Scan barcode
liamckenzie's review
2.0
no, I don't even know why I gave this 2⭐️ think it's because I finished it. not my cup of tea sorry viola but I think a few friends would enjoy this so I will recommend
happy_ness_honey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
lit_laugh_luv's review against another edition
3.0
Blue Hunger is an odd book that is hard to fully encapsulate in a review. It deals with several interconnected themes - loss, grief, alienation, and envy that lead our unnamed protagonist to take on the identity of her recently deceased twin brother and explore an increasingly masochistic and abusive relationship with an enigmatic local. The book predominantly focuses on the protagonist's introspections (there's fairly minimal dialogue), particularly related to hunger and consumption.
What was most effective for me here was the setting - the author devotes a lot of attention to Shanghai's landmarks and culture to draw you into this bustling metropolis. Translation also plays a role in our narrator's acclimation to the city as she reflects on the nuances between languages and the intricacies of communication, which I found to be the most interesting part of her story. Otherwise, her grief and relationships with others (outside of Xu) felt a bit hazy - she is not a narrator you get closely acquainted with despite this being a book with minimal plot.
I liked the writing in this a lot and it certainly holds up well after translation. The book is gritty, dark, and disturbing but executed fairly well. On a sentence level, it is solid, but as a narrative, it struggles with pacing and a sense of finality. Too many elements in this felt ambiguous and unsatisfactory for me as a reader for it to warrant a higher rating, but Viola Di Grado is such a talented writer I'd be interested to see how her other works are!
What was most effective for me here was the setting - the author devotes a lot of attention to Shanghai's landmarks and culture to draw you into this bustling metropolis. Translation also plays a role in our narrator's acclimation to the city as she reflects on the nuances between languages and the intricacies of communication, which I found to be the most interesting part of her story. Otherwise, her grief and relationships with others (outside of Xu) felt a bit hazy - she is not a narrator you get closely acquainted with despite this being a book with minimal plot.
I liked the writing in this a lot and it certainly holds up well after translation. The book is gritty, dark, and disturbing but executed fairly well. On a sentence level, it is solid, but as a narrative, it struggles with pacing and a sense of finality. Too many elements in this felt ambiguous and unsatisfactory for me as a reader for it to warrant a higher rating, but Viola Di Grado is such a talented writer I'd be interested to see how her other works are!
withnailette89's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Sexual content
fictionofthefix's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
leaf_7's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0