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A Healthy Appetite
A delightfully dark and ravenous tale of morality vs mortality, that asks what you’d sacrifice for your survival. Perfect for fans of Monika Kim and Sayaka Murata.
Hannah is dying for a cure.
After a decade subsumed by a cancer diagnosis, Hannah is now thirty, existing in a hinterland between life and death. Her boyfriend Scott has become more of a carer than a lover, and - with no job, no plans, and no more options - she has resigned herself to no future.
But then she's given the opportunity to join phase one of a clinical trial that might just save her. Almost immediately, she feels different; that evening, her appetite returns. And it keeps growing...
Now Hannah is hungry for life.
A committed vegetarian, Hannah suddenly finds herself craving meat ― but her new hunger isn't limited to food. Now she wants everything. As new and suppressed desires surface she becomes reckless, destructive, and deceitful. It's the miracle drug she's been waiting for, but at what cost?
This unique addition to the Weird Girl Lit tradition brings readers face to face with the visceral terror of being trapped in a body that has turned against itself. In a world where women are rewarded for their restraint, A Healthy Appetite introduces us to a character whose insatiable hunger is as vital for survival as the blood that runs through her veins.
Hannah is dying for a cure.
After a decade subsumed by a cancer diagnosis, Hannah is now thirty, existing in a hinterland between life and death. Her boyfriend Scott has become more of a carer than a lover, and - with no job, no plans, and no more options - she has resigned herself to no future.
But then she's given the opportunity to join phase one of a clinical trial that might just save her. Almost immediately, she feels different; that evening, her appetite returns. And it keeps growing...
Now Hannah is hungry for life.
A committed vegetarian, Hannah suddenly finds herself craving meat ― but her new hunger isn't limited to food. Now she wants everything. As new and suppressed desires surface she becomes reckless, destructive, and deceitful. It's the miracle drug she's been waiting for, but at what cost?
This unique addition to the Weird Girl Lit tradition brings readers face to face with the visceral terror of being trapped in a body that has turned against itself. In a world where women are rewarded for their restraint, A Healthy Appetite introduces us to a character whose insatiable hunger is as vital for survival as the blood that runs through her veins.
- GenresHorror
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
FAV READ OF 2026 ALERT 🚨
A Healthy Appetite follows Hannah, a 30 year old who has been subsumed by a cancer diagnosis for a decade. She is given the opportunity to join a clinical trial that might save her life. But then, she starts to feel different...
She's a committed vegetarian, and has been for a very long time, but she now finds herself craving meat, but her hunger is definitely not limited to just food.
For a debut novel, l am in absolute awe. I devoured (no pun intended x) this book, and it left me craving so much more.
Hannah is a fucking maverick. She is layered, flawed, and everything in between and I LOVE HER. I would die for her. She has been through so, so, so much and as she starts to change during the first phase of the medical trial, I was celebrating all her rights... and wrongs.
I don't think I have ever loved a character as much as I love Hannah, and I was rooting for her throughout the whole book.
The easiest 5 star rating ever ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!
A massive thank you to Dead Ink for sending me an early copy to review. And a thank you to Katie, for being an absolute superstar and being so lovely and just a wonderful writer 🥹🫶 I cannot wait to read more from you!
A Healthy Appetite follows Hannah, a 30 year old who has been subsumed by a cancer diagnosis for a decade. She is given the opportunity to join a clinical trial that might save her life. But then, she starts to feel different...
She's a committed vegetarian, and has been for a very long time, but she now finds herself craving meat, but her hunger is definitely not limited to just food.
For a debut novel, l am in absolute awe. I devoured (no pun intended x) this book, and it left me craving so much more.
Hannah is a fucking maverick. She is layered, flawed, and everything in between and I LOVE HER. I would die for her. She has been through so, so, so much and as she starts to change during the first phase of the medical trial, I was celebrating all her rights... and wrongs.
I don't think I have ever loved a character as much as I love Hannah, and I was rooting for her throughout the whole book.
The easiest 5 star rating ever ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!
A massive thank you to Dead Ink for sending me an early copy to review. And a thank you to Katie, for being an absolute superstar and being so lovely and just a wonderful writer 🥹🫶 I cannot wait to read more from you!
August 14, 2026
Thank you to Dead Ink Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars.
In this dark, weird (in the best way) book, Hannah, a woman who has been battling cancer for a long time, is offered a place in a clinical trial for a new, experimental drug. As she begins the treatment she finds herself with a new hunger that is difficult to sate.
What follows is a descent into recklessness and self-destruction as Hannah struggles to resist the fresh desires her body craves. I felt the book did a great job of balancing the emotions of someone battling a dire prognosis - the hopes of recovery while not quite believing - with the increasingly unhinged plot and behaviour of our main character.
This was a deep dive into our character's psyche, and even when she is making terrible decisions, you can't help but feel for her.
A worthy addition into my favourite weird girl horror books.
4.5 stars.
In this dark, weird (in the best way) book, Hannah, a woman who has been battling cancer for a long time, is offered a place in a clinical trial for a new, experimental drug. As she begins the treatment she finds herself with a new hunger that is difficult to sate.
What follows is a descent into recklessness and self-destruction as Hannah struggles to resist the fresh desires her body craves. I felt the book did a great job of balancing the emotions of someone battling a dire prognosis - the hopes of recovery while not quite believing - with the increasingly unhinged plot and behaviour of our main character.
This was a deep dive into our character's psyche, and even when she is making terrible decisions, you can't help but feel for her.
A worthy addition into my favourite weird girl horror books.
August 12, 2026
original, tense, fast-paced and super engaging!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What would you be willing to do to stay alive?
I watched a Hank Green video recently where he talks about how his definition of life is something that WANTS. Not just something that has needs and responds to stimuli, but something that WANTS things.
You could say, life always has a hunger for more, and this is exactly what the novel illustrates so well.
The writing flowed so naturally and Hannah's character felt incredibly human. There are some beautiful metaphors in here, Katie's writing is so masterful that they blend effortlessly into the narrative and add a poetic element to an otherwise increasingly feral story.
The book had the perfect balance of rising tension and the realistic mundanity of life and survival. This isn't just a basic "good for her" type of story. Although there are definitely many weird, feral, and at times brutal, elements to this story... It is so much more than just shock factor.
Huttlestone shares something deeply personal with us by writing the story of someone living with cancer, and in doing so she has written something so deeply human and messy. The longer the story goes on, the more complex Hannah's survival and her WANTS (or The Hunger) become. Which I think is a beautiful metaphor for the complexity of living, especially living longer than you ever expected.
"Where was I meant to go now? Presented with not too few, but too many options, might I give up rather than choose?"
What is scarier? A future you have accepted for yourself which is doomed but knowable, or an unknown and uncertain future?
To be human, to keep on living, to fight the odds and go through the struggles of life is exhausting. But most of us have a driving force that keeps us going, the need for survival and the things that we continue to WANT.
A Healthy Appetite questions what happens when those WANTS erase who we are, who we would like to be, and what we believe in? Is survival worth losing your identity for? Are we animals fighting for survival at our core, or is there more to being human than that?
A darkly funny, daring, and tenacious novel. I adored every second!
AD:PR -Thank you to Dead Ink Books for the ARC! 🩷
I watched a Hank Green video recently where he talks about how his definition of life is something that WANTS. Not just something that has needs and responds to stimuli, but something that WANTS things.
You could say, life always has a hunger for more, and this is exactly what the novel illustrates so well.
The writing flowed so naturally and Hannah's character felt incredibly human. There are some beautiful metaphors in here, Katie's writing is so masterful that they blend effortlessly into the narrative and add a poetic element to an otherwise increasingly feral story.
The book had the perfect balance of rising tension and the realistic mundanity of life and survival. This isn't just a basic "good for her" type of story. Although there are definitely many weird, feral, and at times brutal, elements to this story... It is so much more than just shock factor.
Huttlestone shares something deeply personal with us by writing the story of someone living with cancer, and in doing so she has written something so deeply human and messy. The longer the story goes on, the more complex Hannah's survival and her WANTS (or The Hunger) become. Which I think is a beautiful metaphor for the complexity of living, especially living longer than you ever expected.
"Where was I meant to go now? Presented with not too few, but too many options, might I give up rather than choose?"
What is scarier? A future you have accepted for yourself which is doomed but knowable, or an unknown and uncertain future?
To be human, to keep on living, to fight the odds and go through the struggles of life is exhausting. But most of us have a driving force that keeps us going, the need for survival and the things that we continue to WANT.
A Healthy Appetite questions what happens when those WANTS erase who we are, who we would like to be, and what we believe in? Is survival worth losing your identity for? Are we animals fighting for survival at our core, or is there more to being human than that?
A darkly funny, daring, and tenacious novel. I adored every second!
AD:PR -Thank you to Dead Ink Books for the ARC! 🩷
August 9, 2026
This was a fantastic, tight story that I absolutely flew through. I loved how the dread and looming threat grew and grew, before an unhinged and staggering climax that really worked well.
Not gonna lie, based on the cover I was worried that this story was going to involve either cruelty to guinea pigs or feature murderous cavvies. Thankfully, it didn’t - although the latter would be cool.
Instead, we get a terrific story full of existential dread and body horror that is so powerful to read, especially when you take into account that the author is someone living with terminal illness. The accounts of being on a clinical trial, and how that affects you, feel so real.
The central idea here is fun: that this life-saving trial unlocks a desire for Hannah to eat meat, slapping years of vegetarianism in the face. Not only does it lead to some gross moments, it’s a powerful metaphor for choice and control in a situation where you would otherwise feel like those things are not available.
I also enjoyed following Hannah and Scott’s relationship over the course of the book. Early on, you see how Scott is portrayed as a kind care-giver, yet when you really examine his actions you see he’s actually a prick. Again, that sort of character feels like they were drawn from real life.
The horror here is not a genre gore fest, but instead rooted in having to face your own mortality. It’s so real, so haunting, and drives this breezy, speedy read.
This debut is a powerful statement of intent from a skilled writer. Clearly, this one is tapping into deep personal experience and it’s all the better for it. It is dark, bleak, funny at times, and just full of messy life and its complications…but with healthy servings of bloody meat for every meal. Lots of fun, and definitely worth checking out.
Huge thanks to Dead Ink for the review copy.
Not gonna lie, based on the cover I was worried that this story was going to involve either cruelty to guinea pigs or feature murderous cavvies. Thankfully, it didn’t - although the latter would be cool.
Instead, we get a terrific story full of existential dread and body horror that is so powerful to read, especially when you take into account that the author is someone living with terminal illness. The accounts of being on a clinical trial, and how that affects you, feel so real.
The central idea here is fun: that this life-saving trial unlocks a desire for Hannah to eat meat, slapping years of vegetarianism in the face. Not only does it lead to some gross moments, it’s a powerful metaphor for choice and control in a situation where you would otherwise feel like those things are not available.
I also enjoyed following Hannah and Scott’s relationship over the course of the book. Early on, you see how Scott is portrayed as a kind care-giver, yet when you really examine his actions you see he’s actually a prick. Again, that sort of character feels like they were drawn from real life.
The horror here is not a genre gore fest, but instead rooted in having to face your own mortality. It’s so real, so haunting, and drives this breezy, speedy read.
This debut is a powerful statement of intent from a skilled writer. Clearly, this one is tapping into deep personal experience and it’s all the better for it. It is dark, bleak, funny at times, and just full of messy life and its complications…but with healthy servings of bloody meat for every meal. Lots of fun, and definitely worth checking out.
Huge thanks to Dead Ink for the review copy.
August 8, 2026
Thank you Dead Ink Books for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hannah was diagnosed with breast cancer at 20. Ten years on, she is still receiving treatment for it, so when she is offered the chance to take part in a revolutionary clinical trial she takes it.
She lives with her boyfriend Scott, who has become more of a carer than a partner, and she is dying for a cure.
When she starts this trial, she experiences some almost immediate unusual side effects. Hannah has been a vegetarian for years, but now, she is craving meat, and it may or may not be limited to conventional meat sources.
This book was fantastic. I was in a huge reading slump before reading this (and I’m talking, the pits of a reading slump) and this book got me out of it. I sped through this within two days. It deals with subject matter which can often be hard to authentically capture in such an original, fresh way. As a chronically ill person and a cancer survivor, this book manages to capture the nuanced emotions associated with the experience of spending years in and out of hospital, and it is clear how much thought went into it. The characters are not perfect, and they are flawed, but that’s what makes them feel so human.
I’d have loved to have spent a bit more time with Isla before her death and the ending surrounding Felicity and Hannah could have been fleshed out a little more. But having said this, it was brilliant and I would highly recommend.
Hannah was diagnosed with breast cancer at 20. Ten years on, she is still receiving treatment for it, so when she is offered the chance to take part in a revolutionary clinical trial she takes it.
She lives with her boyfriend Scott, who has become more of a carer than a partner, and she is dying for a cure.
When she starts this trial, she experiences some almost immediate unusual side effects. Hannah has been a vegetarian for years, but now, she is craving meat, and it may or may not be limited to conventional meat sources.
This book was fantastic. I was in a huge reading slump before reading this (and I’m talking, the pits of a reading slump) and this book got me out of it. I sped through this within two days. It deals with subject matter which can often be hard to authentically capture in such an original, fresh way. As a chronically ill person and a cancer survivor, this book manages to capture the nuanced emotions associated with the experience of spending years in and out of hospital, and it is clear how much thought went into it. The characters are not perfect, and they are flawed, but that’s what makes them feel so human.
I’d have loved to have spent a bit more time with Isla before her death and the ending surrounding Felicity and Hannah could have been fleshed out a little more. But having said this, it was brilliant and I would highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2026
I was not supposed to read anything other than my already requested ARCs, but when I saw this on NetGalley, I couldn’t resist. I have been waiting for months to read A Healthy Appetite by Katie Huttlestone, and Dead Ink Books is one of my favorite publishers.
And I was right, I read this in 2 days. I couldn’t put it down. Let’s be clear already: this is a 5⭐️
Hannah has tried everything to beat cancer. When she is offered a chance to be part of a clinical trial, she takes it without much hope. But this is going to change her… make her hungry for life…
Despite the situation, the writing makes everything feel very real and relatable. It’s beautiful, it flows, and once you start reading, you can’t stop. I was completely swept away by every word.
It touches on many themes: the dehumanisation of patients, the expectations weighing on women no matter their situation, and not being able to change while still being accepted by your loved ones.
A new voice to count on in the literary field, with just a dash of horror.
And I was right, I read this in 2 days. I couldn’t put it down. Let’s be clear already: this is a 5⭐️
Hannah has tried everything to beat cancer. When she is offered a chance to be part of a clinical trial, she takes it without much hope. But this is going to change her… make her hungry for life…
Despite the situation, the writing makes everything feel very real and relatable. It’s beautiful, it flows, and once you start reading, you can’t stop. I was completely swept away by every word.
It touches on many themes: the dehumanisation of patients, the expectations weighing on women no matter their situation, and not being able to change while still being accepted by your loved ones.
A new voice to count on in the literary field, with just a dash of horror.
August 11, 2026
A Healthy Appetite is an incredibly gripping story that places an untamable, visceral hunger right at its centre. What made this book stand out for me was its magnificent, complex main character and its powerful exploration of mortality, showing the absolute toll of survival and the extreme lengths we will go to just to stay alive. The book functions as a brilliant, claustrophobic descent into madness and the identity crises that humans frequently face when confronted with immense adversity. I felt that the depiction of terminal illness was presented so exceptionally well, perfectly capturing the heavy, crushing feelings of absolute isolation and the total lack of control over one's own body. It is a fantastic, unforgettable entry into the "weird girl lit" space that kept me entirely hooked. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you so much toDeadinkbooks for the ever so lovely proof🖤
4.75 - rounded up to a 5 because that near enough is a 5 loool⭐
THIS WAS A RIDE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GET OFF👏
I just gotta put out there the way sometimes I'd snort laughing to some of the things here 🤣 one that got me on a packed but was just the image of poor Charlie and the over the fucking hill line.
This also hit me in ways that hurt and hit personally. Fuck cancer! Sending so much love to everyone affected by it ❤️
This was fantastic and the amount of words I type won't be able to convey properly.
The way the hunger can be taken both literally or as a metaphor. The embracing a darker sider can be taken, again, literally, or just saying fuck it. I MEAN?!!?
The tuna bit was in my head the entire day at work for some reason LOOOL. 🤣
Absolutely a powerhouse of a book to hit you in feels, reality of dealing with a chronic illness, cancer, the treatment, the aftermath, the way it can affect everyone, the way it can dampen your thrust for life, and then what happens when something may work?
4.75 - rounded up to a 5 because that near enough is a 5 loool⭐
THIS WAS A RIDE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GET OFF👏
I just gotta put out there the way sometimes I'd snort laughing to some of the things here 🤣 one that got me on a packed but was just the image of poor Charlie and the over the fucking hill line.
This also hit me in ways that hurt and hit personally. Fuck cancer! Sending so much love to everyone affected by it ❤️
This was fantastic and the amount of words I type won't be able to convey properly.
The way the hunger can be taken both literally or as a metaphor. The embracing a darker sider can be taken, again, literally, or just saying fuck it. I MEAN?!!?
The tuna bit was in my head the entire day at work for some reason LOOOL. 🤣
Absolutely a powerhouse of a book to hit you in feels, reality of dealing with a chronic illness, cancer, the treatment, the aftermath, the way it can affect everyone, the way it can dampen your thrust for life, and then what happens when something may work?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I enjoyed the premise and the food guilt is very well written - as a woman whose been on every diet for the last 15+ years this made made me feel weird (in a good way - compliments to the author for capturing this so well)
A lot of this story is left open to interpretation like the differing side affects with Isla - it seemed like her body fighting The Hunger killed her whereas Hannah accepted it
I feel like the plot jumped around a bit and felt disjointed, although this could be intentional as Hannah's mental state deteriorates
I fear this lost me in the last 10% - wanting babies is not for me so I unintentionally didn't retain much from the ending. Also, I thought it was going in a different direction, hannah fully losing the plot and eating the baby
Overall a good read, though I wish I went in completely blind as to not sway any expectations
A lot of this story is left open to interpretation like the differing side affects with Isla - it seemed like her body fighting The Hunger killed her whereas Hannah accepted it
I feel like the plot jumped around a bit and felt disjointed, although this could be intentional as Hannah's mental state deteriorates
I fear this lost me in the last 10% - wanting babies is not for me so I unintentionally didn't retain much from the ending. Also, I thought it was going in a different direction, hannah fully losing the plot and eating the baby
Overall a good read, though I wish I went in completely blind as to not sway any expectations
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What a snack of a book!
I loved the way Huttlestone wrote her characters. The main character Hannah just had me and took me on all the emotions.
If I could describe the writing style I would want from a book it was this. The writing style was just a bit of me! Wow wow.
It felt both yasss and grim at the same time. The horror of the hunger and darkness of illness and chasing wellness.
The pacing felt like a growing hunger that would be appeased but quickly become ravenous. The ending did slow a bit for me but the final pages left me full and craving more!
It had mystery, it had drama, it had juicy characters and real world horror.
Just scrummy! What a debut!
Thank you so much to Dead Ink Books for the advanced reader copy.
I loved the way Huttlestone wrote her characters. The main character Hannah just had me and took me on all the emotions.
If I could describe the writing style I would want from a book it was this. The writing style was just a bit of me! Wow wow.
It felt both yasss and grim at the same time. The horror of the hunger and darkness of illness and chasing wellness.
The pacing felt like a growing hunger that would be appeased but quickly become ravenous. The ending did slow a bit for me but the final pages left me full and craving more!
It had mystery, it had drama, it had juicy characters and real world horror.
Just scrummy! What a debut!
Thank you so much to Dead Ink Books for the advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an interesting story. However, I think I thought this was going to be a lot more horrofic scenes than I realised.
I kept waiting for the MC Hannah to go nuts, like go on a complete rampage or attack someone. The story seemed very tame for me. Even at the end when Hannah takes the child, I felt it didn't really fit with the story, it felt random, I actually thought she was going to eat the baby to be honest.
Then I kept feeling a bit disorientated towards the end of the book, it felt like scenes kept jumping and I wasn't sure how we got there.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I think my expectations were a little different.
Thanks Netgally for my advanced copy
I kept waiting for the MC Hannah to go nuts, like go on a complete rampage or attack someone. The story seemed very tame for me. Even at the end when Hannah takes the child, I felt it didn't really fit with the story, it felt random, I actually thought she was going to eat the baby to be honest.
Then I kept feeling a bit disorientated towards the end of the book, it felt like scenes kept jumping and I wasn't sure how we got there.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I think my expectations were a little different.
Thanks Netgally for my advanced copy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2026
Was lucky enough to get to blurb this one!!
My blurb:
“This book ate. Literally. I was so invested in it that I didn’t even notice the bite marks on my thighs or the missing kidney until the morning after. Worth the blood-loss. And who needs two kidneys, anyway? Beautifully written, and an excellent portrayal of the lengths we’ll go to feel well.” -Sara van Os, author of Decomposition Book
My blurb:
“This book ate. Literally. I was so invested in it that I didn’t even notice the bite marks on my thighs or the missing kidney until the morning after. Worth the blood-loss. And who needs two kidneys, anyway? Beautifully written, and an excellent portrayal of the lengths we’ll go to feel well.” -Sara van Os, author of Decomposition Book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"A Healthy Appetite" started out strong, but lost me somewhere at the midway point. I think I expected more of a horror story twist, and was somewhat disappointed how tame it remained.
I liked the set-up to the story and the protagonist was interesting, but I just wanted more of a climax.
I liked the set-up to the story and the protagonist was interesting, but I just wanted more of a climax.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was gripping from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment and couldnt put it down!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was lucky enough to attend the Dead Ink Books 10 year anniversary party, where Katie read out a snippet of this book, and I've been hooked ever since. 'A Healthy Appetite' is a blackly comical, voicey debut that hooks you and doesn't let go. We follow Hannah as she trials a new drug for her cancer and, in her quest to get better, begins the slow, inching decline into unfettered appetite which she nicknames 'The Hunger'. This is a gloriously gruesome and wildly entertaining book exploring just how far someone might go in order to be healthy once more.
Katie Huttlestone handles difficult topics beautifully, like the intersection of sexuality and sickness, the isolation of being sick and the unhappy business of inhabiting our own bodies, especially when they let you down. The book is funny in places, disgustingly vivid in others and I read it in three days straight because I couldn't put it down.
Katie Huttlestone handles difficult topics beautifully, like the intersection of sexuality and sickness, the isolation of being sick and the unhappy business of inhabiting our own bodies, especially when they let you down. The book is funny in places, disgustingly vivid in others and I read it in three days straight because I couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews