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This book gets kicked around lists for horror and feminine rage on my socials, and it didn't disappoint. Hungerstone by Kat Dunn is a sapphic retelling of Carmilla, a gothic novella from 1872 by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu that predates Dracula. I haven't read the original, but I did wikipedia the synopsis (go me). And yes, this is exactly what it says on the tin.
We follow Lenore, a woman in her early 30's married to a businessman who's a piece of shit. She's helped him elevate his social standing in a world where aristocrats are born to wealth and snub extra money. She grew up in her aunt's harsh household after her parents died in a carriage crash she survived. Lenore is content with her lot, appeasing her shitty husband and telling herself that her social climbing is a mark of her success. Until another carriage crash brings Carmilla into her life, perpetuating the fastest version of Uhauling.
Lenore cares for Carmilla as she recovers, and Lenore's careful world unravels. Carmilla is enigmatic and pushes Lenore to question her own desires, persistently asking about her true hunger. Lenore bucks against Carmilla's unwavering critiques of her life, wanting to hold on to the illusions she's carefully crafted. Being in Lenore's head was a rollercoaster through the psyche of a flawed, often cruel narrator whose intrusive thoughts mirror my own.
Hungerstone is breathtakingly relatable. As Lenore questions why she's twisted and broken herself to fit within the expectations of society, Dunn relentlessly scratches away at our own conformity. Lenore's desire to earn back her husband's love and appreciation by fitting herself into the mould of a woman he wants gnawed at the same feelings that live in me. The echo of society telling us we have to coddle and protect men from the realities we bear on our backs every day cuts through time and station. Carmilla is the voice telling us to tear it apart, burn it to the ground, salvage nothing but our own truth from the skeleton of our former lives and the strictures we embody. By the end of the book, we're all baying for blood, just like Lenore.
As a horror novel, it delivers blood, morally grey characters, sapphic longing, and a gothic mood high-strung with tension. The setting is its own character out on the moors. The English highlands with low-growth vegetation creates a stark atmosphere with low-hanging fog and precipitous drops.
This book is for anyone who needs more feminine rage in their life. Like most period novels, there's a large element of internal struggle and monologue. Lenore is in a battle with herself, creating a story of inner struggle as opposed to external action. But don't worry, we get to the action. If you need more physical action in your books, then this isn't the one for you.
The audiobook was great. The narrator had the best voice to ramp up tension infused with sensuality and longing, adding to the gothic mood. There's gore and blood and viciousness in the book that I ate up. It has the vibes and stress that come with wondering if you're reading a tragedy or a triumph.
I love when an author talks about their process and inspiration. Dunn includes an author's note explaining her inspiration for the novel, its setting, and a short bibliography. If you skip the author's acknowledgements, you're missing out.
The cover is also amazing. I told my friend the cover depicted him as a white lady: all the drama! He did not disagree. Hungerstone by Kat Dunn is a top read of 2025 for me.
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