Hungry Woman

A lot of horror novels I read have issues with the development of characters and I have a hard time caring about any of them. Not true here. The people in this book feel like actual human beings that I have gotten to know which makes the sense of dread and doom all the more potent. The best horror books and films make you care about what happens to their characters and Hungry Woman does just that. The narrative is sweeping without being at all confusing and any backstory time jumps are well placed and effective. They work to make you feel something for characters who may seem loathsome on the surface. The couple at the center of the creepiness, Gregor and Magda, have an unusual relationship and a fiendish lifestyle and they live in a large beautiful house. While that and the title may suggest notes of The Hunger, the similarity pretty much ends there. Their lives go in a new direction when they encounter a boy named Earnie. The book encompasses Earnie's childhood as the horror of Magda and Gregor's existence oozes into Earnie's life and consciousness through a series of horrific events (isn't that the way all adult-child relationships go?) that are told with thoughtful skill and originality. Having read Madrigal's memoirs I can't help but imagine that there is something of his relationship with his mother here. While there is some sadness and some cuteness and some true levity (even hilarity) which all mostly come from the personalities of the characters (including the cameo made by the author himself); this is a true horror novel. The horror comes in the form of total dread, some gore, and a hefty amount of surprise. If you're looking for Twilight style teen romance this isn't your book. If you want original characters and thoughtful horror then read this now. Attention Ryan Murphy, this would make a great season of American Horror Story!

I bought both of C.T. Madrigal’s horror novels, and imagined they would be similar. They’re not. Hungry Woman was a surprising mix of a favorite fantastical horror genre (I won’t tell you which), and circumstances that are unexpectedly grounded in a seemingly real world of real people with real emotions.The macabre story has a particularly varied variety of characters whose paths intertwine in unexpected ways. They’re all compelling, and at least one of them is downright mythical. By the end of the second chapter I thought I had the book figured out, but then tragedy happened and everyone’s story was thrown for a loop, and a classic monster was forcibly reinvented.Despite the book’s supernature, its chapters are full of characters whose relationships are believable, and their personalities are likable even when they’re not. Hungry Woman is a thoughtful and original and enjoyable addition to a classic genre.

Beautifully written, it summons visions of the dark elegance of the David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve characters from the cult movie "The Hunger". Keeps you guessing and I was enthralled to the end. Perfect read for the goth inclined reader that is fan of the macabre. Snuggle up and get under the sheets with "Hungry Woman".A fresh new perspective on the fairytale set in real life and a classic monster is reborn in a new way.