Disturbing and compelling and really well written, I blazed through The Hunger and couldn’t put it down.
Based on a true story (The disappearance of the Donner Party) I thought I knew what I was reading but this book, surpassed my expectations.
Constantly on edge, the plot was eerie and claustrophobic despite the telling of the open plains that the parties travelled, the characters and their descriptions were captivating and immersed me into the story that little bit more.
If you like reading about pure human endurance, obstacles and fact with a hint of something lurking, this is the book for you.

"The Hunger" By Alma Katsu was such an immersing read with such diverse interesting characters you couldn't help but become hooked and transfixed by the storyline.
With its rich tapestry of history, you actually felt transported back into another place and time.
Taking the story of the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party, one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history and putting its own horrific slant on it.
The author has managed to meld fact with fiction, giving us this portrayal of history mixed with an ominous presence of dread throughout.
The story takes various members of this party and tells its narrative from different POV giving us such a diverse understanding of the dynamics and powers that were at play.
Different members insights show the good and bad of all involved here and how easy breakdowns in communication, as well as fear mongering, can spread like a plague throughout a group.
This was truly shocking in places and I was suitably impressed with how the fiction had been interwoven into the known facts.
Being from the UK I was not aware of the Donner Party myself so this was a new story for me and got to say a very enjoyable read.
Give this a go if you like stories rich in history and character.
So I was provided with an ARC of "The Hunger" By Netgalley of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This book is partly based on a historical event and partly fiction. Not being from the USA, I didn’t know anything about the history of the Donner Party pioneering settlers on which this story was based and so this book was pure fiction for me. That being said, I loved the twist on an often told saga of pioneers heading west. and the melding of fact, fiction and supernatural. The interesting and diverse characters and historical story-line keeps you hooked until the very last page.
Thank you Netgalley

This is based on the true story of the Donner Party, a group of pioneers who travel to the promised land of California in the eighteen hundreds. I had never heard of this and found it particularly interesting which has now lead me to read other articles on the subject. The author has done a really good job of weaving the true events into a world of fiction. A difficult read at times but would recommend.

I read this book not knowing previously about the events it is based on, nor knowing much about wagon trails or this era of American history. I thought this might be a drawback, but the book's characters and situations are vibrant and the world at that time comes alive. Tension builds from the start and although you have an inkling of what lays ahead, there are frequent surprises, uncertainty and twists. Unflinchingly dark events are paired with happier scenes in a book that will stay with you.

The Hunger is based on the true event of the Donner-Reed party during 1846/7 as they travelled towards California. Character driven with a slow build towards an explosive and horrific finale. I can visualise this as a film (and I understand that that is currently being considered).

I really enjoyed this book but with so many characters, I did at times find it hard to keep track as to who everyone was. That said, the core characters stood out from the others and evoked emotions from the reader. Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of the Donner-Reed party, the event that inspired the book but this book triggered an interest in me to find out about it. Definitely not for the feint-hearted, nor a book to read just before bedtime, but overall, an excellent dark and disturbing read which skims on being a horror.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

I thought I would try this out as although far from usual choice of genre it sounded like one I could enjoy. Unfortunately I really didn’t take to it and whilst I liked the historical basis the horror spoilt it for me. The writing was clever and the premise promising so I am sure many fans of horror will enjoy it.

Difficult read at times, there were moments where I totally lost control of who was who on what is quite a large cast of characters. This is not my usual reading material and I enjoyed to shift in genre. Its a western for sure , its also a mystery even a horror story - its certainly unusual.

This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the very different lives of men and women of the time, the roles so very clearly defined are well executed and the social standing of married v single, men v women is fascinating. The claustrophobia of the wagon train is in stark difference to the openness of the country they travel through. As to the mystery of what exactly is going on I will leave for the reader as I don't want to spoil it. Suffice to say that this leaves its mark.

If you are wanting a change from the ordinary this might be worth your time. I was lucky to be asked to review this book. the views are my own.

Wow, what a book!!! I had never heard about this particular story about some of America's early pioneers so I approached this read with an open mind. I have always enjoyed books that mix fact with fiction and this was no exception :)

I can't even imagine what kind of determination would prompt people to take as many of their worldly possessions as would fit on a wagon or on a horse, and trek thousands of kilometres into the unknown and hope they would reach their destination. The author describes the various landscapes the pioneers come across very well, as well as the weather conditions which also deeply impacted on the journeys of these people. I also enjoyed reading the backstories of the pioneers. These were everyday people, with all their hopes and fears, weaknesses and strengths, being put to the test on the trail.

Of course, this being a work of fiction, there was something unknown on the trail with the pioneers, something that would whittle their numbers down, one by one, if the harshness of the conditions didn't get them first.....

I loved this book, 4.5 stars from me :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Having finished this book last month, I’ve spent several days pondering what to write in this review. I enjoyed this novel but have been struggling how to convey why. I was firstly, drawn to The Hunger due to its cover, it showcased two things I love in books – firstly, plots based on true stories, and secondly, the wintry landscape. So, let’s look at those two elements in more detail.

Based on the true story of the Donner party’s journey across America, in search of a better future, facing the harshness of the weather, but also how people can turn on each other when times get hard. I’d not heard of the Donner party’s journey before so everything in this plot was new to me, and what a journey it was! The landscape, the unforgiving winter, alongside the supernatural element, created this eerie, unsettling atmosphere that never quite goes away. When you are being hunted, isolation is never the answer, especially when you are not sure who or what is doing the hunting.

There were some great characters in this novel, some dominant personalities that really helped carry the story along. Everyone has their own reasons for joining this trek, and some characters you learn about in more detail, and this really helps strengthen their presence and influence in the plot. As supplies start running low, and people become less forgiving, the tension mounts and you begin to fear for everyone’s survival.

I loved the vivid images created in this novel, the description of the terrain, particularly the blistering cold; that’s enough to kill a man, let alone the danger of being hunted too. As the plot moves along, the conditions worsen, the cracks in the group start to form, and the hunger kicks in.

The Hunger is an intense, and well written, blend of historical fiction and horror, with a nice supernatural edge. The plot starts off slow, but the foreboding is ever present. I can’t think of any book to compare this one to, it totally stands on its own merit – the best I can do is compare it to the The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, in terms of the desperation, isolation and harsh weather. I cannot wait to watch The Hunger played out on the big screen. I absolutely recommend this novel!

This wasn't for me - I enjoyed the atmosphere and writing very much - but i couldn't get past the female characters. Tamsen seemed so one dimensional to me from the start and i couldn't keep reading. If a character annoys me i always find it difficult to keep going. I read The Taker at release and enjoyed that very much, but i think in an age of #metoo, Weinstein and Gender Pay Gap i'm finding it harder to stomach a female character being objectified, particularly by herself, in the first few chapters: "walking gave the men an opportunity to admire her figure. What was the point of looking the way she did and having it go to waste?" Nope.

Full of period detail with interesting characters the storyline is written from multiple points of view. Based on a factual event the author has turned this into a very readable story. The true tale is horrific but this book takes the horror further and slightly into the realms of the supernatural, making it a very disturbing and desolate read. My thanks to Net Galley and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing read not simply because of the historical story of the Donner party and the wagon journey from Illinois to California but the depictions of the people as well as the land they traversed. The characters are well described and the families can easily be envisaged. The mixed terrains and the trials that this group faced are so clearly detailed. What to me was the final highlight was the epilogue where the author brought a finishing finesse to the story by adding details and also going on to finish the story.
Before I read this book I had not heard of this Donner Party although when travelling in California I had seen the Donner Pass sign but it did not have any importance to me. Having read this book I have since gone on to read more about what happened and have discovered that this really is a true historical account with a small amount of possible fiction to join some of the dots. A truly majestic read Katsu has written a dark book which makes the reader wonder why some of the events did happen. Were there really diseased people eating humans and getting ill so fast? When the party ate the oxen that had been attacked and then became ill themselves I had to think of what today we call mad cows disease. At other times I tried to relate to rabies as with such a fact based story I did not want to think in terms of zombies. Whatever it was it added considerably to the depth of the story.
A story that is as relevant today of how a group of people react and join forces against what they see as differences.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

I'd never heard the story of the Donner Party, so didn't know what to expect from this book. Wow! It's intense. The writing is superb and Alma Katsu creates a real sense of threat and menace.

The story involves settlers in 1846 heading for California. The Donner group decide to leave the main trail in favour of a supposedly faster route and end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. What follows is the stuff of nightmares.

The characters are real people and their back stories are revealed through flashback. Some have good reason to leave their past behind and head for a new life. The tension builds inexorably and just when you think it can't get any worse for this disparate group, it does. People go missing, they're being followed, there are jealousies and rivalries within the group and its impossible to guess how it'll all end. There's a supernatural element added; that's not the type of story I generally enjoy, but in this case, the writing is exceptional and it all seemed plausible. Alma Katsu is a gifted storyteller and writer. This is a literally astonishing blend of fact and fiction with sufficient horror to raise the pulse. I was gripped throughout and sorry when I finished the book.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

The Hunger is a fictionalised telling of the tale of the Donner-Reed Party, a collective of pioneers who moved across America in the hopes of settling in the West in 1846. The Donner-Reed Party story is widely known in America (though perhaps less known externally), for being a huge tragedy of unfathomable proportions at the time- the pioneers followed a newly advertised path, the Hastings Cutoff, and became stranded at Truckee Lake for four months in the snow. Though the Californians, on hearing the problem, tried to reach the Party, it took four months, by which time the group had run out of food and some of the pioneers had resorted to cannibalism to survive. Katsu's tale adds a further horror and esoteric element, cultivating a frightening presence in the wood, a group of monsters which seem to prey on the groups heading west. The writing is tense and dark in some places, with elements of mystery built in from the very beginning as the group faces one tragedy after another in their effort to find a better life. Witchcraft, sexuality, breaking leadership and the horror of the predators add some fictional twists to an already incredibly interesting story. Recommended for anyone who likes historical fiction- certainly creepy!

I feel privileged to have been given a chance to read this book early. Like many others on NetGalley, it’s thanks to Stephen King’s praise that made me hunt this one down.
Alma Katsu has written a wonderful book, and although I knew nothing about the Donner Party, it completely drew me in.

Highly recommended.

This is set in 1846 and is loosely based on The Donner Party who are attempting to cross from the East Coast to California. As most settlers they travel in a convoy of wagons and lone riders and have someone who takes charge but in this case no one can decide who is the best for the job. When they realise it's taking too long they take what they believe to be a shortcut even though they have been warned that this is not the best course of action. When a boy goes missing they assume he has been killed by animals but there doesn't seem to be any animals anywhere around them, so when cattle and more people seem to disappear they don't believe Tamsen Donner when she said they are being followed by monsters they didn't believe her that is until they found the cabin and then things seemed to escalate.
This is a great book and the supernatural edge fits in very well I was a bit unsure how it would fit in to such a historic journey but Alma Katsu definitely knows how to write a story.Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the book.

As a Brit, I knew nothing of the Donner Party, nor much about people emigrating west through to California. It's a fascinating point in history, and one I intend to read more about. Such a difficult, exciting time to be alive, to be daring enough to attempt such a voyage. Incredible. But Katsu includes an interesting historical note at the end, so enough about that, and on to the story.

Since I knew nothing, all of the characters were brand new to me, and, as far as I was concerned, entirely fictional. Katsu has a tremendous way of bringing them to life, breathing into the dusty historical figures and making them real, human. Each character has incredible depth, despite the rather large cast, and all of them are relatable in their own way. Tamsen, the outcast, a strong, confident woman who is, of course, known as a witch. Reed, a closet homosexual, dealing with the close-minded prejudices of the past (which is where they should stay). Elitha, Mary, Stanton. All interesting, believable characters.

For those that don't know, the Donner Party set off for California, taking a lesser known route. They ended up stranded when the snow came, and only half of them made it out alive. But what happened to them? Did they turn to cannibalism? Or was something stalking them? Katsu brings a dark, horror element to a historical story. When I requested this book, I thought it was either going to be really rubbish, or really good. Thankfully, it was the latter. One thing is certain - Katsu is an excellent writer.

I'm not a big history fan but I liked the sound of this book so requested it from Netgalley. I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. It's based loosely on true events and shows how hard life was for people in 1800s America. I loved the eerie side to the story but some of it was hard reading, especially the children being taken.

I didn't know anything about this book until Stephen King raved about it on social media, and his recommendations aren't often wrong.

This is a fictionalised retelling of the story of the Donner Party, a group of pioneers travelling west across the USA in the 1800s, and the terrible difficulties and terrors they face on their trek.

The true tale is horrific enough but this book takes the horror a step further and slightly into the realms of the supernatural, making it a very disturbing and desolate read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book. And thanks to Stephen King for bringing it to my attention.