She's Always Hungry: Stories

Unsettling, grotesque, and often darkly humorous…

Review of Eliza Clark's "She's Always Hungry"
Eliza Clark's She's Always Hungry is a collection of short stories that explores the dark side of human nature. The stories are unsettling, grotesque, and often darkly humorous, leaving the reader feeling both disturbed and entertained. Clark's writing is sharp and incisive, and she is not afraid to tackle difficult and taboo subjects.

Body Horror and Disordered Eating: A recurring theme in the collection is body horror, often intertwined with disordered eating. In "Build a Body Like Mine," the narrator offers a disturbing solution to weight loss, encouraging readers to embrace a parasitic infestation. The story is a chilling exploration of show more the lengths people will go to achieve their desired body image and the insidious nature of online communities that prey on insecurities. "She’s Always Hungry" similarly utilizes body horror to explore themes of gendered repression and systemic violence, with descriptions of men being subjected to brutal rituals by a matriarchal society.

"Hollow Bones" ventures into science fiction, following a xenoarchaeologist recovering from a mysterious accident that results in amputations. The story is filled with vivid descriptions of wounds, medical procedures, and a parasitic infestation that evokes a sense of visceral disgust. The protagonist's struggle with codamine addiction and the unsettling hallucinations it induces add to the story's unsettling atmosphere. "Shake Well" explores the dark side of beauty standards, with a teenage protagonist entangled in an abusive relationship with an older man who exploits her desperation to cure her acne The story uses graphic descriptions of acne, skin picking, and a black-market cure to create a sense of unease and revulsion, highlighting the vulnerability of young people seeking validation and the manipulative nature of predatory individuals.

Power, Control, and Manipulation: Beyond body horror, the collection explores themes of power, control, and manipulation in various contexts. "The Problem Solver" tackles the aftermath of sexual assault, highlighting the complexities of reporting such crimes and the societal pressures that silence victims. The story sheds light on the emotional turmoil and difficult decisions survivors face in navigating a system that often fails to protect them. "Goth GF" examines workplace bullying and the harmful consequences of online harassment. The protagonist's discomfort with her colleagues' cruel behavior towards a goth coworker highlights the importance of empathy and challenging toxic group dynamics.

"The King" is a post-apocalyptic tale centered around a cannibalistic protagonist who establishes a tyrannical rule over a community of survivors. The story satirizes the allure of power and the corrupting influence of absolute authority, showcasing the protagonist's descent into cruelty and self-indulgence. "Company Man" delves into a troubled relationship marked by alcoholism and emotional manipulation, leaving the reader questioning the boundaries of consent and the lasting impact of toxic relationships.

Genre-Bending Storytelling: Clark's collection is notable for its genre-bending approach, seamlessly blending elements of horror, science fiction, and dark comedy. "The Shadow Over Little Chitaly" takes on a surreal and humorous tone, featuring a mysterious Chinese takeaway restaurant that seemingly teleports food from distant locations and delivers bizarre culinary creations. The story's online reviews, with their mix of bewilderment, disgust, and amusement, add to the absurdity of the situation. "Extinction Event" combines science fiction with ecological anxieties, depicting the discovery of an alien plant species with the potential to reverse climate change. However, the story takes a dark turn as the plant's true nature is revealed, prompting ethical dilemmas and highlighting the potential dangers of tampering with unknown life forms.

"Nightstalkers" is a 1970s-set coming-of-age story that explores teenage drug use, burgeoning sexuality, and the anxieties of social acceptance. The story's period setting and themes of homophobia provide a glimpse into the social climate of the time, while the protagonists' experiences with hallucinogenic drugs create a sense of disorientation and blurred reality.

A Singular Voice in Modern Horror: Eliza Clark's She's Always Hungry is a bold and unsettling collection that showcases the author's unique voice in modern horror. The stories are not for the faint of heart, but they are undeniably captivating, thought-provoking, and darkly entertaining. The detailed "Content Guide" provided within the book itself serves as a testament to the challenging nature of the stories and Clark's commitment to addressing sensitive themes responsibly. The praise from fellow authors like Alice Slater, Juno Dawson, and Claire Kohda further solidifies Clark's position as a rising star in the genre, with her ability to blend horror, humor, and social commentary garnering recognition and acclaim.

Conclusion: Through its exploration of body horror, power dynamics, and human vulnerability, She's Always Hungry offers a disturbing yet insightful commentary on contemporary anxieties and the darker aspects of human experience. Eliza Clark's writing is both repulsive and compelling, leaving a lasting impression on the reader long after the final page is turned.

The full Deep Dive review of this book can be watched from our YouTube channel...

https://youtu.be/Wyu__Bpd8XQ show less

a mixed bag, in every sense of the phrase!

the short stories inside take you all over the place, from a matriarchal fishing village, to the deepest corners of the internet, to a takeaway that nobody can seem to track down, to the collapse of society as we know it. the writing style follows the same fluidity too, with effortless changes in voice and tone, each narrator sounds totally separate from the last, with it all tied nicely together with the theme of hunger.

i like it when short story collections get messy, and i love it when they allow themselves to get just plain weird, and to the book's credit it delivers on its promises to do just that, but sometimes i felt myself asking for more. the titular novella 'she's always hungry' was a show more high point, but for me 'nightstalkers' and 'goth GF' stood at as lows. maybe it's a matter of they just weren't for me, but they felt like they were holding back when the stories before and after felt the freedom to truly play around with the concept held inside them. they instead felt to me quite limited, i could see the twist in both stories coming from a mile away, and in turn felt unsatisfied at the end. this is only the case for a few, and for the rest it was a blast to watch these revolting pocket-sized worlds unfold before you.

if body horror in all its glory is your thing, you'll get a kick out of it, there's some real gems. but it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, they will probably be put off by the blurb. and at the end of the day who knows maybe im the weird one for being left hungry for more. show less

I know I run the risk of sounding like an elitist snob if I dare use the term "derivative", but the shoe fits. I think if you're going to cover edgy topics, the minimum requirement is that you bring a unique perspective or argument. But for me, this is the kind of fiction that elicits only the reaction of "yeah, I get it, I saw that tweet, too".

I read the first three stories fully through, and then decided I simply had to DNF. For each of the following stories, I read a few pages and then skimmed the rest. Turns out I could have skipped the whole book and wouldn't have missed anything.

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

I feel like I enjoyed it just enough but didn’t enjoy it enough to give it a four star. I think I need to sit with it to see how I feel but I’m not even sure I care enough to keep the book

My story rankings:
1. Hollow Bones: I 2. Goth GF: Super Funny
3. The Shadow over Little Chitaly: You get a story just based on reviews. Loved it!
4. Shake Well: Although, I did not enjoy the grooming this felt very Junji-Ito coded
5. Extinction Event: I 6. The King: Funny
7. Company Man: Did not enjoy the dreams (IFYKYK) but I can see this all play out in my head, it was an experience
8. Build a Body Like Mine: Oh, the many things women will do for a perfect body...
9. The Problem Solver: At first I didn't get it but now I do. Your "solution" to a problem might just create a bigger problem
10. She's Always Hungry: enjoyed the matriarchal village where women are in charge
11. Nightstalker: I did not understand this one. Felt it needed a bit some show more substance (no pun intended) show less

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