House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
Rating: 4.25 ⭐️(out of 5)
Content Warnings:
Blood, graphic violence, sex, emotional abuse, torture, self-harm, murder, drug use, classism, manipulation.
When I first saw the cover of this book and read the description, I was expecting a tale about aristocratic vampires drawing in poor young women. In a way, this is what the book was about but in less of a fantastical way. Henderson turned this into a narrative about greed, manipulation, emotional abuse, and literal depiction of the poor feeding the rich. I love that she uses this bloody, sapphic, gothic tale to make one really wonder if it’s better to be an intimate servant of the upper class or continue struggling in the slums.
Marion isn’t your typical naive and innocent mc being pulled into a life of sin. She’s hardened and practical about her circumstances. Most of the time, I could understand her thought process. It’s understandable to become attached to someone who is abusive to you when they are the provider, whether that be monetarily, emotionally, etc. They have something that may be keeping you going but meanwhile, they are sucking you dry and isolating you.