Hungerstone

De: Kat Dunn

Narrado por: Perdita Weeks

A Rolling Stone 10 Most Anticipated Books of the Year • A Town & Country Must Read Book of the Winter • A Goodreads Readers’ Most Anticipated Horror Novel of the Year • A LitHub Most Anticipated Book of the Year • A Book Riot Most Anticipated Book of the Year • A Them 10 Most Anticipated Books of the Year • A Polygon Most Exciting Fantasy Book of the Year • A Scary Mommy 11 Most Anticipated Books of the Year

A compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.

“Hungerstone is a delicious tribute to the inherent horrors of womanhood and the desperate and exquisite vulgarity of desire. This is everything I dream of in a novel.” ―Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of  A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth

It’s the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore’s marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry’s ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger . . .

As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband’s affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk.

11/10 for both the novel itself and for the narration

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The author researched the history with precision and wrote it with aching beauty. For example the dinners she describes are from actual menu cards and cook books of the time period. She used Victorian tourist guides to describe the town as they walk through it. You feel so very immersed and learning that, I now understand why. But the women she writes in this novel…. You feel them as you read them. She writes female passion and despair with such poignant accuracy. And perdita weeks (I know I messed up the spelling I’m sorry) but this narrator is also my personal favorite of all time. Two home runs here for both the novel itself and the narration.

Well written, captivating

I chose this novel because I am a huge fan of the narrator Perdita Weeks. But I loved Lenore’s journey of self-awareness. As the story unravels it’s was hard to put the book down!

went 1-100 real quick

started out slow and boring but picked up beautifully about 2/3 through. very different from the original story but much more interesting and compelling as well

I adore feminine rage

That was suuuuuuuuuch a good take on Carmilla wowowow Basically carmilla is the og female vampire of English literature and she has a simple story of perversion (she would turn women gay and into vampires who would lure men to their deaths) (aka a feminist icon) And this story was suuuuuuuuuch a good drama filled and breathtaking rendition of that story . I adore feminine rage (- me reckoning this book to a friend)

this was the book we needed in 2025!!!

everything about this book had me thinking and wanting to come back and listen to more. I am so incredibly satisfied with the ending, and was happy to see it play out that way. no more needs to be said!