Despite not being much of a short story reader, Eliza Clark has put together a collection well-suited to my taste. In fact, the strange part about this short story collection is it feels like an amalgam of all the themes I've been reading in the past year (alien substances that might save an apocalyptic earth, water-related body horror, a corrupt and potentially dangerous beauty product, etc.). 

The stories are primarily body horror, with some sci-fi and relationship drama elements. Recurring themes are asymmetrical communication, power imbalances, the depravity of men, and climate catastrophe. Overall I thought these were all solid stories, but I'm not sure they were deep or impactful beyond the initial pleasure of reading - some felt much closer to a McSweeney piece than a standalone short story. 

That being said, they were generally hilarious. I'll keep gobbling up all the weird literary creations Eliza Clark has to offer. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the e-arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I am a huge fan of weird girl horror. I’ve been curious about Eliza Clark’s writing for a while and was all for a short story collection. These stories gave the strangest range and I was into it. Most of them were weird in a way that I really appreciated.

My favorite story was ‘The King’ it was probably one of the funnest I’ve read in a while. I didn’t know where it was going to go and yet it just got crazier. Im all on board. Some more notable ones were ‘Goth GF’ for some cringe factor, ‘The Shadow Over Little Chitaly’ for something random and funny, ‘Nightstalkers’ for something short and sad, & ‘Company Man’ for a good twist. ‘Shake Well’ I really wanted to like but the exploration of an abusive grooming relationship had me squirm. Which I guess is what they wanted.

I’m very interested in reading more of Eliza Clark’s books now and exploring more of her writing.

Grateful for the opportunity to read this early, happy to say it’s my favorite read of the year. I love Eliza Clark’s writing, it feels subversive and darkly funny and feminist as fuck. She delivers in the short story form as well as she does in the novel form. My favorite stories were the first three, but I think the title story takes the cake. It was horrifying and funny and flipped the script on typical male-female relations. I typically feel like within every short-story collection, there are a couple of duds, but this was all killer, no filler. I like the different formats the stores took as well : ads, review websties, typical short story form, etc. I will be buying this for my own library and for many of the readers in my life.

ELIZA CLARK YOU WILL AWAYS BE FAMOUSSS. eliza is truly such an incredible author who has such a way of creating weird and disturbing novels and stories that represent human-ness the good and the bad. a great follow up to penanance and boy parts. anything she writes i will read.

Was really excited to read this as a huge fan of Boy Parts and Penance, but unfortunately this was a bit hit or miss.This collection contains stories that fit firmly in the horror genre, with a focus on body horror, and others that are less graphic. There’s a focus on womanhood, some stories are scifi/speculative, and there was a story that was apparently set in the 70s but I didn’t pick that up when reading.

I’ve been reading a lot of short story collections recently, and it's expected that some stories will resonate more than others, but with this I do wonder why some of the stories were included. I especially felt this way about the opening two stories, they felt rather weak, though it’s hard for me to put my finger on exactly why. I did like some of the stories, especially the ones with a comedic tone, my favorites were Goth GF, Little Chitaly, The King, and Hollow Bones. Fans of Eliza Clark will probably still want to pick this up, but I wouldn’t make this the first thing you read of hers.

She’s Always Hungry serves up an intriguing mix of body horror, speculative fiction, and that weird weird, but it didn't fully captivate me. While several stories were fantastic, I found myself skimming through others, eager to move on. The variety in themes and sub genres is well done but overall it didn’t leave as strong an impression as some of my favorite collections. A good read, but not quite the standout I had hoped for.

Thank you so much Harper for the opportunity to read early!

Rating: 4/5

Eliza Clark never fails me!

She's Always Hungry is a collection of stories. They are eerie, razor-sharp, and unsettling. All of these stories left me confused (in a good way!) and thinking about them for days after I finished them. Lots of body horror and dark humor, I was disturbed and laughing throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

I really enjoyed Eliza Clark’s book Boy Parts so I was excited to check out her short story collection. Short stories are always hit or miss for me, overall I enjoyed this collection, some stories more than others. My favorites were Extinction Event, Goth GF, and Build a Body Like Mine. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC.

This is my favorite book by Eliza Clark. Although I'm not usually a fan of short story collections, this one stood out with its quirky, diverse stories and a hint of horror. If you enjoy Ottessa Moshfegh and Mona Awad, this collection will hit all the right notes. While many stories echo Clark's other work, it was fascinating to see her explore sci-fi and dystopian themes. Clark's writing always lingers in my mind long after I finish her stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the advance copy.

Be sure to grab your copy on November 12!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC.

I was a big fan of Eliza’s book Boy Parts and I was excited to read her short story collection! I enjoyed these stories and they were full of gross scenes and Clark’s signature humor.

My favorites were Build a Body Like Mine, The Shadow Over Little Chitaly and Goth Gf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC.

I was a big fan of Eliza’s book Boy Parts and I was excited to read her short story collection! I enjoyed these stories and they were full of gross scenes and Clark’s signature humor.

My favorites were Build a Body Like Mine, The Shadow Over Little Chitaly and Goth Gf.

Short stories can be a hit or miss for me. Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection by Eliza Clark, but they were not as dark as I was expecting. Various topics are explored throughout these stories - such as disordered eating, SA, climate change, homophobia, grooming, racism, etc. A full breakdown and list of triggers are available at the back of the book.

I will admit, a few stories felt a bit too smart for me and left me feeling confused. I particularly enjoyed the stories in the second half of the book more. If you enjoy weird books, check this one out on 11/12.

My favorites in the collection:
- Goth GF
- Extinction Event
- Shake Well
- The King
- Company Men

3 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

although i'm not the biggest fan of short story collections (as there is always bound to be stories that i like less than the others), clark's writing for the most part managed to draw me in. i do think her specialty is the more contemporary leaning stories that make interesting observations of a gamut of human behaviors that are under-explored around what is means to crave something in the modern age. from teenagers who don't know how to deal with their emotions to adults who also don't know how to deal with their emotions, stories span many generations as well as incorporate a magical realism element for some stories as well. i just don't think the sci-fi/magical realism heavy stories were the strong suit here. (3.5)

Eliza Clark's debut short story collection is a masterclass in dark humor, visceral storytelling, and unflinching explorations of human hunger. This bold and visionary work cements Clark's status as a fearless and innovative writer.

Each story in the collection is a razor-sharp examination of our most primal desires, from the literal (a woman hosting a parasite) to the metaphorical (a teenager's quest for flawless skin). Clark's prose is both lyrical and unsettling, conjuring an atmosphere of creeping unease that lingers long after the final page is turned.

The collection's strength lies in its versatility, effortlessly shifting between genres and tones while maintaining a cohesive narrative thread. Clark's characters are multidimensional and relatable, their struggles and triumphs rendered with unflinching honesty.

Standouts include the opening story, which sets the tone for the collection's exploration of bodily autonomy and the blurring of boundaries, and the haunting tale of the scientist tending to alien flora, which raises poignant questions about our responsibility to the natural world.

Throughout, Clark's signature dark humor adds a layer of complexity, making even the most uncomfortable themes palatable. This is a collection that will appeal to fans of Carmen Maria Machado, Ottessa Moshfegh, and anyone who revels in the unconventional.

*Recommendation:* For readers who crave bold, genre-pushing fiction that lingers in the psyche long after the final page is turned. Be prepared for a wild ride into the depths of human hunger.

Poignant, relevant, and thought-provoking.

Eliza Clark has really outdone herself with this collection. I don't know that I've ever given a short story collection 5 stars, but every single story hits here.

If Clark ever decides to publish a full length sci-fi horror I'm here for it, just saying.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this fantastic and highly anticipated book. I'm telling all the horror girlies about it!

Also will have to buy a physical copy now because it's one of my favorite covers of the year.

In the late 2010s and early 2020s there has been a trend for short story collections by young women which explore issues relevant to modern life (particularly modern life as it is for women and girls) through a mixture of realist, speculative and horror fiction. I can list a number of them without thinking too much about it: "You Will Never Be Forgotten," "Bliss Montage," "You Know You Want This," "Out There," "Life Ceremony," "Cursed Bunny." "She’s Always Hungry," by Eliza Clark, slots comfortably into this trend. The opening story is about eating disorders. There is body horror and light-touch speculative fiction. There are stories about bad relationships and sexual trauma. There is a story written in an unconventional format: this, "The Shadow Over Little Chitaly," written as a series of online restaurant reviews, is the best thing in the book by a country mile.

Although none of the stories are actually about life online, this, like Honor Levy’s "My First Book," is a book shaped by the Internet. Tumblr/Twitter-type humor and cultural references run all the way through it, and it feels like one needs to be somewhat "online" to understand some of it. The stories are hampered by what feels like a need to make them superficially edgy yet, in essence, deeply conformist. You can see the cogs turning in some of the stories (here’s a story about disordered eating, a subject so many Millennial and Gen Z women will relate to. But the narrator must emphasize her body positivity - because God forbid a character obsessed with losing weight might seem fatphobic!) And I am not against trigger warnings, but when a book comes with an exhaustive list of them, which includes such benign things as "extensive descriptions of food," it gives you a certain picture of the intended audience. Lest these criticisms make me sound like an unhinged anti-woke Boomer, there are other problems. The sci-fi stories contain some truly terrible expositionary dialogue. "The Problem Solver" feels like a failed attempt to write a story that riffs on Roupenian’s "Cat Person." Once you figure out the premise of a story, it almost always plays out predictably. In "Build A Body Like Mine" for example the story cannot be building to anything *other* than a reveal of something weird. So when the reveal comes, there is no moment of shock. Similarly, "She’s Always Hungry," the story, is exactly what you would imagine a story called "She’s Always Hungry" by a young female writer to be like.

"She’s Always Hungry" seems designed to be read by teenagers making their first steps into adult fiction. That’s not a bad thing (better they read this than yet another toxic "spicy" romance), I’m sure it will sell well and be popular on Tiktok, but it doesn’t feel like a serious collection and represents a step backward in terms of quality. I think the author is very talented, and I loved her début "Boy Parts" which I thought was an excellent first novel showing a lot of promise, but I also think the unexpected success of "Boy Parts" has not been a good thing for her craft. This collection feels as though it has been rushed to publication before it was really ready. I feel for her - becoming a hot commodity in publishing at a young age must create a hell of a lot of pressure. As with many weak books I blame those involved in the editorial process - I think some editor should have had the guts to tell her this wasn’t good enough. I hope Clark can get out of this niche she’s written herself into and start working in some influences other than "I was on Tumblr in 2010," which can only engage a certain audience, and then only for so long.

3.25 stars

She’s Always Hungry is a weird, bleak, gore-y, real but not so real short story collection which explores personal themes along with a lot of broader societal themes like the perceptions of beauty, patriarchy (and if it was reversed), human vices (like most of them), global warming, the notion of power etc.etc. which are weaved within these absolutely bizarre stories.

I liked the author’s vision for the book — the way the stories touched genres like fantasy and sci-fi ever so slightly, while still maintaining their true essence of social commentary was something that gave me fresh perspective on each of these issues. I personally love short stories and it’s truly so amazing to see such a small piece of media have such a big impact on you — and that’s the beauty of it all I think.

I loved two stories from this collection ‘She’s Always Hungry’ and ‘Extinction Event’. [Also honorary mentions to ‘Shake Well’, ‘The Shadow Over Chitaly’, and ‘Hollow Bones’.]

She’s Always Hungry explores a matriarchal society and what would happen if women created outlandish rules for their communities to follow. The women in this story create their own terms of addressing each other, their own myths and legends, and societal roles for the different genders, and men are essentially seen as breeding machines. I liked how this short story had it’s own sub-plot while having the overarching plot of a matriarchal society. It was a little crazy and big brained and I was so so impressed.

Extinction Event is set in a world where pollution has marred the world to a degree that the Earth is about to self-destruct. This story was a horrifying reality check of the lengths humans would go to to hide from their mistakes, and the further destruction they’re willing to bring about to “make up” for their previous ones. It also traverses through this system of hierarchy that we’ve built and somehow sworn to stuck by, and how authority figures will only do what they want. The moral of the story was that we’re fucked so that’s that.

Overall, this was a decent collection of stories but it’s not my favourite one I’ve read so far. I think some stories were very simple in premise and execution and didn’t make feel like ‘omg I’m so impressed’. I also think that only if the stories were a little longer, maybe the plot would’ve had more dimension instead of just the characters (also no, this was not a no plots, just vibes book and I feel as if that often times defeats the purpose of a short story). Honestly, if you’ve never read a short story collection, I would and would not recommend this to you based on the vibe you’re going for. (Eliza Clark said stay weird and quirky with this book.)

Mayn thanks to Harper perennial and netgalley for the free ARC copy. This is an honest review of the book.

I thought I would love this book. I love Eliza Clarks writing and this is written as beautifully as I was expecting but it was a bit hit and miss.

I really enjoyed build a body like mine, she's always hungry and extinction events. They were the stand out stories for me.

The problem solver and goth girl held my attention but some of the others I didn't enjoy, I think maybe the point of them went over my head.
If you enjoy Elisa Clarks style I would definitely give this a try as there are some real gems in here. But for me there was slightly more misses than hits.

Short stories aren’t my thing. Eliza IS my thing. So I was curious how this would go. For the most part, it went swimmingly. There wasn’t any story that I disliked. A few standouts were build a body like mine and extinction event. I’d read full novels of those. Both have themes that I thoroughly enjoy. On the surface this collection may seem disjointed but once you sit with it, it comes together

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

There were some really interesting stories throughout here! As I went I felt like the narrative voice got stronger, I enjoyed the writing style and the descriptions were super visceral and violent