Reviews with content warning for Torture - A Certain Hunger

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

12 reviews

rumblebree's review against another edition

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dark funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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nkoss's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I’m sorry but I tried to like it but the author seemed overly concerned with using every pretentious large word in her vocabulary (like, I get it! His head was “brobdingnagian”! Did you really have to use that word more than once?) — Dorothy, I assume on purpose, was unlikeable in every aspect and I can’t help but think that the author was exorcising some of her own frustrations out h the through Dorothy’s annoyance in the evolution of the workplace and how long form content is essentially dead. Felt like everything was written for shock factor when it just became quite boring towards the end. The last few chapters felt rushed that I thought a chapter was missing. It was a quick read so I finished it, but it wasn’t a favorite. Don’t feel like I need to read it ever again.

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bitchigo's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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autumngk's review

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I honestly don’t know what I was expecting from this book-cannibalism, sure, but the nonlinear format took me by surprise. Something about it felt too reliant on shock value and grotesque tropes, but after all it is a cannibal serial killer. I don’t know if I’m just beginning to be turned off by horror novels, but this one did the trick. There were really great sections, and I mean chapters at a time where the writing was absolutely beautiful and engaging. I wish we got to know more about Dorothy’s life as the prison librarian and how that began to effect her; I can’t tell if my reservations with this book are that if felt too short and heavy/reliant on the gore to tell its story or what! We get this really nice look into her life…..

Spoiler

after she’s adjusted to prison life during their group when the arsonist is telling her story and some of the other women are talking and Dorothy reveals a possible change in her feelings about what she’s done/herself. It’s not worthy of a sequel, just a couple more chapters here and there. While what we’re left with is a complete picture, it felt like there were just some missed opportunities. So many offers were put up in the air by introducing her in the present as working in the library; especially given her relationship with Emma, it felt unfinished in a way. We know so much about her while she’s cannibalizing and murdering these men senselessly, but it feels pointless to still know her while she’s imprisoned and know so little about her in the present. She still has the same voice. She still speaks the same about humanity. What about her changed? if nothing did, why this story? Why now? Just to sell cannibal torture porn?

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