3.5* rounded up. i feel like i need to give this book some grace. because while i was left a little lukewarm by the last page, i don’t necessarily think this is a bad book. attention-grabby cover and premise aside, i think hunger has some really interesting takes on grief and loss, and an all-consuming love toeing the line of obsession. it manages to pack a good deal into a relatively short space, and i think the narrative structure was pretty unique. it’s a weird one because i have pretty good things to say about it despite ultimately not really caring much about this book. there’s a lacuna between objective merit and subjective enjoyment here.

i was glad that the story did go quite far beyond the gore of the cannibalism aspect as i’m not not too fond of graphic body horror descriptions, and i also think that would’ve made for a shallow, shock-value based read. i found the relationship between the two main characters to be nothing if not intriguing. equal parts romantic, weird, and obsessive, it’s definitely not like any couple storyline that i’ve ever read. at the very least, i enjoyed reading something a little different.

that said, i was left a little lukewarm by the end. i’m not sure why but i wasn’t captivated by the characters or the storyline. i was casually intrigued, and that was a constant feeling throughout the book. i am glad it was kept short and sweet, as i think it was the perfect length for the story that needed to be told. i found the short, snappy chapters good for keeping the pace going, especially as much of the story is captured in memory/flashbacks. i also don’t necessarily think that a lengthier book would’ve made me feel a deeper connection to the characters. it honestly just feels like a case of slightly mismatched tastes in story/writing style.

i’d recommend hunger if it’s already something that sounds intriguing to you. if it’s grabbed your interest, you may well like it more than i did. and at the very least, it is not long enough to feel like a waste of time if you read it but don’t love it. massive thanks to Octopus Publishing, Brazen and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Net Galley and Octopus Publishing for a free e-ARC of 'Hunger' by Choi Jin-young.

'My heart was on permanent standby, no matter where I was or what I was doing. I waited all day long, knowing perfectly well when we'd agreed to meet. Even when we were together, I was waiting for him. And even when he was the one waiting for me, I was still waiting for him. Does loving someone mean waiting forever? Even now, with Gu dead, I find myself waiting for him. Is he waiting for me?'

I really wanted to love this book - the premise sounded super interesting and going off of the multiple 5 star reviews, I was in for a treat. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Perhaps this type of book is just not my cup of tea - however some other lower reviews share the same thoughts that I had while reading Hunger.

Hunger follows the main character Dam and her boyfriend Gu - as stated in the blurb, Dam finds Gu about to die and decides to carry him home and eat him rather than let him go.

'If those loan sharks find out, they'll try to sell him for parts, no doubt. They'll claim his corpse and sell it off like a slab of meat'

The book swaps the perspective often and it's very confusing as to who is speaking when. (There were also no chapters/sections to speak of - I am unsure if this is because the book is in ARC stage or if it is the general format). However, it follows the narrator's thoughts and memories, presenting them as a stream of consciousness.

I enjoyed seeing Dam and Gu's relationship build throughout the book, and there was some really lovely prose, especially around their feelings for one another.

However I found it hard to connect to a lot of the themes that were brought up throughout Hunger. It felt like some really interesting topics were trying to be explored, but there was so little exploration into them at times that it felt a bit surface-level.

Hunger is a tragic love story about that deep, aching desire to be close to your lover no matter what. It carries a haunting undertone, exploring themes of existential sadness and the relentless toll of life under capitalism. The characters, Gu and Dam, aren't just a portrayal of two people in love; they're people who are already worn down by life, trying to stay afloat. With spare and lyrical prose, this story ached in all the right places.

Fans of Hunchback will really enjoy this. It is about two people in a really strange messed up relationship and it opens with one of them declaring they will be eating the dead body of the other. I loved it at first but the narrative jumps around so much between characters it got a little confusing. But I am enjoying the slew of experimental Japanese novellas that seem to be popular at the moment and I think if this was longer and a bit slower I’d have really gotten into it a lot more.

Hunger is a novella exploring the lifelong love of two people. Two people who cannot live without each other. It explores the need for the other person - the need to consume.

It is soft, heart wrenching, thoughtful and thoroughly well executed. I whizzed through it in a day.

i swept my way through this novel. it was so original to me and when i read the blurb i couldnt have not read it if id tried. so when i got it and started reading i was a little nervy because of just how far away this is from my usual. this was no bad thing, because it was a intention of mine to see blurbs and go for it surrounding different books to my norm. i really wanted to keep trying new books to myself.
and books like this teach me that this can only be a good thing. because it pulled me in and took me on board.
i loved how the story kept me gripped. it head themes woven all the way through that you wouldnt expect. i mean cannibalism and love? really? well yes. and thankfully those parts didnt make me queezy which was my main concern. it was all handled really well. and instead i wanted to read this pairs story. i wanted to know more. i wanted to then read how grief was written in such a superb way. because love is love and it doesnt just go away and definitely doesnt stop once someone isnt alive anymore.
i felt so much for the character left behind here. that love, gosh it was raw and depicted so well. because as i reader i too thought "whats can she possibly do now without her love?"
now, im not saying i will be wanting to read more about eating the one you love, haha. but more from this author yes. and more books that i dont usually go for is still thanks to this book a mission and little joy when a good book gets picked.

2.5 rounded up for goodreads and netgalley.
Unfortunately, it didn’t end being what I thought it would be. I thought it would be more focused on the horror aspect of the synopsis, but it wasn’t. It actually was more centered around the two characters and their lives and relationships and feelings. It was not a bad story, not badly translated, so I would still recommend it. I just had different expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Hunger by Choi Jin Young is a beautifully written and emotional story that explores hardship, resilience, and survival. The writing is spare but impactful, and the characters feel raw and real. It’s a short read, but it leaves a lasting impression. Some parts felt a bit distant, but overall, it’s a moving and thought-provoking book.

Part brutal criticism of Korean societal standards and part doomed love story, Hunger is unflinching in its realism and will haunt you long after you’ve turned the final page. It is the story of Dam and Gu, two childhood friends and lovers who don’t fit in with anyone other than each other. Gu’s parents are in debt, Dam’s Auntie is struggling, and after growing up experiencing firsthand the damage that money (and lack thereof) can cause, all they want is to reject the societal script. But in a world where wealth and status are all that matters, can two misfits ever truly be free?

As adults, Dam finds Gu’s body on the street, murdered by the loan sharks they’ve been trying to outrun. She carries his body inside and meticulously cleans him before starting her feast, a ritual borne out of love and desperation. As she eats, the two characters recount their relationship, from bullied children to adults living on the fringes of society, including the years they spent apart waiting and yearning for each other. After reconciling once Dam’s aunt has died and Gu’s parents have disappeared, they spend a few blissful, nomadic years together, taking menial jobs and travelling the country. The loan sharks are closing in fast; they want Gu’s organs in lieu of payment. To me, this begged the question: is Dam eating Gu’s flesh in order to consume him wholly, out of love, or because she doesn’t want the loan sharks to return to claim their prize?

Hunger’s prose is almost clinical in its simplicity. It doesn’t need to sensationalise - the raw, emotional portrayal of poverty and alienation is powerful enough. Yes, Gu and Dam are hungry in the traditional sense, but they are also hungry for love, for meaning, for a sense of belonging in a society that seemingly has no place for them.

I read this in one sitting, and I was left wanting more. Choi Jin-young’s masterpiece got under my skin, and it will stay with me for a long time.

Hunger is a haunting and deeply poetic story that lingers long after reading. The narrative opens with a devastating moment — a woman discovering her partner murdered on the street — and from there, it moves into an intimate exploration of grief, love and survival.

The imagery is stark yet tender, as the woman carries her lover’s body home and performs rituals that blur the line between life and death. The story shifts between realms, capturing both the physical and spiritual worlds in a way that feels both fragile and fierce.

I found the brevity of this book enhances its emotional impact, weaving a delicate but powerful tapestry of loss and resilience. The author’s language is careful and precise, making every moment resonate.

Hunger is a beautiful and moving read, one that I will keep close for its quiet strength and raw honesty.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A woman finds her boyfriend dead on the street and takes him home, She washes and holds him but then begins to eat him; ensuring that he will live within her forever. Reflecting on their past full of tragedy we see their relationship in reverse and learn of the hard lives with no reward and their tragic but loving relationship.

This was a strange and horror based novel which I felt like I couldn't look away from. It was gripping and thrilling and unlike anything I had read before.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Hunger is a raw, unflinching, and deeply resonant novella that lingers long after the final page. Choi Jin-young’s spare yet evocative prose, beautifully translated by Soje, offers a piercing look into the emotional and physical toll of poverty, grief, and generational silence. This is not a book that asks for your attention; it demands it.

Told from the perspective of a young woman struggling to survive in the wake of her parents' deaths, the narrative unfolds with a quiet intensity. Every page pulses with a deep ache, not just for food, but for stability, dignity, and the simple assurance that life won’t always feel like a battle. The storytelling is economical and unsentimental, but still heartbreakingly intimate. Choi captures how hunger manifests not only in the stomach, but in the psyche, in relationships, and in memory.

What struck me most was how Hunger resists sensationalism. There's no melodrama here, just brutal honesty and a haunting portrayal of a life on the margins. It’s a powerful meditation on class, invisibility, and resilience, told with the kind of quiet force that leaves you breathless. This is a necessary read, especially for those interested in contemporary Korean literature that centers the lives and voices so often overlooked.

This was an intensely dark story about all-consuming love, devotion, and human suffering. It was an intensely melancholic exploration of life on the fringes of society, as two people are drawn to each other like soulmates but encounter bullying and family problems in their youth, then flee from modern slavery and human trafficking at the hands of violent loan sharks as adults. And that's not even mentioning the cannibalism. It was only bearable to read by virtue of being short and not too focussed on the characters' reactions to their suffering - the book is emotional, but the focus of these emotions is more on their romantic obsession with each other but always with a degree of underlying sadness. I would call this novel a romantic horror read, a little reminiscent of the Swedish novel Let the right one in but without the paranormal aspect.

Hunger is a novel about a woman who eats her dead lover after he is murdered, and we hear their tragic story. Dam sees Gu murdered and takes his corpse home, where she realises she has to eat him to keep him with her. Then, the pair recount their love story, filled with tragedy and a desperate run from the debts of Gu's parents.

The cannibalism is a surprisingly small amount of the story, which is more of a sad love story about two people who couldn't always be together. The narrative moves between Gu and Dam's perspectives, which works well as a way of telling this love story, and it is a short, lyrical novel that focuses on these characters rather than the things happening to them. I was expecting something weirder, but Hunger is quiet and tragic.

Hmm not for me. Bizarre and disjointed recollection of a love story turned weird. Romantic cannibalism.

I was intrigued by the premise of “Hunger”—a woman eats her boyfriend after finding him killed by loan sharks. I was expecting a horror novel, not the moving love story that this fast-paced novel contains.

Dam and Gu are childhood sweethearts who have found their relationship torn apart over and over again during the course of their young lives—and yet, I didn’t feel frustration with the plot, only sadness for the two star-crossed lovers. Their story is developed very well.

I don’t typically enjoy books where romantic relationships drive the main plot, but I couldn’t put this story down. There was something really tragic about how the characters deprived themselves of love because they were waiting for “the right time” — when life gives no guarantees. This novel also touches on the theme of poverty and the struggle to live a fulfilling life when you are trying to survive in a system that fails to recognize your worth and leaves you “living to work”.

Ultimately, this was a sad story but I enjoyed it immensely. The premise is bizarre, but the desperation of the two lovers as their situation becomes more and more dire makes it clear that they have decided they will hold on to each other in any way they can.

From the blurb, I expected this to be weirder, darker and for the cannibalism to be more central but it’s actually a rather quiet and contemplative coming-of-age novel about love and grief.

It’s an incredibly quick read, but engaging nonetheless. I wasn’t blown away but will definitely keep an eye out for more from Choi Jin-young.

Seeing as half the NetGalley reviewers failed to grasp this: the POV is denoted at the start of each chapter with a white circle for Dam and a black circle for Gu.

“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.

you ever read a book and feel like you’re stuck in a fever dream where nothing makes sense but everything is vaguely poetic so you keep going?? yeah. that was me with “hunger”.

i picked this up ‘cause the premise was wild—woman finds her dead man, carries his corpse home, and proceeds to… eat him??? romantic cannibalism but make it metaphorical?? sounded like my kind of weird. but then i actually read it and. yeah. confusion ate ME up instead.

⸻

the good (aka the only reason it’s not a 0 star):
• the prose lowkey slapped. some lines were stunning.
• short read. that’s it. that’s the compliment.

⸻

the bad (deep breath):
• whose pov was it??? like genuinely. gu? dam? the aunt? a ghost? i had NO CLUE. the shifts were random and messy. one second we’re in one head, the next i’m like “wait, didn’t he die???”
• the formatting??? atrocious. might’ve been an arc issue but it made my head hurt. full-on chaos.
• plot? character arcs? a timeline??? couldn’t find ‘em. the book just flits through random moments and expects you to stitch them together like a patchwork quilt in the dark.
• the cannibalism moment that should’ve been the mic drop? weirdly boring. like girl if you’re gonna eat your lover, make it iconic, not confusing.

⸻

final thoughts:
the concept had potential. but the execution? confusing, disjointed, and not deep enough to justify how lost i felt. it’s giving ✨literary confusion for confusion’s sake✨.

would i recommend it? only if you enjoy staring at pretty sentences while having no idea what’s going on.
otherwise? save yourself. read the summary and move on.

1.5 stars. for the aesthetic and audacity.

This book was like one long stream of consciousness flowing from the past to the present. I didn’t always know who I was or when it was, but that’s probably what I liked most.

I expected the cannibalism to be more prominent, for me this was more of a tragic love story than horror. I still enjoyed this dark and unique tale for what it was.

Thank you NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.