Wow, that was a wild ride. A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers* was definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Deliciously dark, wickedly funny and seriously salacious, this uncomfy read is one debut novel I’ll struggle to forget anytime soon.
“Dorothy Daniels has always had a voracious – and adventurous – appetite. From her idyllic farm-to-table childhood (homegrown tomatoes, thick slices of freshly baked bread) to the heights of her career as a food critic (white truffles washed down with Barolo straight from the bottle) Dorothy has never been shy about indulging her exquisite tastes – even when it led to her plunging an ice pick into her lover’s neck.
There is something inside Dorothy that makes her different from everybody else. Something she’s finally ready to confess. But beware: her story just might make you wonder how your lover would taste sautéed with shallots and mushrooms and deglazed with a little red wine.”
Dorothy Daniels is a beautiful, articulate, cut-throat food critic who is currently serving a life sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. She spends her days being interviewed by psychology and criminal justice students; reminiscing about her insatiable appetite and the events leading up to her incarnation.
This deliciously disgusting romp is not for the faint-hearted. Expect copious amounts of gore, a lot of sex, liberal use of the c-word and, as you’ve probably already guessed, cannibalism.
At times I found A Certain Hunger a tad repetitive and had to resist jumping forward to the next paragraph. Every sentence is dripping with metaphors and, although this convincingly reflects the opulence of food culture, it felt slightly long-winded at times. A Certain Hunger serves as Dorothy’s memoir. She looks back at the food that cultivated her life in meticulous detail as well as her past lovers and their grizzly demises. It’s a disturbing and unique read that I simply could not put down. I highly recommend A Certain Hunger, however, be prepared to be utterly appalled and abundantly entertained.
A Certain Hunger by Chealse G. Summers is available here. (Affiliate Link)
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