Alma Katsu

"Deeply, deeply disturbing. Hard to put down, not recommended reading after dark." -- STEPHEN KING "Supernatural suspense at its finest" - NY Times One of the Most Celebrated Horror Books of 2020 Oprah Magazine, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Book Riot, the NY Times and many more WINNER Best Novel (Translated) of 2019, Celsius 232, Spanish festival of science fiction, fantasy, and horror Twice nominated for Stoker Award for Best Novel and Locus Magazine for Best Horror Novel One of NPR's 100 favorite horror stories 2018's Best Books - The Observer, Barnes & Noble, Powell's Books Winner 2019 Western Heritage Awards Outstanding Novel One of the 21 best horror novels written by a woman - Unbound Worlds “Katsu shows an acute understanding of human nature. … [She] is at her best when she forces her readers to stare at the almost unimaginable meeting of ordinary people and extraordinary desperation, using her sharp, haunting language.” - USA Today (3 1/2 out of 4 stars) "[A] blockbuster.... Combines meticulous historical research and a keen understanding of human nature with a monstrous original metaphor to reimagine the ill-fated Donner Party..." - Salon "The story she writes of human failings and despair is so powerful and so well-written... Hauntingly good." - The Times (UK) (Starred review) “A wildly different take on the historical tragedy of the Donner Party…. For fans of historical fiction and the supernatural, Katsu’s goosebumpy and spooky plot makes for an original and surprising read.” - Library Journal (Starred review) "Katsu injects the supernatural into this brilliant retelling of the ill-fated Donner Party... Fans of Dan Simmons' The Terror will find familiar and welcome chills." - Publishers Weekly "Like The Revenant but with an insistent supernatural whisper. The setting and the story are utterly chilling. And the telling of it is so well done."- Sarah Pinborough, author of Behind Her Eyes “Equal parts unputdownable and must-put-it-down-or-I-am-going-to-have-a-heart-attack… You travel into this book and there is no escape. Katsu is an exceptionally gifted writer and the dread-soaked pages are with me every day as both a writer and a scaredy cat.”” – Author of YOU Caroline Kepnes on TODAY.com “Uneasy, nauseous, slow-burning tale that marries historical fiction with a hint of the supernatural. Great detailing; colorful characterization; some supremely ominous stuff, but always reined in at the final moment to rack up the tension even more. Loved it!”- Joanne Harris, author of Different Class and Chocolat Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of March: Atmospheric horror meets the Donner Party in Katsu's retelling of the doomed pioneers.- Omnivoracious: The Amazon Book Review “The Hunger is a bold and brilliant novel, heavy with foreboding and dread, and with a rich vein of humanity at its core. I challenge you to read it without experiencing your own hunger pangs.”- Tim Lebbon, author of Relics and The Silence "If you think the story of the Donner Party can’t get more horrific, think again. In this gripping, atmospheric reimagining of that dark tale, Katsu has created a deeply unsettling and truly terrifying masterpiece.”- Jennifer McMahon, author of Burntown and The Winter People “The Hunger is a perfect metaphor of our times, a study in the best and the worst of human nature, our propensity to see evil in those on whom we depend, and the terror that comes when community falls apart. Beautiful, lyrical, utterly grounded in the wagons, the land, and the people, this is the best--and scariest--story I’ve read this year. Don’t start late at night and expect to sleep!”- Manda Scott, author of Hen's Teeth "The tension is perfect: the novel is a model for how to construct the slow build... Well-written and gripping with a strong conclusion, The Hunger is an inventive take on an already morbidly fascinating historical event. Recommended!"- Historical Novels Review “Katsu’s latest novel…grips readers from the opening paragraphs and doesn’t let go. Full of richly drawn and fascinatingly flawed characters, this is a story that is respectful of the history it relates, but doesn’t shy away from the sins, mistakes and bigotry of the past, to impressive effect.”- RT Book Reviews "We think we know how the story will end [but it] ends with a twist that I certainly didn't see coming."- Criminal Element Ms. Katus's debut novel, The Taker, was selected by Booklist as one of the top 10 debut novels of 2011. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Program and Brandeis University, where she studied with novelist John Irving, and an alumni of the Squaw Valley Writers Conference. Like many writers, she has a day job, too: for over 30 years, she was an intelligence analyst for the federal government and RAND, and is currently a consultant on emerging technology.