This is a failed attempt at a horror story. I predicted the way most of them would end. Very boring.

1.5 out of 5 stars

It's a crime that I didn't discover Moses earlier. Right off the bat, his command of language is daunting and the stories he tells ooze with emotion and transport you to the setting he intends. More readers should have him on their radars.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this, the longest one in here was my favorite. I really want to get myself a copy of this. I definitely recommend this.

Thank you netgalley for the e arc. I didnt enjoy as much as I thought I would. It didnt draw me in like most books do. The different stories were good enough but I wasnt that interested.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this e-arc/physical book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of short stories and I ended up LOVING all them. Each story tackles subjects on love, grief, religion, death, addictions and more. It's a very introspective book and you can't help but relate/contemplate life's big questions while reading it. There are some heartbreaking stories and entertaining moments of banter but overall, each story has its own atmosphere and vibe. A lot of times, I end up getting bored with short story collections when written by the same author because it ends up just feeling like a long disjointed story because they don't change up the emotions between the stories (if that makes sense). BUT with Hunger Pangs, it was so refreshing and kept my interest from beginning to end. Also, the horror moments were genuinely scary and creepy. Loved it.

Before each story the author gives a little blip about when and why he wrote them--these only added to the stories and gave them so much more depth. Scott's writing style is also very atmospheric and beautiful. You can tell he knows how to write and does a great job at putting the worlds he creates down on paper.

5/5

I went into this with the expectation of reading straight up horror stories and was left disappointed. They were nice and well done, but not what I was looking for when I requested the book. Some of the stories were much too short. I was left with a feeling of wanting more but not in the good way. A pleasant way to pass the time as long as you know what you are getting.

This was an excellent anthology! It if you’re thinking of picking this up, I’d suggest not going into it thinking of it as a horror anthology. Although they all have horror elements, they’re more of a discussion on loss, grief, depression and how people deal with those things differently.
Just like any anthology, there were some I loved and others I didn’t really care for. Fortunately, the majority of them ended up being stories I really enjoyed. Some of my favorites are: Nowhere Louisiana, What’s In Your Name and The Scent Of Souls.
All of them were unique while still keeping a similar theme. All very intriguing and thought provoking. And all beautifully written. I would actually love to see some of these short stories be made into full novels. This author has a real talent in writing and deserves more recognition than he has. Looking forward to reading more of this authors work in the future!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!:)

I’m not sure if I would categorize Hunger Pangs by Scott J. Moses as “just” a horror collection. While it is horror, it seems to fit in the subcategory of grief horror. It’s hard to believe this is his debut, as the stories are written so well and realistic, that some of them were hard for me to read. The stories have a great variety, and most feel quite personal to not just the author but also the reader.

My favorites were; Nowhere Louisiana, Blues Exorcist, and The Scent of Souls. I think all the stories were great, but these three stood out to me. A special shout-out for Waning Plumes of Frostbitten Air. That story really hit home for me. You will know what I mean when you read it. I won’t give anything away.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the review copy.

I really liked this collection. All the stories were very solid. I didn't love all of them, but I liked all of them, and the ideas were really interesting and creative. Reading this also inspired me to start writing again, so you could say that is a kind of praise as well. I'd like to read more from the author in the future

This collection of dark fiction/horror from Scott Moses has me hooked and wanting more!  Hunger in its broadest sense is the theme running through these short stories.  Each one stands out on its own (unlike some collections with a common theme); all are well-written and create atmosphere and characters in a shortened format.   A strong debut, I can't wait to see what Moses brings to the table in the future!  Thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for sending me an advance ecopy for review.

(I found a way to make reading this work, yayyyy!)

The short stories in Hunger Pangs are exactly right as they are. They leave just enough out for us readers to fill in the gaps. As we probably all know by now, our own mind is the best at creeping us out. It's not that the strokes are too broad either, none of the stories felt like I was falling into the middle of something, any more than the characters themselves did. In short, the atmosphere was marvellous, it all was exactly right to make me shiver.

The aptly titled Hunger Pangs is a collection of tales filled with hunger. Hunger for what might have been, hunger for what can never be, hunger for human flesh, and in the title story a hunger for blood. Most are filled with themes of loss, and the horror of grieving that loss.
All were well written and quite original although not necessarily as scary as I had hoped. I would recommend it for fans of dark fiction but perhaps not for hard core horror fans.

What do I want to see when I read short story collections? I want twist endings I don't expect, stories that delve into human nature without staying shallow, and a variety of story types/plots. I am happy to announce that HUNGER PANGS by Scott J. Moses delivers on all those accounts! Oh and for bonus points he also adds a brief personal note before each story, detailing some of the inspiration or process behind the tale. I LOVE when authors do that in their short story collections!

A grieving lawman bargains with darkness to reunite his family. A traveling exorcist takes a case where the traditional means of expelling evil have failed. A haunted widower picks up a hitchhiking hippie. Siblings flee their horrid past, and the curse in their blood. An immortal longs for her life in the sun. In his debut collection, Scott J. Moses presents thirteen tales of supernatural horror and everyday woe

Besides the obvious chills and thrills, I feel like these stories have a lot going on beneath the surface. Whether its vampires, ghosts, monsters, or human beings everyone has hunger pangs for life. There's also a constant thread of people who don't necessarily live great lives, but who realize life can be great. Unfortunately they've often done something wrong or lost someone and now the greatness of life lies tainted and twisted. And while there are plenty of monsters, it's often the painful memories, trauma, and grief that are truly dangerous and threaten to consume us

Overall this collection of stories is very good. Moses is an excellent writer, and I really appreciated the variety of stories presented. I can't wait to see what else he has in store!

Wow. For a debut collection, this was brilliant. I loved every story in this book. My favorite was Blues Exorcist. This author has immense talent and a wonderful way with words. I truly hope he writes so much more.