The Hunger by Alma Katsu
The Hunger by Alma Katsu is a horror novel that digs into history but adds a dark, supernatural twist. It’s based on the infamous Donner Party, which you probably know was a group of American pioneers who got stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the 1840s, and some of them turned to cannibalism to survive. Katsu takes that story and weaves in a creepy atmosphere, throwing in elements of the unknown that makes you question what’s really going on out there. It’s part historical fiction, part horror, and it slowly ramps up the dread as you go along.
The Journey Begins
The novel follows a group of settlers traveling westward in a wagon train led by George Donner and James Reed. Right from the start, you get the sense that something is off. Katsu really plays up the isolation and tension, not just with the environment but also between the characters. The journey is grueling. People are tired, hungry, and the internal dynamics of the group start to fall apart as they travel deeper into the wilderness. The strain of being on the road so long begins to show in everyone, and it’s not just physical.
Katsu introduces a big cast of characters, which might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but she focuses on a handful that really drive the story. There’s Mary Graves, a young woman who’s practical but haunted by her past. Stanton, a bachelor who feels out of place among the families, is tasked with scouting ahead for the group. And then there’s Tamsen Donner, George’s wife, who’s a bit mysterious, with some people thinking she’s dabbling in witchcraft. The more you get to know these people, the more you realize that everyone’s carrying their own baggage, and that makes the interpersonal drama almost as interesting as the looming horror.
The Strange Happenings
As they push further into the mountains, things start to go wrong. People disappear. Some are found dead, in gruesome ways that don’t quite make sense. The settlers try to explain it away as accidents or misfortune, but the tension keeps ratcheting up because there’s a growing fear that something else is out there with them. You can feel their paranoia building, but Katsu is really good at not tipping her hand too early. Is it just the harsh environment and bad luck? Or is there something supernatural hunting them?
Katsu slowly lets slip that there’s more going on than just a bad case of survival horror. There are hints that whatever is stalking them may be linked to something ancient and malevolent, like a curse or a creature that’s been lurking in the mountains for ages. This gives the novel an eerie, almost mythic feel. It’s not a full-blown monster story, but more of a slow-burn horror where the psychological strain starts to wear everyone down, and you don’t know if the real danger is external or if it’s coming from within the group itself.
Internal Divisions
One of the strengths of The Hunger is how Katsu handles the relationships between the characters. The longer the settlers are stuck together, the more fractured they become. There’s a lot of mistrust and jealousy, and some old secrets start bubbling to the surface. The fact that they’re all in this unforgiving environment just amplifies everything. People who used to be friends or at least civil start turning on each other.
Tamsen Donner becomes a particularly interesting character as the story progresses. Some people think she’s using dark magic, and while the novel never fully leans into that, there are enough weird occurrences around her that you start to wonder if there’s some truth to the rumors. Then you have Stanton, who’s becoming more and more unhinged as he starts to believe there’s something supernatural hunting them. His desperation drives him to some extreme measures, and he ends up taking on more of a heroic, though tragic, role as the group splinters.
The further they get into the wilderness, the harder it becomes to keep track of who’s alive, who’s lost, and who’s still trustworthy. It’s not just about the physical threat of starving or freezing anymore; it’s about who’s going to snap next.
Supernatural Undercurrents
The horror in The Hunger isn’t in your face, and that’s what makes it so effective. Katsu plants the seeds of something more terrifying than just survival, and as the story moves forward, the tension builds. The idea that there’s something out there preying on them—whether it’s human or otherwise—keeps everyone on edge. It’s not clear if the settlers are imagining things, if the isolation is driving them mad, or if they’re truly being hunted by something from the mountains.
What’s interesting is that Katsu doesn’t give you all the answers. There’s an ambiguity to the horror that leaves a lot up to the reader’s imagination. You might find yourself questioning what’s real and what isn’t. Even when supernatural elements start to surface more explicitly, they never feel over the top. It all fits into the grim, unforgiving world she’s built.
Themes of Desperation and Survival
A big part of the novel’s power comes from how it explores desperation and the lengths people will go to in order to survive. As the food runs out and the situation gets more dire, the settlers are faced with impossible choices. The Donner Party’s story is notorious for how some of the group turned to cannibalism, and Katsu doesn’t shy away from that dark reality. But she adds another layer by making the reader question whether the settlers’ descent into madness and brutality is purely a result of their circumstances, or if there’s something darker pulling the strings.
The novel also delves into themes of guilt, shame, and what it means to be haunted by your past. Each character has something they’re running from, and being stuck out in the wilderness with no hope of escape forces them to confront those things. For some, it makes them stronger; for others, it’s the thing that breaks them. The horror of The Hunger is as much about the human psyche as it is about anything supernatural.
The Slow Burn to the End
Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that the last act of the book really cranks up the tension. The settlers are pushed to their limits, both mentally and physically, and the final chapters get pretty intense. But Katsu keeps you guessing right until the end about who or what is responsible for everything that’s happened. It’s not a traditional horror climax where all is revealed; instead, it leaves you with more questions than answers, which can either be really satisfying or a little frustrating, depending on how you like your horror stories to wrap up.
In the end, The Hunger is a chilling blend of history and horror, where the real fear comes from the combination of human frailty, the harshness of nature, and the possibility of something even more terrifying lurking just out of sight. It’s not a fast-paced novel, but the slow build of dread is part of its charm. If you like atmospheric, psychological horror with a historical twist, it’s definitely worth the read.