A review by owenwilsonbaby
A Certain Hunger, by Chelsea G. Summers
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"I learned that being female is as prefab, thoughtless, soulless, and abjectly capitalistic as a Big Mac. It's not important that it's real. It's only important that it's tasty."
Though I struggled with the narrative voice at times, which read a little like a hardboiled detective/pulp narrator, Summers has written something really special. A Certain Hunger is undoubtedly dark, but has a lot to say both directly and indirectly about female psychopathy, the hunger of womanhood, what cannibalism can symbolise culturally and the dangers of white girlboss feminism taken too far.
I cannot understand or justify Summers decision to use racial slurs towards one character within the narrative description; perhaps it was to illustrate the true evil of her protagonist, but it still felt clumsy and unnecessary.
Though I struggled with the narrative voice at times, which read a little like a hardboiled detective/pulp narrator, Summers has written something really special. A Certain Hunger is undoubtedly dark, but has a lot to say both directly and indirectly about female psychopathy, the hunger of womanhood, what cannibalism can symbolise culturally and the dangers of white girlboss feminism taken too far.
I cannot understand or justify Summers decision to use racial slurs towards one character within the narrative description; perhaps it was to illustrate the true evil of her protagonist, but it still felt clumsy and unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Cannibalism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia