A novel about the ill-fated Donner Party with a “supernatural twist” added to it? Having read C. F. McGlashan’s History of the Donner Party, a Tragedy of the Sierra, I knew the story of what happened to the unfortunate group of travelers. I was curious to see how their story would be used in a work of fiction with supernatural elements added it, and hopeful that it would prove to be enjoyable to read, as well.

Katsu’s creative take on the Donner Party’s downfall kept me firmly engaged from start to finish. It was easy for me to get lost in this story, to ‘see’ the vast expanse of open land stretching out in every direction—empty, but for the wagon train moving slowly westward.

It’s been a long time since I last read factual accounts of the Donner Party, and I think that was a definite advantage for me in reading this book. I wasn’t mired down with comparing fact to fiction every step of the way, and that allowed the characters to be more realistic to me, without noticing when fiction replaced fact in the things they said or did.

The supernatural element of the story remained mysterious for a significant portion of the book—appropriately so, in my opinion, because an undefined, menacing presence is much creepier than a known foe could ever be. I was very happy that it took a while to find out what that ‘presence’ truly was, because I enjoyed not knowing.

I haven’t shared any specific details about anything because I don’t think it’s necessary in this case, and it would take away from someone else’s reading experience if I gave examples of things that take place in the story.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book. If you’re a reader who enjoys re-imaginings of historical events, I think you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.

(I know a lot of people have classified this as being in horror genre, but I don’t think it really fits that category, despite the supernatural element of the story. I think it best fits as a psychological thriller/historical fiction, and I’ve categorized it as such in the genre area below.)

I am really liking this horror/historical fiction trend I have seen for the last few review books. You not only learn something about history but get scared at the same time. I can't think of anything better!

This latest mashup follows the Donner Party as they cross the plains on the way to their doom. The focus in this particular Donner version is on the journey and the people, allowing us to get to know the individual families and the misfortunes that follow the entire wagon train as they head west. As we already know their fate, the tragedies and poor decision-making they experience on the trail become a poignant reminder of the power of egos and unforeseen consequences that occur when we let ego and pride run amok.

Ms. Katsu does a fantastic job building suspense and using the element of doubt to add another layer to the story. After all, this is a group of eighty-plus people performing grueling labor and exercise in relentless heat with very little food and water; the mind can do funny things when stressed. So when people start seeing shadows and hearing voices, you really have no idea whether something is out there stalking the party or not. This plays on the fears and strains under which the party is already suffering. Plus, it is in keeping with their experiences. They are in an unfamiliar land with no real knowledge of the animals or people who inhabit it. Imaginations are bound to run free at hearing strange noises or upon experiencing odd situations. Tensions are already high given the need to hurry and the accidents that keep occurring that continually delays them. It is a situation ripe with the possibility of using wild imaginations as an excuse to release tension and take out their individual anger and frustrations on each other.

The Hunger is a brilliant amalgam of fact and fiction. Ms. Katsu does not change the end result of the Donner Party journey, nor does she play with the journey itself. The Party still makes poor decisions, stopping early, starting late, wasting food, getting lost, and taking the wrong route. They are still facing starvation should they not make it to the pass before it closes for the winter. It is what happens as they make their journey where the drama happens. By allowing us the chance to walk beside them as they struggle to push forward, by inviting us into the Party, Ms. Katsu brings these lost figures to life in a way that biographies can not. They become more than characters in a macabre story in history books but flesh and blood with hopes and dreams who happen to be caught up in unfortunate circumstances, some of which are of their own making.

As for the horror element, it is sufficiently creepy to make reading at night more than a little uncomfortable. Here too Ms. Katsu plays with the genre a bit. By turning the idea of a monster on its head, she has the freedom to explore human nature as a monstrosity. There are plenty of things that go bump in the night as well, but sometimes that which is most frightening is hidden inside us - something Ms. Katsu knows and exploits to her advantage.

The Hunger is a fascinating glimpse into one of the most well-known tragedies of the pioneering days. Through Ms. Katsu's attention to detail, we experience the unforgiving lifestyle of settlers migrating west. We also gain insight into various reasons for people wanting to leave everything familiar for an unknown land. The Hunger could also double as a psychological study of human nature in a harsh environment when individual survival is at stake. Who rises to the top and who succumbs to fear in such situations is never as cut and dry as we think it will be, making what happens to the Party that much more interesting. With plenty of spooky happenings, unknown haunts, and the very real specter of becoming delusional, there is enough to make you think twice the next time you want to go tent-camping. After all, you never truly know what is out there, hiding in the shadows.

Adding a supernatural element makes for an.Interesting take on an horrific historical event.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

In April 1846, 90 settlers left Springfield, Ill headed for California. The Donner Party was led by Jacob and George Donner. At first they followed the established route -- The California Trail -- reaching Wyoming without incident. It was at that point that they took the advice of a trail guide, Langsford Hastings, who offered a quicker route. This route proved to be dangerous and nearly impossible to navigate. The Donner Party wasted precious time trying to get through, and arrived at the Sierra Nevada mountains late in the season. While attempting to pass through the mountains, the group was snowed in, running out of food and supplies. Survivors ate the bodies of those who died in order to survive. Only about half of the doomed group lived through winter and arrived in California. This is what history tells us happened to the Donner Party. Alma Katsu paints a much more horrific, terrifying picture of that fated trip. What's worse than cannibalizing dead bodies? The thing that the Indians call Na'it. The Hunger.

OMG! I loved this book! I am always in favor of creepy horror stories, but when it's a re-telling of a famous (and already creepy in itself) historical event I am even more on board for a good scare. This tale delivered creepiness, outright horror and suspense! As the story unfolds, the horror of the group's situation builds.....not only are they running out of supplies but they are being stalked. Animals disappear. People disappear. Then there's the whispers from the woods at night.....and the strange crazed men that appear, ranting about being hungry. So hungry.

Awesome storytelling! A nice mix of history with fictional horror. It definitely kept my attention from beginning to end. This is the first book by Alma Katsu that I have read. She also wrote The Taker series. I'm going to read that series because I enjoyed this book so much.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Putnam via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This is a reimagining of the true horror story of the Donner party and their horrible fate. I enjoyed reading it, I love horror stories and have always been fascinated by the tale of the Donner party and wondered what I would've done in the same situation.

Superb historical suspense/supernatural thriller! Look forward to more from this gifted writer.

This caught my interest because, well, a horror story about a historical event, especially one as intrinsically horrific as the Donner Party...how could I pass it up? The first part of the book is about the day-to-day travails of the westward migration by wagon train, the personalities and their interplay. Good character development, and a very interesting spin on Tamsen Donner. The horror aspect is very slowly revealed, and could initially be explained away by both the characters and the reader. As the book continues and the party find themselves stranded and starving, the supernatural/horror aspects of the novel manifest in earnest as the Donner Party calamity unfolds. A unique view of an American tragedy.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Hunger by Alma Katsu.
This is a fictional recreation of the fated Donner Party. A sad story of settlers making their way across the Frontier. They start out with hope and end in dispair.
Nicely written and well done.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

This book is filled with colorful personalities: Stanton, the bachelor who is both sensible and tortured, Reed the short-tempered and impatient who is traveling with his wife, Keseberg who is a violent man, a bully and is very opinionated and Donner who with his whole family traveling in style thinks he’s above the rest and craves attention and acclaim from the others. These are just a few of the people on the some ninety person wagon train who are to take the Hastings cutoff over the pass. The Hastings route is new, relatively untried and very dangerous, especially when they have left late in the season and have encountered sparse grazing and little water already along the way.

The trekkers are feeling uneasy. Some feel that Tamsen Donner is a witch for she picks herbs along the way and makes potions. She flirts with the other men and teases them. She visits other men’s wagons at night. Her husband knows about her nocturnal visits.

Stanton and Reed travel ahead to locate Hastings after he said he would meet them, but went on anyway. They find a note he left telling them to turn back. The path is barely wide enough for a wagon and is strewn with trees. It seems almost impassible, especially with time running out before winter. They locate Hastings and his wagon train people are badly spooked and Hastings has secreted himself away in his wagon. He speaks wildly of something following them, but doesn’t know what it is. He doesn’t seem crazy, just badly frightened.

They return to their own wagon train and Reed insists stubbornly to follow the Hastings trail anyway. So they set out with Reed taking the captaincy after Donner abdicates his own captaincy. But things are not going well for the group. Rivalries, jealousies and just plain dislike begin to threaten the travelers. In-fighting is rife. Reed is too afraid for his own personal safety to intercede.

People start behaving very strangely. They attack one another. They seem to be healthy – and then they are not. The men are contentious and the women are afraid. People start dying. Have they been driven crazy because of the dying cattle or the need to leave their possessions behind? Is something out there?

Edwin Bryant, a newspaper man with some medical training, has set off on his own journey. Along with his other adventures, he comes across a small group of Indians who tell him the story of the na’it. This is a spirit who infects men and makes them want to eat human flesh. Thus the supernatural enters our story.

This book is very well written and plotted. It is an enthralling journey into madness. The suspense begins immediately and is kept at a high level as the story continues. It is told in a believable manner that has the reader fascinated and entranced. The characters are colorful and unique. Sufficient background information is given on the main characters to flesh them out, but not so much that it intrudes on the story. I’ve read a great deal about what might have happened to the people on that wagon train.
This is a great alternative theory on what really happened to the Donner party.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for forwarding to me a copy of this most remarkable book to read and enjoy.

Every so often you read that book where, less than half way through, you’re already recommending it to everyone you know.

This is that book.

The Hunger, by Alma Katsu, is a fictional rendering of the Donner Party – and everything that happened to them. While the author definitely takes some liberty with our characters and the reasons behind what they did, this rendering is lush and full of so many wonderful historical details.

Katsu puts the reader out there following those wagons, feeling the extreme thirst parching the throat and the horrendous heat as our travelers trudged through a barren wasteland. She lets into the hopes, the fears, and the dark secrets of our travelers – some of which are heartbreaking.

Historical purists may take issue with the reason behind everything. I would just remind them that this is a historical fiction. Some of that fiction takes turns that aren’t quite grounded in our everyday reality, but Katsu draws them so well that you find yourself simply enmeshed in the story – fact or fiction stops mattering.

Epic Storytelling.

Everyone knows the story of the ill-fated Donner party, the wagon train that was trapped by heavy snows in the mountain passes of the west. How as starvation set in, they took to cannibalism. Okay- freaky enough right there. Katsu imagines the tale with an even more terrifying twist, involving both madness and the supernatural. Readers get to know each member of the party, as one by one they share their stories, their reasons for traveling west. We get to see the break down of civilized behavior as violence becomes commonplace and we get to see the growing fear that something is happening to them, one by one, something evil that will destroy them all. I confess to a sick fascination with the real story of the Donner party, but Katsu’s supernatural spin on the tale was something I never could have imagined and it is truly creepy