thank you to NetGalley and Zando for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. i will state upfront that i dnf'ed this title about 40% of the way through simply out of disinterest.

this books follows the intertwining and forbidden sapphic romance between lenore and carmilla, whose hunger for each other begin to consume and unravel their lives and town. i was really interested in the premise of this book, but it didn't satisfy the way it should've.

the writing felt stilted and like it was trying too hard (and failing completely) to immerse the reader into the time period-- and therefore the world, of the story. instead it created distance between the reader and the characters we were to be invested in. the horror/vampire element also didn't feel believable to me and felt overwhelmingly manufactured. i often found myself comparing this to other books i've read that accomplished the same thing this narrative was going for, but in a better way. i wanted it to be more gay, more gothic, more vampires--more! just more!

worth a pick-up and try for for lovers of sapphic, gothic romance reads. i definitely think this will appeal to the audience its intending to reach, i just don't think i could give it the amount of time it deserved devoted to it.

I loved this book! It's a slow burn, I wouldn't say very vampiric though, more a feminist, revenge story. Really interesting historical facts about the working conditions of the time. Really loved how it wrapped up.

WOW WOW WOW.

Before thanking the author, I first want to thank whomever hired the artist that designed the cover for this book as it immediately drew my eye from all of the hundreds of other books listed on netgalley due to the neon green lettering really POPPING and being in such stark contrast to the overly dramatic character on the cover. The (unknown) woman was laying in such a dramatic fashion that it immediately had me wondering WHO she was and what was causing her to seem so.....done with everything. It reminded me of something/someone that I would probably see on the cover of a Chelsea G. Summers, Coco Mellors, Otessa Moshfegh or Jen Beagin book. I LOVE THIS AESTHETIC SO MUCH!

Now, onto the book. FROM PAGE ONE (and by "page one". I am referring to the page that begins with "I rise, aching and sluggish, and add a wrapper over my nightdress." because for whatever reason, my kindle decided to tell me that that was the first page of the book which it was not, and I only realized this AFTER going back because I already wanted to do a re-read of it as soon as I finished it), I was HOOKED.

Kat Dunn truly has a gift for creating an atmosphere that feels SO REAL that you feel like you are actually there. From the jump, I quite literally felt like I was in the same room as our main character. I could "feel" the "bold sunshine", she describes, I could "see" and "feel" the mood of the "flurry grey skies", and I felt like I was I sitting right next to our main character as she described (in the most hilariously, apathetic way) how she was having someone putting drugs into her tea. I swear to god before I even got to page 2, I was already saying " OH HELL YES, because I KNEW this was going to be a banger. The only other authors/books I have come across that has been so adept at creating such an immersive reading experience would be Katherine Arden's "The Bear and the Nightingale" and S..T. Gibson "A Dowry of Blood". The internal monologue of our main character reminded me so much of the hilarious apathy we see in works like Otessa Moshfegh's "My Year of Rest and Relaxation." This book was truly the holy trinity of everything I love in a book.

Oh, and this doesn't even include the sapphic vampire of it all. Truly god bless Kat Dunn for sitting down and putting pen to paper because in the year of our lord 2024, I fear this is my favorite read of the year. I had never heard of Kat Dunn before seeing this book on Netgalley and I was so sad when I was done reading this because I assumed this was her debut novel and I had no idea if or when she was going to write her next book, so imagine my surprise when I hauled ass to goodreads and saw that Dunn has several other books that she's already written. Today is a good day.

When I requested this book, I didn't know it was a Carmilla re-telling (although, looking back, I should have known that because SAPPHIC VAMPIRE!!!!), but I think the reason I didn't catch on right away was because the last Carmilla retelling I read was S.T. Gibson's "An Education in Malice" (which I unfortunately did not care for at all), and "Hungerstone" was far and away so much better, that I felt like I was reading something entirely new even though it *was* a retelling of a story I've read many, many times. I am EXTREMELY critical of ANY retelling because it takes A LOT to keep a story I've read time and time again feel fresh and new, but Dunn hit this one out of the park. She is truly gifted at her craft.

This is one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given a book, and I WILL be buying this as soon as it is available in hardcopy. (PLEASE DEAR GOD MAKE THIS BOOK AVAILABLE IN LARGE PRINT FORMAT AS I AM A LOW-VISION GIRLIE!!!)

Just a 10/10, no notes book that I will be recommending to everyone.

Thank you SO MUCH to Kat Dunn for *gestures wildly at everything*, a huge shout out to the cover artist for creating such a compelling cover, and thank you to the publisher (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS COVER BEFORE IT GOES TO PRINT!!) and to Netgalley for allowing me to preview this chef's kiss of a book.

Hunger stone fit the bill for the sapphic slightly spooky October read! It wasn’t overly gory (mostly?) and I enjoyed the plot!

Hmmm I feel bad giving this such a low rating because I did appreciate the themes but the execution was really messy.

A Carmilla retelling which if you are familiar with that story is a marketing mistake and will be a detriment to this book.

Woman versus the void is fast becoming a popular sub genre in literary fiction and I think some publishing houses are pushing these stories without looking at the full scope of its nuances. Hungerstone has its level of female rage and womanhood but it’s lacking direction and purpose and I just didn’t care about Lenore to care how her story played out.

Needed more passion, direction and meaning.

I’d only read Carmilla a few weeks before reading this, so I was interested in checking out a retelling. As other reviewers mention, this gets off to a slow but intriguing start (I actually read the first three chapters, waited about two weeks, and then came back to it) but I understand that it’s meant to effectively set up Lenore’s tedious, repetitive life. It picked up about halfway through for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it the rest of the way!

Hungerstone is mysterious and atmospheric, beautifully written with wonderful details that set the scene. I wish we’d gotten more of Carmilla tbh, but I also don’t even know if I’d even consider this a retelling in the purest sense. I love that the focus was on Lenore realizing her own agency and, then, her justified hunger for retribution. We love a good journey of female rage.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free aARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Gothic, sapphic, vampire novel, what's not to love. Very visual prose, and vivid main character, Lenore, whose inner turmoil is central to the story as she deals with her growing desire. Carmilla is an elusive and captivating character whose presence causes tension in Lenore's marriage.

Couldn't put this book down, it had me captivated. Low spice levels, but major tension. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the Gothic vibes.

Kat Dunn's writing is captivating and I loved it. The story was interesting and I loved reading it. I think the development of characters was well done and I loved learning each of the layers of each character

Hungerstone is marketed as a spin on Carmila but is missing much of the sapphic elements and vampirism that made the original book so revolutionary. There's no denying Dunn is a talented writer - the gothic atmosphere is superbly crafted and she uses language to perfectly encapsulate desire and hunger. Unfortunately, a collection of well-written sentences does not constitute a good book.

Hungerstone struggles to find its footing with Lenore's backstory and ultimately never resolves itself. Glimpses into her past are repetitive yet vague, and while she repeatedly expresses the baggage and trauma she carries, the explanation of it is muddled at best. Carmila herself is intended to be an enigmatic and mysterious presence that acts as her catalyst for change, but her presence is glaringly one-dimensional throughout the book. Lenore's story is hardly compelling when everyone around her is a caricature of a villain. Her rebellion doesn't feel like anything more than an inevitability, and it lacks the satisfaction of a slow-burn revenge story. While there are a handful of sapphic moments, it feels more like a story of obsession with hints of vampirism than I expected.

The climax of the book happens quickly, and the drastic changes Lenore undergoes feel sudden, given the unbearably slow build-up. Her commentary about revenge and hunger feels devoid of nuance and subtlety. Every commentary the book has to offer is explicitly outlined and repeated, and I think it does a disservice to the possibilities a re-telling could have offered.

I'm critical of any retelling because it takes a lot to keep a classic story fresh and offer a new perspective. While Hungerstone adds themes of industrialization and the historical use of women as nothing more than child-bearers, it doesn't subvert any expectations. The final third required so much suspension of belief just to end up at a predictable and boring conclusion.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC - sorry I did not enjoy it more!

A sapphic, feminist spin on Carmilla
An unhinged girl power novel about female agency and revenge
A novel about embracing your "hunger" / desires unapologetically

Our main character is in a business-transaction type of marriage and is taking over renovations on a new home. She takes in a woman, Carmilla, and has the doctor look after her health. She's slowly influenced by Carmilla and begins questioning her husband, her life, her needs and desires.

I love an unhinged story and appreciated this gothic take on it. My one gripe is that at times, this book felt a bit repetitive. There would be the briefest glimpses of action or intrigue (Carmilla) - just a little taste of possibility before diving back into the main character's head.

I'd recommend this for fans of sapphic, unhinged, revenge, female empowerment, vampire, or gothic stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Lenore did not see herself as a person, but instead, a tool. Set in the importantly historical Sheffield and the perfectly remote moorlands, Lady Lenore is stuck in a life of control and expectation. In a way, she is dying.

When the dream-like and worryingly mysterious Carmilla enters the lives of Lenore and Henry, her unloved, untrustworthy husband, everything begins to change.

Will Lenore fight this change? Or will she begin to accept her own wants and desires in a society that demands conformity and obedience.

The idea of want and desire is pitted against the life of a woman in the Industrial Revolution, who must constantly battle for acceptance (and therefore survival). All is told with the brutal symbolism of blood and money paired with breathtaking storytelling.

What an incredible feat of literature. Kat Dunn’s writing so incredibly beautiful and poetic, written like a true classic.

<i>“A salacious tale of betrayal, murder and supernatural intervention."</i> although this was in reference to a play in the book but it perfectly encapsulates what <b>Hungerstone</b> is.

Lady Lenore Crowther is confined in a loveless marriage burdened by remaining childless and her own husband's ambitions. There is a unending void in Lenore and life has been unkind to her but she must endure it all to maintain the façade of a prim and proper lady, however it isn't until the couple make their way to the countryside that things begin to change.

Lenore is haunted by peculiar dreams, some of which involve a woman but what happens when the very woman from her dreams is found injured in a carriage accident and is brought to Nethershaw manor.

Carmilla Kernstein is recovering at the Crowthers' eerie manor and her presence is both unnerving as it is soothing for Lenore as Carmilla pushes Lenore to face truths she had been in denial about for so long.

The threads of Lenore's sanity begin to unravel and she finds that the void within her is never satiated, no matter how much she feeds it.

<b>If I am mad, it is only because they have made me so.</b>

Exquisite prose.
Immersive storytelling.
Dangerously addictive.
The epitome of female rage.

I did not want to put this book down.

I was wholly entranced and kept on edge as the tension kept building up and up until the climax which was nothing short of a cathartic release.

The story takes place in the late 19th century so there is a gorgeous gothic Victorian backdrop that fed my imagination. It also draws inspiration from a well-known gothic Vampire story called "Carmilla".

I had to deduct a star as I was left wanting a bit more of Carmilla and answers for some of the questions that were left unanswered. Keep in mind that while this features a sapphic romance, it is not at the forefront. It's quite a character-driven story and the romance is the rewarding part.

If you're a fan of A Dowry of Blood, this is a must read!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for a review which is for one of my most anticipated 2025 titles.

<i>This book contains triggering content which includes death, attempted murder, murder, blood, a bit of gore, infidelity, verbal and physical abuse and manipulation, etc.</i>

For Lenore, marrying Henry was an arrangement meant to benefit both of them. Now, to cement her husband's arrival into high society, Lenore is tasked with preparing the Nethershaw estate to host a hunt, planning to work hard to compensate the fact that they don't have an heir yet. On their way there, they come across a crashed carriage and rescue its beautiful and mysterious passenger, a woman named Carmilla.

Carmilla's presence disturbs everyone except for Lenore who feels drawn to her in ways she can't understand. Her being there awakens in Lenore a hunger that soon possesses her every thought. At the same time, some dark secrets and doubts about her husband arise and Lenore wonders who she should really fear.

I sort of hesitate to view this book as a Carmilla retelling because Carmilla's part in it doesn't take that much space. Instead, the story focuses on Lenore, a woman who suffered a great deal in her youth and now hungers for freedom, for life. Carmilla merely serves as the catalyst for her to remember that she is allowed to want those things.

I liked the structure of this book. The separation into two parts allows a clear distinction between the moods in each of them. They also work together as a whole to make us question who the true monster we should fear is.

The first part of the book is very slow and the story only started picking up at about 60% in, which feels like a very long time. Still, I think that longer first part worked well to set up Lenore's personality, history and her relationship to her husband. The writing is also beautiful so even though it is long, that part never felt boring.

The second part offers us a gruesome but also beautiful tale of rage, which I was fully entranced by. Its fast pacing helped carry a sense of urgency that made the book impossible to put down.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't say it's a favorite, as the story didn't feel particularly new in narrative or execution, but it was well written.

I would recommend it to those looking for those who enjoy the "good for her" type of stories set in a dark ambiance, with additional commentary on social classes and the horrors of unsafe work conditions in industries during the 19th century.

Thank you to NegGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

"What is a monster but a creature of agency?"

WOW. Hungerstone was an absolutely incredible, very rich book that I am going to be thinking about for months if not years to come. Hungerstone is a Carmilla retelling set against the gothic background of the crumbling estate of Netherfield, where Lenore is now a mistress, desperately trying to keep up with her husband's grueling demands amid the tension in their relationship due to the tug of power between them, secrets kept, and Lenore's lack of a child to give her husband.

The writing in this book is beautiful and atmospheric, transporting me directly to Lenore's world and into her thoughts. Lenore is a woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage, holding herself under tight control in front of society and her husband to keep them both in good standing and in wealth. She is mostly able to keep herself together, until a wild woman named Carmilla comes into her life. Carmilla sees Lenore in a way that nobody else has and opens up her appetite in a way that it cannot be locked back up.

I absolutely devoured this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have never read Carmilla so I cannot speak for how it holds up as a retelling, but as a story on its own I was enraptured. Lenore's journey from being tightly controlled to opening herself up to her hunger and want was thrilling for me. I also think that anyone who liked Kevin Can F Himself on Netflix will thoroughly enjoy this story.

This was so incredibly good! Thank you for giving me this out of the world experience. This is a dark and seductive vampire love story that I couldn't get enough of! I was scared of the Carmilla concept, but it's such a modern take on it without forgetting or taking away key concepts of Carmilla. Everything was just incredible, absolutely recommend it. Beautiful beautiful beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC for an honest review.
I don't think I've read a book in a long while that explains the rage of women so, so well. Also for someone who is an absolute people pleaser this book hurt me in a good way. Hungerstone's story takes you through women empowerment as Lenore starts from being walked over by everyone, mostly her husband, to holding her head up and taking what she wants with the help of Carmilla. This was definitely a book that I didn't think I was going to need this year, but I am in dire need to have a copy of Hungerstone on my shelf.

Wow!! Having loved Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn and being obsessed with vampires, this was one of my most anticipated reads as soon as I heard about it. It did not disappoint at all!!

This is such a brilliant retelling of Carmilla, it’s so new while also keeping true to the original story. This has very quickly shot up to be one of my favorite books.

Set in 1800s Yorkshire during the industrial revolution, the story centers on Lenore, an unhappily married woman who has perfected a facade of having everything together. When Carmilla Kernstein enters her life after a carriage accident, Lenore’s carefully managed world unravels, uncovering dangerous secrets, deeply suppressed rage, and an insatiable desire for freedom.

Kat Dunn’s writing is so immersive, bringing the isolated, mist-filled moors and crumbling manor to life. Lenore is not a traditionally ‘good’ character, she is very complex and I love that for her.

As she navigates through betrayal, manipulation and past traumas it is impossible not to root for her on her journey for self-liberation, breaking free into a life she WANTS, not one she felt like she needed. It is incredibly empowering and I LOVED the ending !!

Thank you so much to Zando and NetGalley for the ARC

“I am being murdered, and I am too frightened to do anything about it.” (p. 186)

The set up of part 1 and its execution in part 2 was absolutely phenomenal. I couldn’t stop reading even if I wanted to, and I definitely didn’t want to. I was hungry for Lenore to win.

Thank you NetGalley and Zando for the arc. I have experienced death and rebirth.

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Oh, little Lenore. It is terrible to be alive. But it is worse to be dead to ourselves.’

With a slow start and prose as purple as the moorland heather of its setting, Hungerstone took a little while to hook me – but, man, once it did, it reeled me in and did not let me go.

Somehow both delicate and brutal, Kat Dunn manages to beautifully convey both the smaller and larger horrors of womanhood. The expectations placed upon women, and women of station specifically in this case, the unacknowledgement of so-called “women’s work”, the shame of being considered lacking, and the pain and quiet horror of being trapped in a body and a life that consistently seems to be working against you, despite your efforts of control. And, in the end, the sheer freedom that comes with letting that control go.

More than anything, this novel is a story about hunger. Hunger for food, maybe, hunger for status and security, certainly, hunger for love and intimacy, absolutely, but most of all, a hunger for life, and all of its appetites to be sated, and what you’re willing to do for it.

While this novel is a retelling of Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, it’s not really about her at all. If anything, her wild and hungry and uncontrollable nature purely serves as a device to let Lenore free herself from the confines of the life that’s slowly killing her. And while Lenore’s relationship with Carmilla is absolutely vital to her character arc, I think it’s important for potential readers to know going in that, yes, this is about explicitly sapphic vampires, but it is not a romance – Lenore’s affair with Carmilla is a catalyst, but not the focus of the story. Nor is it really a vampire story, at least not a modern vampire story as we’ve become used to them. No, the vampiric aspects are really quite understated, explored in a way that paints vampires and their victims as creatures of insatiable hunger and desire and pure want, in the way that clearly invokes and pays homage to the 19th century vampire novels on which Hungerstone is based.

This one really snuck up on me, I have to admit. But if you want a story about learning to let go and finally chase your desires, or a story about a slow descent into what turns out to be vindicated paranoia, or a story about conspiracies and bad people getting what’s coming to them, or if you simply support both women’s rights and women’s wrongs, then I think you’ll love this book as much as I do.

I have actively been in my Carmilla retelling era as of late and this was a brilliant edition to it. I will say it started off a tad slow, but once the ball started rolling... WOW it just never stopped and I loved it. I feel like this retelling perfectly meshes the original book with a more mature setting. Let's just say the female rage never looked better.