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Sete
Dalla Siberia, Alena parte per Londra con il sogno di trovare un lavoro, un amore e nuove avventure da vivere. Ciò che l’aspetta appena atterrata nel Regno Unito è però molto diverso da quello che aveva in mente. Dave, cresciuto a Londra in un quartiere di case popolari, sognava di girare il mondo, e invece si ritrova imprigionato nella sua città, reduce da un matrimonio naufragato e schiavo di un lavoro che gli permette di sbarcare il lunario ma non gli dà nessuna soddisfazione. Alena e Dave si incontrano per caso, in circostanze che avrebbero dovuto fare di loro due nemici. E invece, contro ogni logica, si cercano, si trovano, e costruiscono una vita insieme in un precario equilibrio di silenzi. Nel breve periodo di un’estate insolitamente calda riescono a trovare conforto nell’illusione di poter dimenticare le proprie origini e il peso di scelte sbagliate. Ma scopriranno a proprie spese che la loro sete di avventura e libertà deve fare i conti con un passato troppo difficile da raccontare. Kerry Hudson tesse una narrazione equilibrata e sapiente fatta di flashback e introspezione che dà al lettore l’illusione di conoscere a fondo i personaggi, riservandogli invece, pagina dopo pagina, inaspettati colpi di scena. Un romanzo d’amore delicato e feroce, un incontro tra due persone, due mondi lontanissimi, due solitudini che si riconoscono e cercano di proteggersi vicendevolmente, in un mondo che li vorrebbe più cinici e spietati.
323 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2014
23 people are currently reading
805 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Hudson
26 books225 followersKerry Hudson was born in Aberdeen. Growing up in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks provided her with a keen eye for idiosyncratic behaviour, material for life, and a love of travel.
Her first novel, TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE-CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA, was published by Chatto & Windus in Summer 2012. It has since been shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, Southbank Sky Arts Award, Green Carnation Prize, Polari Prize, Author's Club First Book Award and Saltire First Book Award. It was the winner of the Scottish Book Awards: Best First Novel.
Kerry’s second novel, THIRST, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant and will be published July 2014. She now lives, writes and works in East London.
Her first novel, TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE-CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA, was published by Chatto & Windus in Summer 2012. It has since been shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, Southbank Sky Arts Award, Green Carnation Prize, Polari Prize, Author's Club First Book Award and Saltire First Book Award. It was the winner of the Scottish Book Awards: Best First Novel.
Kerry’s second novel, THIRST, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant and will be published July 2014. She now lives, writes and works in East London.
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August 12, 2025
PICCOLI AFFARI SPORCHI
Audrey Tautou e Chiwetel Ejiofor in “Dirty Pretty Things – Piccoli affari sporchi” di Stephen Frears, 2002.
Odori, umori, rossori…Sudori, calori… Timori, tremori…Grigiori, sentori…Genitori.
Ma soprattutto odori, tanti odori, la Hudson è fissata con gli odori, ed è in numerosa compagnia di suoi colleghi.
La parte che mi è piaciuta di più di questo romanzo mi ha ricordato un piccolo film di Stephen Frears che la critica non ha amato molto e io invece sì.
La critica sembra amare molto Sete, e invece io di meno: perché, la parte che di Sete mi è piaciuta meno mi ha ricordato Un giorno di David Nicholls, per fortuna in meglio (certo, più giù del romanzo di Nicholls non si può andare, quello è proprio il fondo).
L’inferno mi ha sempre interessato più del purgatorio.
Audrey Tautou.
Alena e David sono due personaggi che si amano sin da subito, e questo secondo me è uno dei limiti della Hudson: sono così teneri, e fragili, e, a modo loro, puri, che mi pare impossibile non parteggiare immediatamente per loro, non accoglierli e stringerli a sé.
Certo, a lui si vorrebbe regalare qualche momento in meno di acquiescenza, e forse a lei bisbigliare ‘apri gli occhi’, ma magari questo è solo frutto di un lettore con più disincanto.
Chiwetel Ejiofor e Sophie Okonedo.
La scrittura della Hudson mi ha creato qualche problema: qua e là non si capisce bene di chi o cosa stia parlando, si fa un po’ fatica a orientarsi, si comincia a dubitare della traduzione – poi, si riprende il timone della lettura, ma rimane la sensazione che chi scrive abbia artificialmente voluto complicare la rotta del lettore.
E poi, in più punti, ho sentito l’eco di un grande maestro di scrittura che in una mia immaginaria redazione avrebbe chiesto alla Hudson: sei sicura che questo serve? In cosa porta avanti la narrazione, è davvero necessario?
Ora, non è che io sia fissato con le scritture tese ed essenziali, sono attratto da millanta varianti: ma se chi scrive mi fa sentire che sta perdendo tempo, che sta abbellendo, pennellando, eh, allora, la voce di quel grande maestro di scrittura si fa sentire…
Sergi Lopez
Il titolo è molto azzeccato.
In principio pensavo soprattutto alla fame, perché Alena e Dave sembrano voracemente affamati di affetto.
Però, è vero, la sete è più difficile da contenere della fame, si muore prima di sete che di fame: e quindi, il bisogno di Alena e Dave di trovare amore, e protezione, è più prossimo alla sete che alla fame, la loro urgenza è quella di un assetato più ancora che di un affamato.
Due isole in un arcipelago che mette i brividi, esistenze segnate dal nascere, come se il peccato originale fosse tutto loro, antieroi in una Londra che di swinging non ha nemmeno il ricordo, ed è invece presentata come il luogo più infernale del pianeta, anime aggrappate in cerca di redenzione più che di riscatto.
Immagino che i diritti cinema di Sete siano già opzionati, facile prevedere che ne verrà tratto un film.
Audrey Tautou e Chiwetel Ejiofor in “Dirty Pretty Things – Piccoli affari sporchi” di Stephen Frears, 2002.
Odori, umori, rossori…Sudori, calori… Timori, tremori…Grigiori, sentori…Genitori.
Ma soprattutto odori, tanti odori, la Hudson è fissata con gli odori, ed è in numerosa compagnia di suoi colleghi.
La parte che mi è piaciuta di più di questo romanzo mi ha ricordato un piccolo film di Stephen Frears che la critica non ha amato molto e io invece sì.
La critica sembra amare molto Sete, e invece io di meno: perché, la parte che di Sete mi è piaciuta meno mi ha ricordato Un giorno di David Nicholls, per fortuna in meglio (certo, più giù del romanzo di Nicholls non si può andare, quello è proprio il fondo).
L’inferno mi ha sempre interessato più del purgatorio.
Audrey Tautou.
Alena e David sono due personaggi che si amano sin da subito, e questo secondo me è uno dei limiti della Hudson: sono così teneri, e fragili, e, a modo loro, puri, che mi pare impossibile non parteggiare immediatamente per loro, non accoglierli e stringerli a sé.
Certo, a lui si vorrebbe regalare qualche momento in meno di acquiescenza, e forse a lei bisbigliare ‘apri gli occhi’, ma magari questo è solo frutto di un lettore con più disincanto.
Chiwetel Ejiofor e Sophie Okonedo.
La scrittura della Hudson mi ha creato qualche problema: qua e là non si capisce bene di chi o cosa stia parlando, si fa un po’ fatica a orientarsi, si comincia a dubitare della traduzione – poi, si riprende il timone della lettura, ma rimane la sensazione che chi scrive abbia artificialmente voluto complicare la rotta del lettore.
E poi, in più punti, ho sentito l’eco di un grande maestro di scrittura che in una mia immaginaria redazione avrebbe chiesto alla Hudson: sei sicura che questo serve? In cosa porta avanti la narrazione, è davvero necessario?
Ora, non è che io sia fissato con le scritture tese ed essenziali, sono attratto da millanta varianti: ma se chi scrive mi fa sentire che sta perdendo tempo, che sta abbellendo, pennellando, eh, allora, la voce di quel grande maestro di scrittura si fa sentire…
Sergi Lopez
Il titolo è molto azzeccato.
In principio pensavo soprattutto alla fame, perché Alena e Dave sembrano voracemente affamati di affetto.
Però, è vero, la sete è più difficile da contenere della fame, si muore prima di sete che di fame: e quindi, il bisogno di Alena e Dave di trovare amore, e protezione, è più prossimo alla sete che alla fame, la loro urgenza è quella di un assetato più ancora che di un affamato.
Due isole in un arcipelago che mette i brividi, esistenze segnate dal nascere, come se il peccato originale fosse tutto loro, antieroi in una Londra che di swinging non ha nemmeno il ricordo, ed è invece presentata come il luogo più infernale del pianeta, anime aggrappate in cerca di redenzione più che di riscatto.
Immagino che i diritti cinema di Sete siano già opzionati, facile prevedere che ne verrà tratto un film.
October 21, 2014
You rarely come across those authors who have the ability to pull you into his/her story so easily and blend us among one of his/her characters so casually. Kerry Hudson is definitely one such author who knows how to make her readers believe that her naive protagonist who is a full-grown adult woman having a dream and goal of her own, has easily been sweet-talked to work in the flesh-trade in London. I believed it and I loved the way Kerry Hudson has put the spotlight into the situation, well, it's easily evident that she has that power and talent to make her readers look into the deepest bottom of the Devil's Sinkhole.
Kerry Hudson's new book, Thirst is a heart-touching love-story set-up amidst of the dark and dangerous flesh-trade of immigrants at Clapham in London to the behind the windows of the posh stores located in the Bond Street of London. And an intelligent author like Kerry Hudson, demands a lot of your attention focused in to the book. Well it was not hard to blend into the story and but it requires quite a lot of effort to read the words!
I can't thank the author, Kerry Hudson, enough for giving me such a grand opportunity to read and review her incredible novel.
Alana, the resident of Siberia, immigrates to London for a brighter future and a good job prospect from one of Alan's mother's best-friend. But soon she steps in the Heathrow Airport, Alana gets sucked into the flesh-trade and stars living as a sex-worker/ girlfriend of an old man and his son, named Fredir who used to torture her physically. But soon she finds herself on the street away from Fredir's clutches, but soon gets caught on stealing a pair of shoes for one of her friend from a store in the Bond Street. David used to work as a security guard in a shoe store in the Bond Street and used to live in a one-room crappy apartment and after meeting Alana, he falls in love in one shot. But unfortunately for David who gives shelter to this poor, little, helpless woman, Alana never opens up herself to David, thus leading to tearing apart with what little hope they held on to each other. Will Alana ever learn to trust David and will she narrate her horrifying experience to David?
I became mesmerized by Hudson's elegant use of the retrospective voice, which is always questioning its own accuracy and exploring the nature of memory. David and Alana's past both were narrated by the author so strikingly and at the right moments. Alana's relationship with her own mother and David's relationship with his own mother, tells us about that undying love that is so rare to be found and when found is cherished for a lifetime. David and Alana emotionally and passionately fell in love with each other, it was the only good thing happening in Alana's painful life in London and Alana was no-doubt got overwhelmed with the fear of losing David and his heart. From London to Moscow, the journey, that is traveled both by Alana and David separately is different both the times and the author has made the beauty of architectural designs and their marble designs of Moscow so alive with her words. The characters, from Fredir to David's ex-wife, Shelley, each and every one of them were so zoetic and equally flawed and that what made them so easily believable. This tale is surely going to touch your very soul and make you grip to its very end and will compel you to remain on its very edge.
Don't miss this epic love story set between two countries- London and Russia, from the darkest alleys in the London to the poorest town in Siberia.
Kerry Hudson's new book, Thirst is a heart-touching love-story set-up amidst of the dark and dangerous flesh-trade of immigrants at Clapham in London to the behind the windows of the posh stores located in the Bond Street of London. And an intelligent author like Kerry Hudson, demands a lot of your attention focused in to the book. Well it was not hard to blend into the story and but it requires quite a lot of effort to read the words!
I can't thank the author, Kerry Hudson, enough for giving me such a grand opportunity to read and review her incredible novel.
Alana, the resident of Siberia, immigrates to London for a brighter future and a good job prospect from one of Alan's mother's best-friend. But soon she steps in the Heathrow Airport, Alana gets sucked into the flesh-trade and stars living as a sex-worker/ girlfriend of an old man and his son, named Fredir who used to torture her physically. But soon she finds herself on the street away from Fredir's clutches, but soon gets caught on stealing a pair of shoes for one of her friend from a store in the Bond Street. David used to work as a security guard in a shoe store in the Bond Street and used to live in a one-room crappy apartment and after meeting Alana, he falls in love in one shot. But unfortunately for David who gives shelter to this poor, little, helpless woman, Alana never opens up herself to David, thus leading to tearing apart with what little hope they held on to each other. Will Alana ever learn to trust David and will she narrate her horrifying experience to David?
I became mesmerized by Hudson's elegant use of the retrospective voice, which is always questioning its own accuracy and exploring the nature of memory. David and Alana's past both were narrated by the author so strikingly and at the right moments. Alana's relationship with her own mother and David's relationship with his own mother, tells us about that undying love that is so rare to be found and when found is cherished for a lifetime. David and Alana emotionally and passionately fell in love with each other, it was the only good thing happening in Alana's painful life in London and Alana was no-doubt got overwhelmed with the fear of losing David and his heart. From London to Moscow, the journey, that is traveled both by Alana and David separately is different both the times and the author has made the beauty of architectural designs and their marble designs of Moscow so alive with her words. The characters, from Fredir to David's ex-wife, Shelley, each and every one of them were so zoetic and equally flawed and that what made them so easily believable. This tale is surely going to touch your very soul and make you grip to its very end and will compel you to remain on its very edge.
Don't miss this epic love story set between two countries- London and Russia, from the darkest alleys in the London to the poorest town in Siberia.
October 2, 2019
3.5 Stars!
“If you try to run I will hurt you - do you understand? If you scream, I will hurt you. I can do horrible things to you and no one will know. No one will care. I have done them before. Do you understand?”
This is a low-key love story that would be befitting of a Ken Loach or Andrea Arnold movie, but the quality of Hudson’s prose gives it an added sheen in many parts. There is some lovely detail in here and she has a really nice way with words, as well as a gift for story-telling, but as this got into the second half or so I really started to fall out of love with it.
I started off having great sympathy for the lead female character, but then she does something so blatantly stupid, so maddeningly dumb and far-fetched that it really, really annoyed me, and not only that but she does it over and over again until it just got too ridiculous and unconvincing. It had me saying You stupid, awful woman! over and over again.
Hudson captures the mood and feel of the Trans-Siberian perfectly and she pulls off a really convincing portrayal of Moscow and Siberia too. There were many moments, when I thought this was a great novel, and there were some clever twists and creative punches, but in the end I really couldn’t like the Russian girl at all and the ending seemed to just fizzle out.
July 9, 2015
Russian born Alena has decided to leave her country to come to the UK to find work. Like many migrants, Alena believes that the answer to hers and her family’s financial woes lies in the opportunity laden London. Having had her work placement set up by a family friend Alena travels to the UK full of optimism and dreams of a better life that includes financial stability, opportunity and designer clothes. What Alena isn’t prepared for is that her dream is a fallacy. Nor is she prepared for her dream to become a nightmare.
Someone well versed in the woes of everyday life in the UK is Dave. Dave is trying to get through each day under the radar; just do his job, get paid and go home. This is a rigmarole that suits the quiet life that he craves. He once had dreams of travel but all that has passed now. However, a chance encounter with Alena throws his world completely off kilter.
Can Dave’s peaceful nature quiet and calm the storm that is Alena’s life?
I won’t lie to you Thirst is a hard novel to read. Not because it is composed of difficult vernacular or in a different language but purely because Kerry Hudson gives the full nitty gritty on a dark and sinister topic; that topic being human trafficking and having immigrants being sold into the sex trade. At times I felt as if my heart was literally breaking for Alena. What made it worse is that she seemed to be unable to forgive herself for her situation; almost like she believed she deserved to be treated like a piece of meat on a market stall. It was truly harrowing.
But this is what makes Hudson such a good writer. She had my heart in my mouth with the desperation of Alena’s situation.
Dave’s story somewhat parallel’s Alena’s in the fact that they both get themselves into situations that they feel that they have no control over. Dave is trying to fulfil the wishes of his dying mother and gets himself trapped by a set of circumstances that were never part of his life plan. Both of the characters are trapped. Not only by what life puts in their way but how they both feel responsible for the way things are.
Their love story is lovely to follow. I think what makes it so enjoyable is the coy innocence of it all. You see them both giving the bare minimum of themselves away, slowly peeling away layers as their relationship grows. It was rather lovely to read.
Thirst is a quirky love story but be warned, if you read books for pure escapism then this book isn’t for you as it does deal with difficult subjects and has a very real insight into the sinister underbelly of the life that some immigrants face.
Someone well versed in the woes of everyday life in the UK is Dave. Dave is trying to get through each day under the radar; just do his job, get paid and go home. This is a rigmarole that suits the quiet life that he craves. He once had dreams of travel but all that has passed now. However, a chance encounter with Alena throws his world completely off kilter.
Can Dave’s peaceful nature quiet and calm the storm that is Alena’s life?
I won’t lie to you Thirst is a hard novel to read. Not because it is composed of difficult vernacular or in a different language but purely because Kerry Hudson gives the full nitty gritty on a dark and sinister topic; that topic being human trafficking and having immigrants being sold into the sex trade. At times I felt as if my heart was literally breaking for Alena. What made it worse is that she seemed to be unable to forgive herself for her situation; almost like she believed she deserved to be treated like a piece of meat on a market stall. It was truly harrowing.
But this is what makes Hudson such a good writer. She had my heart in my mouth with the desperation of Alena’s situation.
Dave’s story somewhat parallel’s Alena’s in the fact that they both get themselves into situations that they feel that they have no control over. Dave is trying to fulfil the wishes of his dying mother and gets himself trapped by a set of circumstances that were never part of his life plan. Both of the characters are trapped. Not only by what life puts in their way but how they both feel responsible for the way things are.
Their love story is lovely to follow. I think what makes it so enjoyable is the coy innocence of it all. You see them both giving the bare minimum of themselves away, slowly peeling away layers as their relationship grows. It was rather lovely to read.
Thirst is a quirky love story but be warned, if you read books for pure escapism then this book isn’t for you as it does deal with difficult subjects and has a very real insight into the sinister underbelly of the life that some immigrants face.
August 10, 2015
Kerry Hudson is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. I read Tony Hogan... earlier this year and loved it so Thirst was right at the top of my wish list and I was delighted when I won a copy in a competition on Twitter.
It's a fantastic read. Essentially it's a love story, but don't expect any soppy chick-lit style romance - it's raw and heartbreaking (and sometimes it's tender and funny too). I'm not a blubber at heart, but I couldn't get through it with totally dry eyes.
Kerry Hudson writes real books about real people and their real shitty, messy, wonderful lives. I can't wait for the next one...
It's a fantastic read. Essentially it's a love story, but don't expect any soppy chick-lit style romance - it's raw and heartbreaking (and sometimes it's tender and funny too). I'm not a blubber at heart, but I couldn't get through it with totally dry eyes.
Kerry Hudson writes real books about real people and their real shitty, messy, wonderful lives. I can't wait for the next one...
January 28, 2018
Oh lord... I thought this was going to be a cute holiday read, then suddenly I was crying on the train.
September 2, 2024
Incroyable et magnifique
June 7, 2017
I read this at the Edinburgh Book Festival and loved it. Beautifully written and funny...
January 25, 2019
“Sete” di Kerry Hudson (Beat) non è stata una lettura semplice. Ho lasciato il tablet più volte sulla poltrona per riprendere fiato; quelle pagine, quelle parole, mi lasciavano un senso di oppressione tale da non farmi proseguire con la lettura. Sapete meglio di me che probabilmente l’atteggiamento nei confronti di un romanzo è dettato anche dal particolare momento emotivo che si sta vivendo, e quasi sicuramente io e “Sete” ci siamo trovati in un momento sbagliato.
“Sete” è senza dubbio un romanzo ben scritto, lo stile è asciutto e tagliente e fa risaltare la vicenda che viene narrata, ma ci sono alcune cose che non mi hanno convinta. Intanto è la storia di due persone, ma Alena è decisamente più interessante di Dave, sia per l’atrocità di ciò che ha subito, sia per il suo presente, così instabile e incerto, discontinuo, una vera e propria altalena emozionale. Dave è sempre un po’ indietro rispetto a lei, avrei voluto che tirasse fuori un carattere diverso, più in opposizione che in ombra, invece rimane quasi sottomesso. L’avrei preferito meno frignone, diciamolo pure!
Nella prima metà del libro è come se si rimanesse impantanati. Per conoscere i due protagonisti si va continuamente indietro, leggendo la loro storia fino al momento del primo incontro, e la percezione che ho avuto è stata di schiacciamento. Questo continuo guardare al passato non fa andare avanti la narrazione, anche il presente sembra trascorrere più lentamente e si finisce per rimanere imprigionati in dinamiche sempre uguali che mi hanno appesantito ulteriormente la lettura.
La seconda metà del romanzo si apre con un evento che incrina la bolla che i due protagonisti si sono creati, unendo le loro solitudini tra bugie e sensi di colpa, e anche lì ho trovato alcune scelte un po’ forzate. Devo ammettere che la profonda angocia che avvolge Alena da questo momento in avanti mi ha tirato fuori dalle sabbie mobili in cui ero finita durante la prima parte della storia e mi ha fatto andare avanti con maggiore attenzione e curiosità.
Per la recensione completa: https://www.silenziostoleggendo.com/2...
“Sete” è senza dubbio un romanzo ben scritto, lo stile è asciutto e tagliente e fa risaltare la vicenda che viene narrata, ma ci sono alcune cose che non mi hanno convinta. Intanto è la storia di due persone, ma Alena è decisamente più interessante di Dave, sia per l’atrocità di ciò che ha subito, sia per il suo presente, così instabile e incerto, discontinuo, una vera e propria altalena emozionale. Dave è sempre un po’ indietro rispetto a lei, avrei voluto che tirasse fuori un carattere diverso, più in opposizione che in ombra, invece rimane quasi sottomesso. L’avrei preferito meno frignone, diciamolo pure!
Nella prima metà del libro è come se si rimanesse impantanati. Per conoscere i due protagonisti si va continuamente indietro, leggendo la loro storia fino al momento del primo incontro, e la percezione che ho avuto è stata di schiacciamento. Questo continuo guardare al passato non fa andare avanti la narrazione, anche il presente sembra trascorrere più lentamente e si finisce per rimanere imprigionati in dinamiche sempre uguali che mi hanno appesantito ulteriormente la lettura.
La seconda metà del romanzo si apre con un evento che incrina la bolla che i due protagonisti si sono creati, unendo le loro solitudini tra bugie e sensi di colpa, e anche lì ho trovato alcune scelte un po’ forzate. Devo ammettere che la profonda angocia che avvolge Alena da questo momento in avanti mi ha tirato fuori dalle sabbie mobili in cui ero finita durante la prima parte della storia e mi ha fatto andare avanti con maggiore attenzione e curiosità.
Per la recensione completa: https://www.silenziostoleggendo.com/2...
August 19, 2014
Dave is a security guard in a Bond Street store. He earns a pittance and lives above a kebab shop in Hackney. He's in a bit of a rut; his life as uneventful as ever before he stops a theft on his job. Alena has tried to leave the shop wearing a pair of shoes she hasn't paid for. She's from the bleak expanse of Siberia, lured to London by a woman with a Chanel handbag and hopes for western wealth. On first glance, she thinks he is cute and he finds her beautiful. Dave decides not to prosecute Alena, letting her off scot free. He thinks he has seen the last of her, until he sees her hanging around the store weeks later. She surprises him by inviting him for a drink. Now Dave's life doesn't seem so bad and Alena feels a lot safer in London's mean streets.
Kerry Hudson's second novel Thirst is a triumph. It's a clever, warm story with an ugly underbelly. She writes with warmth and succeeds in creating very real and likeable characters you can't help but root for. They are undeniably human; they have dreams and make mistakes. Dave and Alena have detailed backstories, revealed in dribs and drabs. Her descriptions of London are fantastic, down to a tee. I could almost smell the kebab fumes from below in Dave's boxy flat. The story gets quite dark in revealing the true cost some immigrants have in getting to London, but Hudson writes with compassion. Alena's almost childlike optimism is so well written and made me smile often. Even Hudson's minor characters seem to ooze their own personality and possess their own voice.
Hudson's twist on the twenty first century love story is well worth reading. Definitely one of my favourites of 2014.
Kerry Hudson's second novel Thirst is a triumph. It's a clever, warm story with an ugly underbelly. She writes with warmth and succeeds in creating very real and likeable characters you can't help but root for. They are undeniably human; they have dreams and make mistakes. Dave and Alena have detailed backstories, revealed in dribs and drabs. Her descriptions of London are fantastic, down to a tee. I could almost smell the kebab fumes from below in Dave's boxy flat. The story gets quite dark in revealing the true cost some immigrants have in getting to London, but Hudson writes with compassion. Alena's almost childlike optimism is so well written and made me smile often. Even Hudson's minor characters seem to ooze their own personality and possess their own voice.
Hudson's twist on the twenty first century love story is well worth reading. Definitely one of my favourites of 2014.
September 6, 2014
A sweet love story combined with sex trafficking, alcohol abuse, poverty and cancer: not the most obvious of combinations, but this was a lovely book, ultimately uplifting. The bleaker elements were well handled; the writer doesn't shy away from the realities but she doesn't do grim just for the sake of it. She's interested in the way bad things in life affect the people they happen to, their life choices and their sense of themselves. The impact of the two main characters' pasts on whether they can form a relationship together is the meat of the plot and really adds depth and poignancy to what is ultimately the story of a romance. The characters and settings - Hackney and Siberia - were really alive for me, as were the minor characters. A fantastic read.
May 13, 2015
Completely unexpected excellence. We are dragged into the lives of two very real, very ordinary people. If you're looking for a classic romance look elsewhere. This book is raw emotion, real life with none of the usual cliches that are usually splashed all over the pages of 'unconventional' romance novels.
January 11, 2019
I've now read enough crime novels that a girl's quest to free herself from being kidnapped is not particularly exciting in itself. Fortunately few people have to go through the ordeal and suffer a first-hand experience, but it does mean that in fiction they all blend into one fairly stock plot, and the rest of the novel didn't win me over.
Part of this was the story itself which was, despite the events referenced above, a bit dull. There were three threads, the couple's individual flashbacks and the present, and the present was fairly implausible. The past in which a despicable man keeps woman captive was the usual fare, and although there was more heart to David's backstory, it was difficult to see how lusting over a slightly older woman lead to the events that followed.
And that was the second major problem. The emotions of the characters seemed completely detached from what was on the page, while the reader was told the couple loved each other rather than shown it. The language barrier between the two made the dialogue quite stilted so that there wasn't much charm in their interaction, and it was difficult to see how they were in love, to such an extent that I would have believed that Lena could have left David if she had any route to financial independence.
From the outside it almost seemed creepy, David had no friends and was happy to let a vulnerable girl stay at his flat. He was clearly infatuated with her but even accounting for that, the willingness to accommodate an untrustworthy woman and move to Manchester despite knowing so little about her was far-fetched. And while her backstory was tragic, a girl that bursts into tears a lot rather than saying anything doesn't make for a great character, especially a main one. If you aren't rooting for a character and the plot isn't gripping you then a novel can quickly become a slog.
It wasn't awful, and the travelogue at the end made me more favourable towards it, but my overall impression was of detachment from the text and I don't think it will live long in the memory.
Part of this was the story itself which was, despite the events referenced above, a bit dull. There were three threads, the couple's individual flashbacks and the present, and the present was fairly implausible. The past in which a despicable man keeps woman captive was the usual fare, and although there was more heart to David's backstory, it was difficult to see how lusting over a slightly older woman lead to the events that followed.
And that was the second major problem. The emotions of the characters seemed completely detached from what was on the page, while the reader was told the couple loved each other rather than shown it. The language barrier between the two made the dialogue quite stilted so that there wasn't much charm in their interaction, and it was difficult to see how they were in love, to such an extent that I would have believed that Lena could have left David if she had any route to financial independence.
From the outside it almost seemed creepy, David had no friends and was happy to let a vulnerable girl stay at his flat. He was clearly infatuated with her but even accounting for that, the willingness to accommodate an untrustworthy woman and move to Manchester despite knowing so little about her was far-fetched. And while her backstory was tragic, a girl that bursts into tears a lot rather than saying anything doesn't make for a great character, especially a main one. If you aren't rooting for a character and the plot isn't gripping you then a novel can quickly become a slog.
It wasn't awful, and the travelogue at the end made me more favourable towards it, but my overall impression was of detachment from the text and I don't think it will live long in the memory.
June 21, 2017
Woah. okay. This isn't a 'fun' read', the topics (sex trafficking, cancer, poverty....gosh NAME IT) are incredibly painful but yet, I couldn't put that book down and read it non-stop in one evening. It didn't really leave me smiling at the end, as it isn't your typical HEA but the book is RAW, you feel for the characters and the author is obviously very talented. Drama isn't usually my cup of tea so I can't say that's a book I'd read again and again, especially since it leaves you feeling kinda awful, but I won't forget this read that's for sure.
May 30, 2018
I couldn't finish this book for the life of me! I called it quits about a third of the way in because I can't stand this style of writing! It jumps back and forth between the past and present at a very choppy pace that keep my head spinning. Sometimes I couldn't even tell where I was in time because there would be a flashback within a flashback. I loved the premise, and the characters had potential, but what made for a very dramatic and moving story became BLAH though the storytelling technique the author used.
February 4, 2019
I didn’t love this book but then I wouldn’t say I hated it either. It’s one that was a bit in the middle for me. There were parts I loved (Dave’s relationship with his Mom) and parts I didn’t (endless pointless train journeys across Russia and days of searching). I didn’t mind too much the backwards and forwards between now and the past but I wasn’t very keen on the way it was done. It felt too abrupt and confusing at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2019
I found this book utterly gripping from just a few chapters in. It kept me awake at night until I had finished it: complex but compelling characters; a plot full of surprises; and I found I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Kerry Hudson is a wonderful writer, and had written about some difficult topics with care and compassion. A brilliant book.
June 21, 2019
I read Thirst after reading Kerry Hudson's incredible debut novel, 'Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma'. Thirst is excellent too, wonderfully crafted. It's a gripping and heartbreaking story of a love between two damaged people who struggle to overcome the odds stacked against them. Very impressive writing. Can't wait to read more from Hudson.
October 4, 2025
J'ai adoré lire ce livre. Le style est fluide, les personnages sont hyper attachants, avec leur part sombre et leur envie de s'en sortir. Dave et Alena tombent amoureux sans explosions, en douceur, et en s'offrant le temps nécessaire pour s'apprivoiser.
Le fond de l'histoire est dramatique, prostitution, alcool... mais ils sont tellement lumineux, tous les deux, qu'on arrive à passer outre.
Le fond de l'histoire est dramatique, prostitution, alcool... mais ils sont tellement lumineux, tous les deux, qu'on arrive à passer outre.
April 7, 2019
It wasn’t bad but I couldn’t get into the story.
I had trouble with all the flashbacks of his story then her story then present all mingled in the same chapter.
I finished it but it will not mark my memory.
I had trouble with all the flashbacks of his story then her story then present all mingled in the same chapter.
I finished it but it will not mark my memory.
February 9, 2020
So so depressing. While reading some descriptions I’ve really struggled ( I particularly disliked details about smells...)
Maybe that was the intention of the author but for me it was definitely too much.
Maybe that was the intention of the author but for me it was definitely too much.
April 19, 2025
Well written and interesting, I was interested in the characters and their story and really rooting for them both... I had to put it down in the middle and have a break for a day or two as it was difficult and dark... But I came back to it and wasn't disappointed.
October 26, 2016
One of those books you can't put done. Very well written. Can not wAit to read more from Kerry HUDSON.
January 16, 2018
Wow! Not sure about the last section, but otherwise amazing.
January 20, 2018
I sometimes randomly pick up books at the library and once in a while I come up with a real gem like this one. I loved it although it was a tough story.
June 2, 2018
The love story is a bit hard to believe but the charcaters are full of troubles and deep questions
June 9, 2018
Passable beach read
April 10, 2019
Je recommande. Un coup de coeur ♥️♥️♥️
July 10, 2020
Dans l'Angleterre déglinguée des faubourgs, une histoire d'amour qui fleurit au milieu de la picolé, du racisme, de l'exploitation sexuelle... Tout sauf mièvre et d'autant plus émouvant.
January 8, 2021
3.5 Stars...
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