Dear Author,

I had not read Carmilla, but after reading this horrifically lovely tale I am about to take a bite out of it. Well done, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book!

Sincerely,

J.D. McCoughtry

Thank you, NetGalley and Zando for this e-ARC.

DNF at page 245: I just couldn't take the whinging anymore. The prose was too purple. I was really looking forward to this one and am very disappointed.

My immediate thoughts after finishing Hungerstone were that it's a perfectly strange mix of Carmilla (its predecessor), Promising Young Woman, and a touch of Gone Girl. Essentially, it's a focus on a woman going a little insane, but one with every right to do so.

I read Carmilla last fall and was enraptured by the story and the characters even with minimal development. Attempting a retelling on a story that has been so influential on literature must have been daunting and is always risky, even just from my point of view as the reader. Kat Dunn blew my expectations out of the water by taking Carmilla and adding layers upon layers of plot and character development.

Expect Hungerstone to sick its teeth into you within the first few lines and not let go. You will be starved for more of Kat Dunn's prose and the addictive nature of watching a woman slowly gain control over her life when everyone around her is holding her back.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several of Kat Dunn's books before and I love how she blends whimsy and romance, and this book is no exception. Hungerstone is a beautifully written story.

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn is a dark and atmospheric tale that masterfully reimagines the classic lesbian vampire trope while exploring themes of desire, secrecy, and the sinister forces lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect marriage. Set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, this gothic novel combines haunting romance with biting social commentary, creating a story that is as alluring as it is unsettling.

The story follows Lenore, a woman trapped in a stagnant marriage with her ambitious husband, Henry. Ten years into their union, they have failed to conceive a child, and the emotional distance between them grows with each passing day. When Henry takes them out of London to the imposing Nethershaw manor in the countryside, his intentions to host a hunt add to Lenore’s frustrations. But there’s more at stake than just a hunting trip—Lenore is haunted by a terrible secret tied to her husband's last hunting expedition, a dark event that continues to cast a shadow over their marriage.

The arrival of Carmilla, a mysterious and pale woman who survives a carriage accident near their home, becomes the catalyst for Lenore’s unraveling. Carmilla’s strange behaviors—her aversion to daylight, her reluctance to eat with the family, and an undeniable magnetic presence—stir a deep, unfamiliar hunger in Lenore, one that threatens to consume her. The forbidden attraction between the two women intensifies as Lenore grapples with her emotions and desires, torn between rekindling her marriage with Henry and succumbing to the pull of Carmilla’s allure.

Dunn’s writing excels in its ability to weave gothic atmosphere with psychological depth. The manor itself feels like a character, its imposing presence mirroring the emotional walls between Lenore and Henry, while also serving as the perfect setting for the mysterious and seductive elements that unravel in the story. The author’s exploration of desire—both the kind that is suppressed and the kind that is awakened—is handled with nuance, making Lenore’s inner conflict palpable and compelling.

At its heart, Hungerstone is about more than just vampirism or forbidden love; it’s about power dynamics, repressed desires, and the consequences of a life led by societal expectations. The tension between Lenore's personal longing and her role as a wife in a patriarchal society adds layers to the narrative, making it not just a tale of supernatural hunger but also of emotional and psychological need.

Carmilla, the enigmatic figure at the center of Lenore's awakening, is both a symbol of liberation and destruction. Her presence forces Lenore to confront not only her hidden desires but also the darkness in her own life, one that is tied to family secrets and the oppressive weight of her past.

Hungerstone is a mesmerizing reclamation of a well-worn trope, bringing fresh complexity to the vampire genre while delving into themes of forbidden love, societal constraints, and personal redemption. Dunn’s writing is elegant and haunting, offering readers a gothic tale that lingers long after the final page. For fans of dark romance and atmospheric gothic fiction, Hungerstone is a must-read, offering both an emotional journey and an unsettling exploration of hunger, both literal and metaphorical.

An underestimated overlooked woman is a dangerous woman. Though it was a bit tricky to get a read on the time period, this story was hauntingly familiar yet new. I enjoyed the read.

I'm conflicted!

I love 19th century gothic novels, and I really enjoyed Carmilla, so I thought a retelling of Carmilla in a gothic style would be perfect for me! It wasn't, sadly, but I'm glad I read Hungerstone nevertheless. I assume Kat Dunn chose to write in a more modern style to be more accessible for a wider range of readers, but it fell a little flat (for me, at least). A more traditional style could have helped the gothic atmosphere and really ramp up the vibes of it all.

At the same time, I appreciated the representation of sapphic desires in a traditional button-upped society, and felt the pace improved by the end.

"Hungerstone" is "Nosferatu" but make it gay. I think this book could become a gothic classic with its illustration of a crumbling estate, mysterious strangers, strange happenings, death, and the expectations of women. It has all the elements to make a great story. Would recommend reading this around the fall.

If you’re familiar with the plot of Carmilla, you have a good idea of what’s going to happen in this book. Except there are A LOT of major differences, which leads me to wonder why this needs to be a Carmilla retelling.

I know this book is not supposed to be plot-driven, but it’s also not character-driven, and the atmosphere is severely lacking. You can’t tell me there’s rot, mould, and decay without describing them to me. I want to feel the texture and smell the scent of that house. I want to feel the cold air and the humidity in that old, dark place. I want to feel suffocated by all of it.

What’s more, the writing style doesn’t match the time period the book takes place in… It aims for a gothic style, but most of the time it reads very modern.

All of the characters are one-dimensional, walking and talking stereotypes. The main character is slightly better, but she still doesn’t read like a real person. Her growth throughout the book is very predictable, and sometimes her internal monologue feels like an empowering post you would see on social media…

All in all, this was a very underwhelming experience.

This was a delicious and modern take on the Gothic classic Carmilla, a queer novella inspired by Dracula .

Having not read Carmilla previously I was definitely intrigued and in for a wild ride!

Hungerstone starts out with your typical unappreciated upper class wife trying to make her husband of 10 years still happy while he fights against his working class origins and ambitions- all while blaming his bourgeoisie wife for his troubles.

Camilla is restless in fighting her own hunger as she and her husband escape the city to their countryside retreat in order to host another class hunting party. The house is a wreck and she needs to do everything…. All the while her husband is gaslighting her.

When a strange woman is found in a carriage wreck near their property, Camilla takes affinity to her and feels a kinship with her. Making her stand up to her husband, and keep the injured woman while she recoups.

… just in time for strange occurrences to begin!

This book was absolutely un-putdownable! I loved seeing Carmilla satisfy her hunger, find her in her strength and rise above her husband’s aggression that had kept her small and insignificant for so long! A strong sense of feminism and women’s rules place throughout this whole book and makes it exceptionally powerful. I also really appreciate it the economy of female friendships and relationships expressed throughout.

Hungerstone my first Kat Dunn book.

the story was too long for me personally, but I’d rather enjoy the ending and bump it up to a three star rating.

This story was very melancholy and all vibes. Carmilla retelling to the desire, lust, appetite of hunger.

We follow the Lenore as she and her husband move from London to Nethershaw manor in countryside.

She spends her days restoring and preparing this home for her husband’s big shooting event. We very much feel Lenore’s isolation in the manor as a darkened settles over the land.

I appreciated Lenore’s perspective and thoughts. We see her question her position and life state. so much of what was experienced felt told instead of experienced throughout this story.

The story started off very slice of life, hum drum and slow. I don’t feel it truly picked up until the 61% mark from there I ate it up so many undertones in the story as well.

This Book was very hard to rate. I’ve had mixed feelings as to how I was feeling about it. This story was great, and I loved all the components of it and the beautiful writing. I just felt it was repetitive at times.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando for this ARC review in exchange for my honest review.

Hungerstone is dark and perfectly sapphic. If you grew up watching Carmilla, you will eat this book up. Lenore perfectly encapsulates the longing from a queer woman stuck in a mundane and unfulfilling relationship.

I will say that the first time I tried reading the book, I wasn't into it. The second time, however, I could not stop! I highly recommend that you either come back to the book and push through because it is so worth it! It was everything I wished Nosferatu was. The gothic vibes are immaculate and I will eat up any sapphic horror novel. I was left hungry for more and am excited to read more of Kat Dunn. Just placed an order for my library!

For women who always wanted to eat Claudio's heart out in the marketplace.

Powerful and heart pounding, Carmilla is remade in this Victorian gothic thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Full of female rage, desire and pain this book will have you running to the next page to find out what Lenore hungers for!

This sapphic vampire novel is a great insight into how often women are trapped by society and how hard we have to work to push down all our pain, desires, discomfort and feeling in favour of being socially acceptable. And I love the references to the original Carmilla but the additional plot lines are excellently done and really build your anger and worry for Lenore.

Hungerstone was heavily inspired by Carmilla and it shows, however, I do think the pacing of this book kept me from fully devouring this book. I loved the vibes I just wish there were a little more going on at any given time.

Yes! Right setting, right tone, right ending. For me, a fun, inspirational gothic trip. Less you know about the plot while going in, more interesting it will be.

I would not want to be in a marriage like that of Lenore and Henry - full of silence, betrayal and what appears to be infidelity. When they leave London for Nethershaw Manor for a hunting party, they come across the mysterious Carmilla and bring her with them to the estate. But all is not as it seems with anyone involved in this novel. Lots of twists throughout - I think my favorite part of the book is the growth of Lenore. A quick, dark and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing a digital ARC of this title!

Thank you NetGalley and Zando for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love a gothic horror novel and I love vampires, and I’m very pleased that Hungerstone worked well for me. I enjoyed the build up in the story and thought the atmosphere was excellent—it felt damp and ominous, and I think Dunn did a good job at portraying Lenore’s headspace. The tension was solid and it was difficult for me to put this book down, and while I think maybe there were times it was a touch heavy handed, it remained engaging and enraging (Henry I will fight you).

For what do you hunger, Lenore?

Kat Dunn's Hungerstone is EXACTLY the kind of book I was hungry for. It's a masterful reimagining of the vampire classic Carmilla, blending Victorian repression, desire, and the supernatural into a hauntingly beautiful tale. Lenore's transformation from dutiful wife to self-possessed woman is so gripping and much fun to read, and her intoxicating relationship with the enigmatic Carmilla equally charming.
Dunn’s lush prose and meticulous historical detail create an atmosphere both eerie and enthralling. In short, Hungerstone is nothing less than a triumph of feminist horror (my favorite kind) and for sure a must-read for lovers of gothic fiction.

* I'd like to thank Kat Dunn, Zando and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.