ash.reads.horror | What Hunger

What Hunger

Catherine Dang

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A haunting coming-of-age tale following the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Ronny Nguyen, as she grapples with the weight of generational trauma while navigating the violent power of teenage girlhood, for fans of Jennifer’s Body and Little Fires Everywhere.

It's the summer before high school, and Ronny Nguyen finds herself too young for work, too old for cartoons. Her days are spent in a small backyard, dozing off to trashy magazines on a plastic lawn chair. In stark contrast stands her brother Tommy, the pride and joy of their immigrant parents: a popular honor student destined to be the first in the family to attend college. The thought of Tommy leaving for college fills Ronny with dread, as she contemplates the quiet house she will be left alone in with her parents, Me and Ba.

Their parents rarely speak of their past in Vietnam, except through the lens of food. The family's meals are a tapestry of cultural memory: thick spring rolls with slim and salty nem chua, and steaming bowls of pho tái with thin, delicate slices of blood-red beef. In the aftermath of the war, Me and Ba taught Ronny and Tommy that meat was a dangerous luxury, a symbol of survival that should never be taken for granted.

But when tragedy strikes, Ronny's world is upended. Her sense of self and her understanding of her family are shattered. A few nights later, at her first high school party, a boy crosses the line, and Ronny is overtaken by a force larger than herself. This newfound power comes with an insatiable hunger for raw meat, a craving that is both a saving grace and a potential destroyer.

What Hunger is a visceral, emotional journey through the bursts and pitfalls of female rage. Ronny's Vietnamese lineage and her mother's emotional memory play a crucial role in this tender ode to generational trauma and mother-daughter bonding.

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Posts about this title from ash.reads.horror

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Jul 3

It's time to wrap up what I read in June. I read a total of 15 books this month! \ \ Also, stay tuned for some Bindery updates!\ \ What Hunger by Catherine Dang--A coming of rage cannibalisim story dealing with loss and tragedy. 4 stars\ \ Going To The Six by A.C. Hessenauer--A found footage, documentary style horror novel about the discovery of a sunken ship in Lake Superior. 4 stars\ \ The Vessel by Adam L.G. Nevill--A woman takes the job of caregiver to an CREEPY elderly lady. 5 stars\ \ Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson--Steeped in Irish folklore, this book follows a child's tv show keeping a sinister goat puppet in a box. 3.5 stars\ \ Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward--Nowhere is a place where runaways and lost kids can go for safety. The ranch is also the place of a murdered movie star. 3.5 stars\ \ Corpse De Ballet by Megan Kearney-- A graphic novel reminiscent of Suspiria following a cut-throat ballet school. 4 stars\ \ Ghost Beach by R.L. Stine--Two kids are visiting family on a possible haunted island. 4 stars\ \ The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy-- A 1950's housewife starts getting visions from ghosts--one being a girl who was recently murdered. 5 stars\ \ Decomposition Book by Sara Van Oh--A woman staying in a cabin finds a dead body and its journal. 4 stars\ \ Muñeca by Cynthia Gomez-- A witch takes the job as a caregiver to a woman trapped in her own body. 3.5\ \ Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams--A twisty thriller of a woman fighting for her life in a cave system. 5 stars\ \ The Anomaly by Michael Rutger-- A crew of explorers travel to the Grand Canyon to see if they can find a legendary cave. 5 stars\ \ Twisted Tales To Tell In The Night: Another Halloween Anthology-- A fun, nostalgic Halloween collection of short, spooky stories. 4 stars\ \ The Tumor In The Clay by Nick Francis--A Graphic Novel about an elderly man who is a retired surgeon. He elects to try and take his tumor out at home in his bathtub. 5 stars\ \ Odessa by Gabrielle Sher-- When his daughter is murdered, a Jewish man will stop at nothing to bring her back. Even if she comes back changed. 4 stars.

June-Wrapped

15 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • May 26

Another week is upon us and I have a new set of books ready to go.\ \ Last week I was able to finish out Accumulation, Trad Wife, Nowhere, and As Told Under The Moon.\ \ This week I'm diving into...\ \ Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist\ \ \ \ Tamsin starts over in a remote cottage far away from her old life. But the cottage of her dreams is actually a split house with a very thin wall separating her from her neighbor. Her very odd neighbor...\ \ Going To The Six by A.C. Hessenauer\ \ \ \ A found footage horror book following a documentary crew investigating the wreck of a ship in Lake Superior.\ \ What Hunger by Catherine Dang\ \ \ \ A coming of age story about the daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant as she faces loss, generational trauma, and feminine rage.\ \ What are you reading this week?

What I'm Reading This Week

7 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Feb 3

Bust out your inner food critic! 🍲 \ \ These horror books all center around food. Whether consuming i

Bust out your inner food critic! 🍲

These horror books all center around food. Whether consuming it, cooking it, or critiquing it.

What’s your favorite food centered horror book?

#hororrbooks #foodhorrorbooks #horrorbooksta #horrorbookreels

9 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Jul 3

June-Wrapped

15 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • May 26

What I'm Reading This Week

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Wild Card Reads\ \ Samia (bookaroundandfindout)\ \ • May 4

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Do you wanna read more diverse authors ? I got all the recs for you - check out these books in all d

Do you wanna read more diverse authors ? I got all the recs for you - check out these books in all different types of genres to dive into authors who deserve to be highlighted!

#bipoc #bipocbookstagram #bookrecs #diversereads #explore

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ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Feb 3

Bust out your inner food critic! 🍲

These horror books all center around food. Whether consuming it, cooking it, or critiquing it.

What’s your favorite food centered horror book?

#hororrbooks #foodhorrorbooks #horrorbooksta #horrorbookreels

9 books

Infinite Realms Book Club \ \ Nozomi \ \ • Dec 1 2025

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[The 11.5 books that I read in December!\ \ Horror book pick: Sleep Tight 1⭐️\ \ I read this at the very beginning of the month and did not enjoy this one AT ALL. It had so many elements that I should have loved but I don’t think it was executed well. It also wasn’t scary at all. I literally couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in this book even right after I finished it nonetheless NOW. Was very disappointed since I wanted to be able to discuss this with you guys but I literally have nothing more to say about this one :/ \ \ Fantasy book pick: Malice 4.5⭐️\ \

I had an absolute blast with this! Definitely for my seasoned classic fantasy lovers out there! It took me like 40% of the book to actually get used to all the characters and understand where the story is going but wow that last portion of the book was action packed and insane. So many twists and turns. Filled with battles if you’re into that. I immediately jumped into book 2!\ \ \ All other books\ \
Valor (currently reading but almost done) the second book in the faithful and the fallen and I’m absolutely loving where it’s going \ \
The Eyes are the Best Part 4 ⭐️\ \
Maeve Fly 2⭐️\ \
Fallen City 3.5 ⭐️\ \
Slewfoot 3.5 ⭐️\ \
What Hunger 3.5 ⭐️\ \
The Teacher 2 ⭐️\ \
The Ex 3⭐️\ \
The Wife Upstairs (currently reading will finish tonight) \ \
The Amberglow Candy Store 2⭐️\ \ \ DNF\ \
The Night that Finds Us All\ \ \ Join for free or login](https://the-infinite-realms-bookclub.binderybooks.com/item/07VY8oFLf9T7GN8sI1rU/)

December wrap up!

11 books

Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Oct 6 2025

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ICYMI! This month we're reading What Hunger by Catherine Dang\ \ Last week we read page 62, chapter 6! \ \ Stopping points\ \ Week 2: (this week) Chapter 11 (Page 137)\ \ Week 3: Chapter 17 (page 210)\ \ Week 4: Last section! \ \ Can't wait to see y'all on Monday at 8PM CST! \ \ Click here for the live! \ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

What Hunger Reading Schedule

1 book

Madisoncanread\ \ Madison\ \ • Sep 23 2025

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Poll:\ \ Which book are we reading next? \ \ What should we read for our next pick? \ \ Click the book below for more of information on each pick! \ \ Update, we may be moving up to 8PM CST going forward!\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

What are we reading next?

4 books

Kurryreads\ \ Kerry\ \ • Aug 14 2025

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Ultimate Guide to Spooky Season Reading v2

Replying to @Kerry | Booktok 📖 Ultimate Guide to Spooky Season Reading - Version 2 📚👻🔪 Timestamps: 00:28 Stranger Than Fiction 00:39 Witchy 00:47 Creature Feature 1:03 Dark Past-Potentially Paranormal 1:14 Possession 1:19 Slashers 1:32 Haunted House 1:42 Eco Horror/Plant Horror 1:48 Supernatural 1:57 Demonic/Occult 2:06 Cosmic 2:13 Folklore 2:26 Speculative 2:35 Young Adult 2:46 Paranormal 2:55 Psychological 3:03 Crime 3:13 Historical Fiction 3:29 Cult 3:43 Vampires 3:51 Weird Girl/Feminine Rage 4:00 Sci-Fi 4:08 Cannibalism #guidetospookyseasonreading #spookyreads #horrorbooks #cultbooks #paranormalbooks #hauntedhousebooks #possessionbooks #creaturefeature #booktok #booktoker #bookrecommendations #whattoread #vampirebooks #speculativehorror #youngadulthorror #folklorebooks #ecohorrorbooks #scifihorrorbooks #slasherbooks #scarybooks

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Sunny's Book Truck\ \ CJ\ \ • Aug 6 2025

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Kurryreads\ \ Kerry\ \ • Aug 2 2025

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August 2025 Thriller, Mystery, & Horror Book Releases 📚📖 #whattoread #upcomingbookrelease #augustbookreleases #whattoread #newthrillerbooks #newhorrorbooks #bookworm #booktok #booktoker #upcomingthrillerbooks #anticipatedbookrelease #bookish #kurryreads #august2025books

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