Hunger

Fertig am: 03. März 2022 (2 Tage)

#DoppelgangersReviews

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”106 hours, 29 minutes.”

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(Trigger Warnung fürs Buch generell: leichte Horror Aspekte; manche Charaktere sind sadistisch und brutal.)

I don’t f*cking know how to rate this book.

On one hand, it’s written so so good, the writing style is amazing, so thrilling and I don’t can or want to put it down. The story in itself is also exciting and although you kind of know where this is going, you just don’t want to stop reading.

On the other hand, the characters are so damn annoying. They’re all kind of understandable and I love that we have so many point of views. But they’re all so dumb and so annoying, you kind of end up hating everyone. But at the same time you get where they’re coming from, and you mostly can’t even blame them. Well, except Drake, and for me also Caine, and maybe some few others, but really for the most part.

However, I don’t like how the author is treating the female characters. They’re always described as beautiful, being some kind of trophy to the boys, but not really treated like a partner. As in, the “friend” part in “girlfriend” is missing. We’re back in the kingdom’s era, with men at the top and women being treated like things you can own. And it seems like the author is even proud of that...

I want to like the female characters and I do like most of the background females, but the mains, especially Astrid, are pissing me so off. I don’t want to be pissed at them, but the author is practically forcing the reader to do so. Forcing dumb stuff on the female characters, so that the reader pretty much can’t do anything than be annoyed by them. That force is annoying me mostly though.

A few spoilers from now on. Not heavy spoilers, nothing that really spoils the ending for you, but yeah. (Also it’s the sequel (#2) of “Gone”).

When Sam had a breakdown and was accusing Astrid of manipulating him, that was like the first time I took his side. I mean, he’s right. Astrid has always been that sidekick to Sam, bc that way she was safe and Pete was safe, and I don’t blame her for that part, but she has never l really done anything. She pretty much only reads a to-do-list for Sam down, and accuses Albert for being greedy. Well, Albert really is greedy, but isn’t Astrid at some point too? Maybe not for the same thing, but kind of.

I really want to be on Astrid’s side on this, because it’s f*cking annoying how the author is treating the females. Like they’re trophies of the guys, always described as beautiful. They have like one characteristic, Astrid being a genius for example, but not really having much of a purpose. Or helping in any way. Astrid is there, and she’s kinda the love of sam’s life, but does absolutely nothing. It took her 450 pages to figure out “the darkness” thingy and finally listen to her brother. I don’t really blame her for that (the darkness thingy), because that’s some vague guess, but if the author says she’s supposed to be a genius and nothing else, but then not even being able to live her up to her one and only characteristic... idk man.

I get that geniuses don’t know everything and even they need time to think. Like I said, I’m not blaming Astrid. I’m rather blaming the author, although blaming is the wrong word, for being confusing and forcing unnecessary things.

I don’t even know if the reader is supposed to like Astrid or not. Does the author like Astrid; does he like flat characters? Or does he dislike her and that’s why she’s mostly just “there”, but not really?

For example Astrid not getting when Albert explained her the issue that kids are wasting toilet paper. That felt like a whole different character there. Shes supposed to be that big genius, but doesn’t get anything, when someone else is explaining things to her. Survival things.

I mean, she just stood there, not getting it, and instead accusing Albert for being greedy. Man, we’re talking about toilet paper. Isn’t it better that someone hordes it for themselves, than little kids playing with it and wasting it?

It’s annoying. And sam was there too, accusing Albert of being greedy too. He even said that the dance club was stupid, even though that was like the only place where people were happy and could get their minds off. To me it just seemed that Sam was jealous, jealous that he didn’t come up with the idea himself.

But, just bc I sided one time with him, when he was finally speaking up to Astrid, doesn’t mean I like him much. I really don’t get him, actually.

He’s annoyed every single time, when kids ask him out little things, like what movie to watch (which I completely get, it’s dumb and annoying), but whenever someone does sth on their own, actually gets their butt up and does sth instead of lying around all day – actually working, doing sth for the community –, Sam’s annoyed too that they didn’t tell him.

What, man? You need to decide. And really, the fact he gets upset over Quinn fishing, is just...

Well, I do get where he’s coming from, all that stress and everything, but still.

At first I was like: okay, Sam’s obviously not up for the job being, then let’s make Albert the mayor. At first. But then his obsession with money – yes, f*cking money – cane to the surface and... bruh, you gotta be kidding right?

You can’t eat gold. Yet he’s wasting his time by learning how to melt gold and make coins out of it. He should learn about history instead, to realize that money never helped during tough times. You can’t f*cking eat money.

I really liked Albert and I think I still definitely like him more than Sam and Astrid, but the fact that he’s obsessing over money/gold, while starving? Dude, that’s sick.

Seems like Lana will stay my fav now. So far, at least.

Duck has also become a fav.

Brittney too, I’m really glad she “survived”, although I also wanted her to be somewhere better, reunited with her brother, away from this stupid world. But if that would mean eaten by the “darkness”, I’m glad she’s not with “it”, but still here.

A moment of silence for Brittney, btw. Had sacrificed herself and bought time for Sam to get there. Well, even though she didn’t know Sam was coming. But she did sacrifice herself, fully knowing she wouldn’t make it, but then again, she wasn’t afraid to die.

And men say women are weak. When in reality, Brittney stepped up and the two guys, Mike and Mickey, were hiding under a table. F*ck guys.

That’s probably the first female the author hasn’t treated like shit yet. Yet. I don’t really think I’m eager to know what he’ll do to her in the 3rd book.

And Zil, oh my god, Zil. I kind of get where he’s coming from, but what the f*ck? They’re like starving and he has time and energy to start a war?

I mean, it’s clear he was the reason that Harry is dead. Like, Hunter didn’t ask for the powers. And most “freaks” can’t control them, anyway. It doesn’t help if everyone else is making you angry all the time. And if Hunter didn’t have powers, Zil would’ve probably killed him with that baseball bat (was it a bat? Can’t . But I mean the incident in the living room). So, like every other human, Hunter panicked and tried to protect his head. And Harry was dumb or naive or whatever to get between them, which resulted in him getting hurt instead of Zil. Well, that’s where Zil’s madness started or erupted.

I can’t blame him that much bc I get where he’s coming from, but it’s dumb. Everyone in this book is so dumb. Instead of getting to work and hunting for food (like Quinn going fishing for example), they create unnecessary wars.

And, let’s be honest, Zil’s crew is just jealous. He wants to have that kind of power that the freaks have, but he doesn’t, and he’s jealous. And, sure, part of him is also afraid, but it’s mostly jealousy (in form of hatred) that’s driving him. It’s so dumb 🤦🏻‍♀

And it gets worse. So he’s accusing the freaks to kill the “normals” with their powers, and get all the food for themselves. Not that he has any proof, but yeah. But then he isn’t any better. Goes around town and wants to kill the freaks.

Then Hunter left, bc Zil literally banned him out of town. Hunter found meat and ate it, obviously. When Zil found that out, he accused him for eating it all by mphimself. Dude, what? What’s he supposed to do, when he can’t go back to town, where you’re gonna kill him?

And then, they smack Hunter to unconsciousness, complimenting Drake to come up with the idea of putting cement around the hands, and eating the meat all by themselves. Instead of getting it to town, like they wanted Hunter to do.

Right, always accuse others but then don’t make it better and literally be on the same level, or even lower.

~

Wow, what a beautiful rant. It was at least good to get this all off and I also noticed what the author is doing with the female and male characters.

The male characters all seem to be understandable. (Except Drake and Caine). They always have a good backstory, even if it’s just having vegan parents and being glad they’re not here anymore so that the kid can eat meat. Even though you dislike every male character, you get where they’re coming from. They make sense, they’re realistic. Their strengths and weaknesses are balanced, no one really being overpowered.

But the females. Well, you also get where they’re coming from, but they don’t make sense. They’re all powerful, but always a rank below the males. Their main characteristics constantly changing, in every situation. They get their glory time, but it never lasts long, and it’s always about the men. I’m sure we all agree that it’s always men causing trouble and making the world a worse place than it already is, and that’s very realistic, but it’s annnoying. As if the author doesn’t know what to do with the females; he needs them for balance bc just males would surely be boring. But that’s pretty much it. He doesn’t put much effort into their character.

I did read the book in 2 days and I think I did enjoy most of it – it’s probably the wonderful writing style –, but there are these little things that annoy me so so much. And it’s not like he couldn’t have easily fixed that thing. Especially with the females.

Or his point is to show, that, in whatever world, males will always be a rank above females.

~

I’ve come to the conclusion to rate this 3 stars. 3,5 to be more precise, but falling to the 3rd, rather than the 4th.

:star: :star: :star: (3.5/5)

Weitere Infos zum Buch

Titel: Hunger

Autor: Michael Grant

Verlag: Katherine Tegen Books

Erscheinungsdatum: Mai 2009

Seiten: 590

ISBN: 9780061449086

Genre: YA, dystopia, supernatural

Tags: #superpowers

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