I've been reading my way through various Korean writers this past year, so I was enthusiastic to obtain an ARC for Hunger.
Unfortunately, however, I found this a difficult book to enjoy. The main issue for me was that I somehow got totally confused as to who was narrating. Up until the end, I was convinced I was reading from the viewpoints of three main characters rather than two. In one instant, the character seemed to be male; then, in a flash, the character was presented as "she". My brain didn't register who was narrating, and sometimes I wondered if it was down to translation errors with pronouns.
The other main issue was a lack of a satisfactorily cohesive plot. The book jumped across fragments of events through the lives of the main characters, from childhood to death, and I didn't feel I understood much about the characters or what really happened to them by the end. The fact that one character sets about eating another strangely was the most underwhelming element of the book, perhaps precisely because the characters and plot weren't developed deeply enough for me to truly care about their fate.
I probably would have abandoned this book if it wasn't so short. As it was, I perservered until the end. This may have been a big-seller in Korea, but I just can't see it being a big hit in the UK market.
As an extra note, the book also doesn't feel distinctly Korean in its identity. The author could just have easily been Korean, Japanese, or Western. The book doesn't do anything to help you gain a deeper appreciation for specifically Korean culture, if that is what you are after.

An amazing novella that explores the idea of death and how hard it can be to let go. Really unique premise that balance horror and emotion well.

This is a haunting book that explores the darker side of love, devotion and grief . The story follows Dam as she grapples with the violent death of her lover Gu. Disturbing yet deeply human, Hunger is a powerful meditation on the limits of love and the hunger it leaves behind.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

*thanks to netgalley, the publishers and author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

i absolutely loved this book and consumed it in one sitting.

themes include obsessive love, oppressive debts, and grief/loss.

the romance aspect actually kept reminding me of a modern korean wuthering heights (in a very good way).

the cannibalism aspect is actually not as central as i expected, which i actually enjoyed. i imagined there would be more horror-like scenes of dam eating gu, but apart from the early chapters (my stomach turned at eating hair and nails) this wasn't the case, and much more space was dedicated to exploring the interesting ideas that dam and gu have about life. a good balance.

overall this novella was dark but poignant and certainly gripping, the writing is excellent and the pacing/unfolding of the plot is great. dam and gu are fascinating characters and i enjoyed being in their heads.

due to the non-linear chronology, there aren't really any "twists" or things that you don't see coming, but this worked well for a short book.

i can easily see why this was so popular in korea and i'm looking forward to its release in the UK so that i can recommend it!!

5 stars

Hunger by Choi Jin-Young

Hunger reads as though you’re caught in a fever dream of grief. The memories and the love shared between Gu and Dam are intertwined with loss. We flip between the narratives of two equally besotted / obsessed people. Though their lives sometimes took different paths, their souls belonged to one another, and their time apart manifested in mental and physical pain to the point where they declared that if the other were to die, they would eat the others body. We meet Dam as she cradles her soulmates body in her arms, slowly and lovingly devouring him in order to preserve his body forever inside her own. Horrifying, yet heartbreaking, the love story between Dam and Gu had me hooked. So so wonderfully weird.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Octopus Books AND NetGalley for the ARC, I loved it.
Due to be published 26th June 2025.

Thank you to Choi-Jin Young, Octopus Publishing | Brazen, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hunger is a work of speculative literary fiction focusing on love, grief, and a sliver of cannibalism (as a treat). It is strongly character driven and is in first-person narrative with dual POV (this wasn’t clear for the first 15%). I can see some people loving this, but it didn’t work for me. Disappointing as I love cannibalism as a literary device.

A twisted look into love and obsession.

Unfortunately this book feels like a Sayaka Murata knockoff and just didn't hit me as hard as it could have done.

I've been sat staring at the blank space to write a review for a while and watching the cursor space appear and disappear and I'm thinking how on earth am I supposed to review and rate this book...

Although a short read, my brain feels like it's been blended.

This book belongs with other books that have messed me up: The Vegetarian, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and Story of the Eye.. Books which although short make you question everything and make you feel frankly disturbed.

This book primarily focuses on grief and obsession and what it truly means to love someone. Some of the description is definitely goosebump inducing but it helps you really understand the psyche of Dam and Gu.

I'm never going to forget about this book, that's for sure.

Thank you so much for Octopus Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

3.75 - 4 stars (had to think about my rating again and up it tbh)

I loved the way grief was written!!

The love or obsession in this was all consuming in both life and death.

As well as the emotions are deep and raw. The writing is fantastic. you get pulled into Gu and Dam's story and witness them be pulled together from being kids to the present. The way Dam speaks about Gu is heartbreaking and just shows how much she felt for him.

But for me, I wanted the weirdness to go to another level. From the premise I was expecting more of it and got my expectations for a really weird, "consume the one you love" type of story with the brutal truth of love and obsession going to a level that is disturbing, which it does, but I was hoping that the whole story was going to be like that.

Nevertheless, the writing I loved and I'm happy to find another author to keep my out for in the future!

This book was so dark but such an interesting look into obsession, grief, death. I loved the flashbacks to show the couple’s relationship from childhood to present day. The central concept made me squirm, it’s gruesome and gross but I really enjoyed it.

This is a strange, dark, and unsettling book. From sharing a life together to death of the loved one. A woman fills herself with grief and loss. I am sure you have heard that people in love can kill themselves or kill someone for the one they love. But have you seen people eating their loved one to keep them alive? This is a Korean cult classic book.

Thanks to the Publisher, and Author