In frog soup fashion it gradually increases and builds until you’re sat in boiling water with no idea of how you wound up there. Even in the earlier chapters the tension is palpable. On top of that there is a tension to the story. I absolutely loved reading about the life on this wagon train and in fact felt like I had a real understanding of what people were experiencing not just in terms of the day to day struggles but also with their emotions.

Katsu has a style that flows very well, her dialogue is absolutely spot on and on top of that she seems to easily recreate a sense of time and place that makes the story fascinating and evocative.

If you’re already familiar with the historic events being recreated here then you probably don’t need me to detail them and if, like me, you are unaware of this particular event then I think it’s best to approach this with no knowledge at all.įirstly, the writing, the attention to detail and the clear research that has been poured into this project is exceptional. I’m leaving any further detail about the plot out of this review. Using this real life disaster Katsu weaves together a tale of fear, superstition and the supernatural. I confess that I’d not heard of the Donner Party before and I had no knowledge that this story was based on such a terrible tragedy. I’ve read this author before and loved her style of writing and her ability to recreate something from history in such a perfect and easy to read fashion, but, this story exceeded my (already high) expectations. To be honest, I expected to like this story. Using as inspiration a true life horror story and blending it with imaginary scenarios brimming with superstition and fear, the author has created a winning tale that gradually builds into a story packed with emotion, riveting to read and scary in scope. The Hunger by Alma Katsu is a fascinating story full of darkness and despair.