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tsubibo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
It talks about very surface-level things but adorned with pretty words. I do appreciate the new words I've learned, but it is so try-hard. I found it to be very hollow and hard to believe, and I love me some ridiculous things, but this was not it (for me). Every line I read, instead of seeing the character, I saw the author and how hard she was trying to make one-liners. Now I don't mind the topics that the mc talks about, but it writes in such a way to make it seem grand when it really isn't. It felt like reading a wattpad fantasy. I had to listen to this book in text to speech while doing laundry...
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Rape
afterplague's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'll get the negative out of the way first. Quick trigger warning for sexual assault.
The writing style borders on ridiculous, and it is not going to be most people's cup of tea. I read a few passages aloud to my boyfriend, and I could see him becoming annoyed an exasperated just from that. I, however, found it just the right brand of ludicrous. I could absolutely picture this writing style coming from the hands of the narrator. She's a psychopathic, pretentious food critic! It definitely suited the character, and I think you fall into a rhythm with it.
I wouldn't say that this book is particularly atmospheric, or particularly plot driven. There is a series of events, but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a story. The novel is canonically being written by the main character, and it reads kind of like an edited journal. Even though I didn't feel like there was a good narrative flow, I was very interested to find out everything that happened over the course of the story.
There was also some interesting metaphor baked into the text (ha!). Cannibalism as a metaphor for romantic love is hardly a new concept, but I do find it interesting and engaging every time. Something that A Certain Hunger does well is make me believe that this character would engage in cannibalism. She is an extraordinarily adventurous food critic, so I find it very believable that with a lack of empathy she would see nothing wrong with killing and eating men. I also enjoyed that she made each meal as she would any other with care and service. She made excellent side dishes and wine parings, treating each cut of meat as she usually would. I truly did believe she loved these men, but not in the way that a person loves a person. I believed she loved them in a way that a person loves food. I do find it curious that she never attempted to eat her "true love." I find myself wondering what that could mean. Is it because, in a way, he had already consumed her?
I appreciated the secondary story of Dottie's relationship with Emma. There was something that rang very true about the edge that exists in many female friendships, even though there was no recognizable source of that tension. They weren't in the same career and competing with each other. They were after the same man. They just didn't like each other, but they were drawn to each other and loved each other just the same. The loyalty that exists in that friendship is fascinating and I would love to know more about them.
I liked A Certain Hunger. I read it, closed my book, and gave it 3 stars in my head. Then, over the course of the next month, I kept thinking about it. I kept making jokes about how GirlBoss it was to eat your lovers, like a praying mantic. I kept asking questions about romantic cannibalism. I kept thinking about the themes and the story. I find it difficult to categorize this book, but I can say, as long as you're not very squeamish, I would sincerely recommend.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Gore
mangonana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault
qadstephens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Cannibalism, and Murder
conspiracy's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Cannibalism, and Murder
ingridreadss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dorothy, you psycho, “maneater” is your song
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
svnn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The first 100 pages or so felt like quite a slog to get through, but I’m glad that I did as the rest of the book was pretty good. There just felt like so much filler throughout the book that really bogged it down for me and felt quite vapid, overly detailed, and ultimately unimportant to the plot.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, and Murder
mcrespo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
miaafterhours's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Sexual harassment
spbaer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder