Hunger Moon

By: Alexandra Sokoloff

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Revenge has no limits.

Special Agent Matthew Roarke has abandoned his rogue search for serial killer Cara Lindstrom. He's returned to the FBI to head a task force with one mission: to rid society of its worst predators. But as the skeletal symbols of Santa Muerte, "Lady Death," mysteriously appear at universities nationwide, threatening death to rapists, Roarke's team is pressured to investigate. When a frat boy goes missing in Santa Barbara, Roarke realizes a bloodbath is coming - desperate teenagers are about to mete out personal, cold-blooded justice.

Hiding from the law, avenging angel Cara Lindstrom is on her own ruthless quest. She plans to stay as far away from Roarke as possible - until an old enemy comes after both her and the FBI, forcing her back into Roarke's orbit. This time, the huntress has become the hunted...

©2017 Alexandra Sokoloff (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Read it with an open mind

There are so many different aspects that contribute to how good this series is. The prose. The theme. The characters. The narration. Literally everything made the experience of listening to all of the books equally enjoyable. And I say enjoyable only to emphasize how much I liked all the books up to this point, because enjoyable seems far too positive a feeling for the actual events depicted throughout.

Most reviewers point out how political this last book gets. Yes, though the first four were as well, this last one goes to some extreme in pointing out the failings of the current Presidency. At the same time it is also being stated that the author’s claims are not factual, that she is over the top in her references as to how widely rape is accepted and to change her formula when writing the next novel. However, maybe in Sokoloff’s fictional world (the one in which we are reading as a work of fiction), things are just as she portrays them. The beauty in fiction is that you are able to build a world any way you see fit, whether it’s accurate or purely imagined. And I personally feel that, reading it as a solely fictional novel in a world where current events weren’t as they were at this very moment, it was done in a way which inherently expresses the actions of its characters. Read it again in 20 years and tell me everyone’s response would be the same.

I see it for what it is. An illusory way to breathe life into a silent predator that has affected far too many women in this world. It is at its core a heartbreaking journey of a child becoming a woman she almost had no choice in becoming and her choice to rid the world of what evils she can so that others don’t have to suffer the same fate.

I haven’t even touched on R.C. Bray, whose performance is nothing less than spectacular. His voice has those gritty undertones that so effortlessly fit the subject matter, while at the same time his flawless timing and inflection soothes your ears as you listen. Could not have found a better fit for the material.

The matter is dark and bleak, but the entire journey is very much worth it.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

It's too bad the author went political

It's really too bad the author brought politics into the story. It was very subtle as first but by half way through the book, that's all it was. Until now, I've really liked these books.

17 of 20 people found this review helpful

Too Political

What would have made Hunger Moon better?

I have to say when I enjoyed this series up until this book. It's unfortunate, the author had to bring politics into the story. If I wanted to read about politics, I would read a book about politics.

Would you ever listen to anything by Alexandra Sokoloff again?

Not any more

Have you listened to any of R.C. Bray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love the narrator.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

I hated leaving 3 stars...

The first 4 books were very good to excellent. I read the other reviews before I read this book as I saw the dramatic drop off. As the first 4 books were so good, I made an assumption that only a few brief mentions were made regarding the Trump administration.... I was wrong. I stopped listening after 2 hours as it permeated the book turning it from a novel to a political attack.

Yes, I considered myself a Fiscal Conservative and a Social moderate. No, I personally cannot stand the Trump Administration and I did not vote for him. I could not vote for Hillary either as she is no better (Trump is visual in his abuses and Hilary hides hers). Had the Democratic Party allowed a fair campaign instead of twisting it in every which way for Hillary, she probably would have won as Bernie's supporters would have supported her when he conceded.

When I read a fiction novel, I prefer to delve into the writer's world and be transported to the world of the novel. It does not bother me when an author puts their political beliefs into the world but it does when it becomes an angry assault which rips me out of it.

I hope that her next novel reflects her earlier writing which will instantly bring me back. She brings attention to the horrors going on in plain site. I would never have guessed that trafficking people would receive lighter sentences than drugs. Thank you for being an advocate for those who are beaten, assaulted or killed should they use their own voices.

17 of 21 people found this review helpful

I hope your liberal friends all buy your future books

Because something tells me your next book in this series will not be as popular. Too bad you didn’t take good advice when those “in the know” told you not to write about politics. Your opinions about Trump offend me, and I certainly don’t appreciate you insinuating that the culture we’ve been dealing with for hundreds, if not thousands of years is Trump’s fault. Stick with fiction - you’re better at it!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Ruined a good series

Loved this series but hunger moon took a great series a ruined it. Painfully unrealistic, extreme exaggerations, mixed with so much political commentary that it lost its mystery. I was so excited for this book and then a huge letdown. If I hadn’t been so invested in the characters from earlier books I doubt I would have finished. In reality this book was the assassination of what were well developed and unique characters. Don’t waste your money. Remember the series as it was prior to Hunger Moon. I wish I did.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

To political

I have liked all the books in this series, but this book really let me down. I don’t want to hear your political views in these stories. It is what you perceive to be true and what you think the world is like. If this is the kind of crap she wants to put in her books then I just won’t purchase anything else she writes.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

This one got political.

The author acknowledged weaving multiple political messages into this book. I read and listen to books to escape, relax and get away from the emotional turmoil of our times.
Though the story and characters are interesting, the political "lecturing" was a huge disappointment.
Please, no more of this!

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

3 stars with grave reservations

I've listened to this provocative series in order and found every book excellent with the first being rated by me as 4 stars and the next three 5 stars. Cara Lindstrom is a serial killer who targets those who commit several types of sexual crimes. She delivers justice when the criminal justice system fails as well as before the criminal justice system has an opportunity. Cara is portrayed based on what happened to her as a child and her determination to provide justice to sexual predators as an empathetic serial killer of many.

In her afterward to Hunger Moon Alexandra Sokoloff says that (1) the novel is political, (2) with a sexual predator in the US White House she felt obligated to point that out, (3) and that all books in the series are political. Indeed, if one goes over to Amazon and reads reviews of Hunger Moon one will find a personal comment to each negative review from the author explaining her intent is political especially with our current president. She also says all novels in the series are political. The difference from my perspective is that Hunger Moon is the first of the 5 novels that is strongly politically partisan.while the first four were not. Her afterward comments proactively defending the partisanship in Hunger Moon in unique to this novel.

I do listen to and write reviews of audio books that are about politics and political philosophy. I have reviewed approximately one dozen such books and have read or listened to many others. During the most recent six weeks I have reviewed What Happened by Hillary Clinton and Dangerous by Milo Yiannopoulos.

I have a wonderful wife of 48.5 years as well as two daughters and three adorable granddaughters that I adore and will do anything to protect from sexual predators. Like the author I was deeply offended by Donald Trump's comment about what a male star can get away with women ("And when you're a star, they let you do it, you can do anything... grab them by the [vulgar slang for female genitalia]"). Apparently unlike the author I am even more offended by Hillary Clinton attacking the women her husband raped or sexually abused.

The author claims that Trump stole the presidency, that rapes of young women have drastically increased as a result of his election, that his Supreme Court nominee failed as a judge to punish convicted rapists, and that his female Secretary of Education has implemented lax Title 9 rules that increase the numbers of rapes on high school and university campuses. All of those claims are counterfactual. In Hunger Moon “Grab them by the grab [vulgar slang for female genitalia]" is used repeatedly by men to justify rape. That is not true in real life.

Having read Amazon reviews and the three currently posted Audible reviews I was prepared to a partisan political slant. I did not expect it to include the number and type of fabrications that I heard in listening to the novel. I did not expect to hear the term “rape culture” which implies that rape in the US is pervasive and normalized. Nor did I expect her use of discredited statistics concerning the pervasiveness of rape on campus.

Alexandra Sokoloff is a talented author whose books I have appreciated ( I cannot say I enjoy them because they are not intended by the author to be enjoyed which is a point she specifically makes in her comments to negative Amazon customer reviews). Indeed, Hunger Moon is an outstanding if brutal and very dark story with the falsehood and exaggerations removed. Her political slanders are unnecessary and gratuitous adding nothing to the story. The selection of the superb narrator R. C. Bray only adds to the listening experience..

My 3 star rating is with grave reservations concerning Ms. Sokoloff's fabrications. When I read or listen to a novel the political belifs of the author is totally unimportant to me. They are free to accurately make negative factual claims without offending me. Printing outright fabrications about other real human beings matters a lot.

Somehow I failed to mention the other protagonist who is FBI agent Matthew Roarke.

I assume the next novel in the series will focus on male and female teachers who rape young teen and preteen students.

23 of 31 people found this review helpful

CNN

I could get this by watching CNN...sad, because the series had some interesting characters going for it...I won't read another one.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Book with an agenda

I have bought and read all four of the previous books in this series. I am male and from the UK. Why should this matter? Because this book does not come across as a natural continuation of the series - it comes across as an attack on the current US administration.

Don't get me wrong, I am not an advocate of Trump so this review is not a backlash at the authors VERY CLEAR opinion of Trump. But this book is DEFINITELY aimed at publicizing the authors views.

There is no 'reading between the lines' in this book. This book is just an excuse for the Author to continue the women's rally.

For the record. I am not a Trump supporter. I just don't buy fiction just to hear somebodies political rants.

Major letdown. The author even offers some kind of apology at the end of the audio book which really is bizarre.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent novel

Good for Alexandra Sokoloff, writing about a subject so often ignored or smoothed over and putting the blame where it truly rests. I love her characters and her writing and applaud her for attacking the rape culture and attitude of those in power who should be tackling this appalling problem. It made me again think how lucky I was to meet my exceptional husband when I was 14 and he 15 so I was always protected from the worst of male behaviour. I look forward to her next book.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful