A review by breeburkitt
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"And all I am left with is my raw, untrammeled hunger. I am a woman woken from thirty years slumber, and I would eat the world should it satisfy this empty, keening void where my heart should be. I would cry with grief over my life so unfulfilled and drink down the salty tears, eat my worthless tongue and important fingers, skin this carcass and pick the bones clean."

"Hungerstone" is a retelling of one of the earliest works of vampire fiction, "Carmilla." The Gothic novella is female-centric, sapphic and the original prototype for so many female and lesbian vampire characters to come. 

Author Kat Dunn's version takes that to a whole other level. Set in Yorkshire in the 1800s, the atmosphere is its own character here. It's dark, gloomy and isolated, creating an ever-present sense of tension. 

Like so many recent female-led historical retellings (and lots of my faves), "Hungerstone" is a book of rage. It's not only the rage over how our main character, Lenore, is treated by those around her but also her own.  

From the author, Kat Dunn, herself: "This one is for the feral girlies, for everyone who has ever wanted to take the world in their mouth and bite."

Hungerstone was, BY FAR, my most highlighted book of the year. The use of hunger as a metaphor and the visceral nature of the horrific elements, especially blood. I have MANY feelings and thoughts about the characters and their specific plotlines (i.e., Cora, the scenes Lenore stumbles upon, etc.). However, I hesitate to say anything more.

Plus, anything with the words “sapphic” and “vampires” in the description is an auto-buy for me.

5 ✨

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Zando for the advance copy in exchange for my review.