she doesn't fall apart, but spirals into a plan for vengeance, to take back control and lean in to the intrusive thoughts.
This novel covers themes of family, cultural identity, religion, grief and community. As well as revenge, trauma and a currently popular horror predilection when it comes to dietary choices. There is also a significant amount of Vietnamese food discussed, so you might want to get the takeaway menus out!
I especially enjoyed how realistic the familial conversations felt. When those around you prefer silence and to pretend ignorance than to face problems, it is easy to see why Ronny chooses her own path.

I really enjoyed this and would absolutely read more horror from this author.

Really not good at all. I kept reading purely to see when this would actually go anywhere, and it took until 90% to become mildly interesting. There was so much filler, it was very frustrating and just made it feel like an okay short story idea that was stretched as far as possible to push it into a novel. But the writing wasn’t good enough to keep me interested. A massive disappointment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

wow are we all OK. im not sure after reading this book. but i somehow delighted in it anyway. what a mess. what a chaos. what a read
this is a raw and emotional coming of age story following the character Ronny a 14 year old daughter in an immigrant family. her life is changing, she is changing and shes feeling it all.
shes the lesser child. thats how she has always felt. and it seems her parents dont shy away from showing it. but then an event happens and noone knows how to cope. Ronnie has nothing to help her and noone to show her how so the emotion builds into rage. rage that yes, she expels by eating meat. but i know how this sounds but you have to read it to get it. the writing is so vivid and exposing in how she feels. you can feel it. you can feel her. and you as a reader just want to help her. her hunger for connection, ease and peace is hunger for other things when she doesn't get it.
this book was different. and at first you wonder how you are going to feel anything but weird about it. but when you read, when you let yourself get into the people and the story you can see how Catherine came to her plot as she did. you can see how the way she writes Ronny in this unsettling way suddenly makes sense.
i was intrigued at first and then hooked to read from start to finish, the book felt alot but never too much. and it was one hell of a ride.

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group and netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 💖

What Hunger is a coming-of-age story steeped in simmering rage, complex family dynamics, and the messy, lonely reality of girlhood. If you loved The Eyes Are the Best Part or Jennifer’s Body, you'll have to add this one to your list!

I have to say this isn't a horror in the traditional sense, but it's still deeply unsettling in its own quiet, emotional way.
The book explores grief, anger, and intergenerational trauma through the eyes of Ronny Nguyen, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, as she tries to make sense of the world around her and the hunger growing inside of her.

Her voice is sharp and vulnerable, and I really felt her longing for connection and her frustration with the world around her.
The family scenes were some of my favourite parts, actually. There’s a lot of grief and misunderstanding, but also love in the smallest, most complicated ways, which gave it real emotional depth. I loved watching Ronny slowly come to understand her mother and her own place in that family history.

What Hunger is more contemporary and grounded than I expected, and while I went in thinking it might lean further into horror or cannibalism, what I got instead was something more reflective and internal. However, that worked really well once I settled into what the story was really trying to say!

Not quite a five-star read for me, but a very solid four. I'm still thinking about it and would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy messy, emotional, and rage-filled coming-of-age stories.

A coming of age story with cannibalism. Deals with some important topics such as family, friendships, sexual assault, loss. Quite a unique exploration, it just didn’t have as much of an impact as i was expecting.

I don't usually feel squeamish when reading, but this book really got me. Without going into too much detail, the descriptions of gore in this novel feel so visceral, but described with a casual tone that makes it all the more disgusting. However, the goriness is balanced by the themes of grief, coming of age and the vulnerability of girlhood. A fine line to walk, but Catherine Dang pulls it off.

An unflinching, gruesome story of a young girl who develops an insatiable taste for human flesh; simultaneously, an empathetic look at growing up and realising your place in the world as a young girl. Anger sizzles throughout the novel, driving Ronny to extreme, entirely cathartic measures.

Perfect for fans of NBC's Hannibal, The Lamb, Jennifer's Body and A Certain Hunger.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group for my ARC!

Jennifer's Body meets Teeth with generational trauma and vivid Vietnamese folklore, What Hunger is the coming-of-age horror story that proves hell really is a teenage girl.

Okay, first off, let's give kudos to everyone involved with the cover - how eye-catching is that?!

Now for a disclaimer: this book does not involve raspberries. But the kind of evocative, kind of uncomfortable, kind of wtf vibes that the cover invokes to me? Yeah, that checks out.

What Hunger follows 14 year old Veronica who, after a traumatic couple of months, develops a hunger. At its core, What Hunger is really a coming of age story, with a bit of cannibalism vibes thrown in, just for funsies.

That all sounds good and weird and horrifying, but I will say: I truly didn't feel this was a horror novel, and I wish I hadn't gone in expecting either horror or, really, cannibalism, because I think I might have enjoyed it more had my expectations been more in line with what this book actually is. And what it is is visceral, it is feminine rage, it is a reflection of culture and lineage - all of those parts of the description are accurate!

As a coming of age wonderful, this book was captivating. I felt the emotions of the characters, and the family scenes, as dysfunctional as the family could be, were the backbone of the book. The pacing was a bit odd, but if you look at this book as a window into grief and complex family dynamics, told through the lens of a grieving teenager, there is a lot to sink your teeth into here. (👀 I had to say it.)

And is it weird to say this book could have used much more cannibalism??

Thank you to the publisher, Corsair, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and when I requested an advanced copy, I refreshed my emails every time I checked my phone because I was so desperate to read it early, and it did not disappoint!

Raw (2016) meets Jennifer’s Body (2009) meets The Lamb by Lucy Rose, stirred together into a broth so delicious I very much gorged myself on it. Truly, I loved this. I’d say it’s a brilliant summer read for those who enjoy books with female rage, cannibalism and the complexity of family dynamics — a Vietnamese family, specifically, adding its own layer that both fascinated and destroyed me.

I felt a wave of emotions with this one, and where The Lamb was almost a fairytale, What Hunger is more contemporary, more grounded and realistic in a way that made it rawer. I could feel Veronica’s rage, her sadness, her isolation, her hunger. I could see her so clearly.

I’ll be keeping my eye on this author, and definitely buying a physical copy on release date. I cannot thank the publisher enough for granting me the opportunity to read this early! It has officially been added to the favourites shelf.

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the e-arc!

3.25 stars!

The premise made me want to reach into the computer and grab this to read as soon as I read it. I mean CANNIBALISM?! GIRL GET HIM! GET THEM! COUNT ME IN!!!

Sadly I didn't end up liking it as much as I had anticipated, but it's a great read! The story has so much raw emotion in it with grief and trauma that it really hits you from all sides, but to me that was the strength on how well written the grief & trauma was. So well done!

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

This short book follows Veronica as she leaves juniors and heads into high school - its a blur of smutty pirates, summer days and BBQs with her Vietnamese family until a tragedy leaves her dreading the changes that are about to happen.

Further tragedy occurs, sending Veronica on a bit of a (justified) spiral, ending in a very brutal way.

This was female rage mixed with cannibalism, body horror and heartache and is just my kind of book. It really made me think at times (but I am a stupid girl so maybe I had to think harder than I needed).

I would reread this and it is definitely (to me) a one sitting kind of book.

(Rounded from 3.75)

What did I just read? I love a horror, this is my first horror based on cannabalism. It Makes it even more surreal that it's about a 14 year old teenage girl.

Veronica is the daughter of a Vietnamese family who have settled in America. She is struggling with the death of her brother Tommy who died in a car crash and who she was extremely close to. As well as navigating the trauma and grief of this she is coming into a certain age, where things are changing in her life also. Without spoiling the story, she becomes very resentful of a lot of things and takes matters into her own hands a lot. The ending is unexpected and takes a twist I never saw coming. I would recommend this book to readers who like The Lamb and other books like this.

It made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the EArc for this book I am very grateful.

What is it with these young cannibal girl books lately? I mean, I'm not complaining, just noticing a weird trend. I'm talking about "The Lamb" by Lucy Rose and this book, "What Hunger" by Catherine Dang. And while they both feature unsettling cannibal horror from a young perspective, they couldn't be more different. "The Lamb" takes a lyrical, flowery approach to the theme, while "What Hunger" feels more grounded, almost raw (pun intended, I guess). It reads more like general fiction or a coming-of-age story than a true horror novel, but that doesn't mean that this book is free of horrific things. The story follows Ronny, the 14-year-old daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant family, at a time of massive change in her life. Her beloved brother Tommy dies in a car accident, which throws her family into chaos and grief. Without a way to cope and with a family that doesn't understand her due to generational and cultural barriers, Ronny starts to spiral into rage and develops a strange craving for raw meat. She could be bratty, but I felt mostly sorry for her with her being repeatedly struck by tragedy. The sibling relationship was portrayed very well in just a few pages and I liked it right away, which made Tommy's death even more devastating. I would describe the overall atmosphere as heavy, not because Ronny is perpetually sad, but because she is in a constant state of unrest. She only finds peace when eating raw meat and it was great how this was transported through the writing style. It's usually not very descriptive, safe for scenes featuring food and eating. Once Ronny's hunger is stilled, it's easier for her to connect with her family – first her aunt, later her mother. The family dynamics turned out to be very complex, and I read the entire book with great interest. I mentioned The Lamb, but I think this book is actually more similar to "The Eyes are the Best Part" by Monika Kim. Both feature a family confronted with change and a daughter developing strange and maybe murderous cravings because of it. "What Hunger" might be more unsettling though, because of Ronny's young age. I would recommend these two books in tandem, and I think them both great reads.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK / Corsair for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

What Hunger is a stunning coming-of-rage revenge story. In it, we follow Ronny, a 14-year-old struggling with typical teenage angst suddenly rocked by tragedy. Still carrying that grief, more harm and violence are enacted against her, and so a special type of hunger starts to surge through her. She's after revenge and will do anything and risk anything to get it.

This book is many things, including a grief horror for one. But above all else, for me, it was a story that highlighted the loneliness of girlhood. As young women, we experience so many of the same things, which Ronny would find out in her experience getting to know her mother more personally, yet as Ronny experiences with her friends, we often navigate it alone. Girlhood is usually the first brush with witnessing men abusing their power, often without punishment or even so much as a second thought. It's frustrating but also common. Revenge is exacting and calculating. Is revenge the only form of justice available to young girls? Catherine Dang lets the reader decide.

The writing is visceral and captivating as someone who has immigrant parents with their own generational trauma they are carrying. A lot of Ronny's experiences are so relatable. I loved Ronny's character, and you want to root for her and, later, her mother. If you loved Monika Kim's The Eyes Are The Best Part and My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, you'll eat this up (pun very much intended).

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this eArc!

Body horror, cannibalism and explorations of grief? What more could you ask for from a novel? I really enjoyed this book. The complicated relationships between each family member really gripped me and felt very real.

The way food was described, even the more unsavoury meals felt incredibly visceral. Food is a love language and a way to explore family dynamics always interests me and Dang had this down to a tee.

If you enjoy dark stories with a focus on hunger. This is definitely one to check out.

What Hunger by Catherine Dang is a haunting, slow-burn thriller that dives deep into the complexities of trauma, identity, and female rage.

Dang does a great job showing how messy and raw people can be, especially the main character- she’s not always likable, but I found myself really rooting for her.

The exploration of hunger, not just for food, but for power, validation, and connection, was portrayed with a raw intensity that stuck with me long after I finished.

If you’re into dark, character focused stories that aren’t afraid to get uncomfortable, I’d definitely recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this book, although the visceral descriptions of raw meat were difficult for me to read as a vegetarian 🤢 half coming of age after a personal tragedy, half body horror revenge story, this book is beautifully written and engaging. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, the tense situations felt authentic and I really liked the aunt character and how her introduction into the family unit brought so much additional tension. Loved it!