This preview of Eliza Clark's first short story collection, She's Always Hungry, is the story 'The Shadow Over Little Chitaly', a tale of an unusual takeaway told through reviews. I loved the format as someone who gets gripped reading bad reviews of restaurants, and I'm a big fan of more experimental forms of short stories, so I had a good time reading this one. Afterwards I discovered the Instagram account mentioned in it is real, which added a great ARG element to the story that is also right up my street.

Obviously it's impossible to judge the whole collection from this one story, but I'm hoping it follows suit as I love Clark's writing and often struggle to find short story collections that really grab me. Like other reviewers I hadn't noticed it was only one story when requesting, which is always disappointing, but I'm glad to have read it.

I was a bit confused at first as thought it was the full collection of short stories and, reading other reviews, it doesn't seem like I'm the only one.

However, I am very intrigued as the snippet was brilliant!

This was a very strange short story about a Chinese/Italian takeaway told by customer reviews. I loved how this was written only wish it had been a little longer. Definitely intrigued to see how the rest of the collection plays out.

At first I wasn’t quite sure what to think of the short story, but by the time I recognised the same reviewers’ names, I was hooked. I loved the eerie and almost comical nature of each review, some read entirely innocent but others definitely knew what was going on. Also a very creative way to deliver a short story, through food reviews. I’ll be looking out for this book when its out!

I want to thank Netgalley for approving this arc. I read Eliza Clark’s Boy Parts and was blown away by this unique, gritty narrative and clever, artistic (and very violent) spin. I was absorbed by the book. I could not put it down. I’m trying to get back into Netgalley and when I say Eliza Clark I jumped for joy and hit request. I was so excited when I was approved. However, I sadly didn’t see anywhere in the description that it is a collection of short stories or a short story, one of the two. As a reader, short stories really are not my thing. I struggle to get into short stories as I like to lose myself in a book and when I know it will end abruptly then I have to get into a new story all over again, it ruins the reading experience for me. I will 100% buy Eliza Clark’s next novel. However I can’t give a fair review as I was the wrong audience for this.

She's always hungry by Eliza Clark was dry and amusing, to say in the least.
I give it two stars only because I didn't know what I expected, but this wasn't it. The layout was a little odd as well. All in it was an okay story that I enjoyed reading.

Clark has a great writing voice and it makes me want to read more of her stuff,, however, I would t really recommend this one. I will keep an eye out for more.

Eliza Clark still amaze me like the first time. With just a short and weird story Clark’s work I’ve remember the power of shorts stories and definitely shows her talent writing them. It let me wanting more!

This is a really tricky one to rate. I liked the format of the short story told in online reviews for an odd restuarant where you end up with whatever good you end up with. It read a little absurdist. However, I didn't quite understand the point of the story or what Clark was trying to get at here. There wasn't a coherant storyline and didn't appear to have any other implicit meaning that I could find.

I'm so confused but intrigued? This short excerpt was wild, such an intriguing concept, had me bewildered at first but entertained by the end.

Hard to rate this based on one very short, short story

It's a fun story written in an inventive and interesting way

I look forward to reading the rest of the stories when the book is published

I really enjoyed the sample short story that I read - The Shadow Over Little Chitaly. The format of the story was unusual, being told entirely through the medium of food delivery app reviews, but a strange and amusing picture gradually emerged.

I’d like to read the rest of the stories in the collection and am looking forward to publication in November..

Much like the characters in this short story, I didn't know what I was getting into! It seems I'm not alone, but it's completely my fault for not realising this was just a short story and not the entire collection. I jumped at the chance to read Clark's newest work and I'm still grateful for the preview! That said, it's pretty hard to judge a collection based on a 13 page entry. However, the choice of story has intrigued me. Given Clark's other work, I thought the hunger would be metaphorical, but this was literal in the sense that it's people reviewing takeaway - which is also quite funny. I'm a big fan of author's playing around with formats as well, especially in short story collections. I find it helps me stay engaged and can make the book more memorable. Overall, still very keen to get my hands on all the stories. Love the cover too. Need more asap!

The Shadow Over Little Chitaly is brilliant storytelling in a bite sized chunk (pardon the pun). Clarke’s writing lends itself to the uncanny and strange and manages to capture the essence of different formats (evidenced in the brilliance of Penance). I’m truly impressed by a short story focused solely on the just eat reviews of an elusive restaurant whose strangeness eludes its customers and becomes somewhat a ghostly and omnipotent presence. Definitely has me intrigued as to what else has been cooked up for the rest of the collection.

Well colour me intrigued! This galley included one story from Eliza Clark's forthcoming short story collection (the first collection to follow her stellar novels Boy Parts and Penance), called "The Shadow Over Little Chitaly." It was a pretty quick 13 page read, told entirely in a sort of epistolary format of Google/Yelp reviews from customers who ordered food delivery from a mysterious restaurant with no physical storefront. The IG pizza account mentioned in the short story is a real account associated with the short story in question, lending further mystery to the story (https://www.instagram.com/hannah_special_pizza). Having now read the title story ("She’s Always Hungry") excerpt in Granta and "The Shadow Over Little Chitaly", I am fully on board to see what Eliza Clark has in store for us this November! She's Always Hungry comes out November 12.

Eliza Clark's short story, 'The Shadow Over Little Chitaly' was absolutely delightful. I felt like Little Chitaly was a real restaurant, and oddly enough, I found myself excited to move from review to review and see what would happen next. This short story was pretty bizarre, and had a strange uncanny vibe to it that drew me in as a lover of all things spooky. It was funny, unsettling, and weird all at once. I don't know why I found it so compelling but I'll definitely buy the full novel when it comes out!

I didn't notice this would only be a very short story in the book. I haven't read Clark before and this was pretty short and with a creative style that doesn't tell me much about the book nor if I'd like the collection. It was okay, too short and it had nothing special but how it was written. 2.5 stars.

I'll keep an eye out for the whole book as ARC or in the library.

3.5
'The Shadow Over Little Chitaly'
This short story presents a quirky format as it is made up of reviews for a Chinese/Italian takeaway which may or may not exist. These customer reviews were really funny and fully of character. We don't get much closure on the mystery of Little Chitaly but this taste of She's Always Hungry (accidental pun) has definitely maintained, if not increased, my excitement for Eliza's new publication. How I wish this arc was the fully story collection.

I didn't read the description. It didn't seem necessary considering the cover/title and the author had already sold me.
I read this SHORT STORY in about 3 minutes and what can I say? It was fine. Interesting gimmick, which gets old quickly and never satisfactorily wraps up. As a stand alone, it's not a strong story but is potentially part of a good collection.
I am bothered that my rating will represent a collection when I haven't had the chance to read it.

Aww, I didn't realize it was just the first story of the collection—I was so hyped 😄

But nevertheless I dove in and was confronted by a wonderfully weird first short story. Now I'm all the more ready for November!

sorry, i don’t think i connected to it at all. i guess i liked boy part’s build up with its peculiarity and eeriness, but as a short story (or a collection of it) it might just be too much for me. thank you for the arc!!