City of Hunger

by Jon Athan

Traveling through rural Montana, Blake and Susan Hanson stumble upon a small, abandoned town known as 'Bobcat.' Eager to kill time before meeting their family in Washington, they decide to explore the town. They find broken down cars, looted stores, and raided houses—and blood and bones. It looks like the town was raided and pillaged, and they fear the raid isn't over.

There are people in that city. And they are hungry.

In this vicious horror novel, Jon Athan—the author of Cannibal Creek and Spit and Die—brings you into the early nineties to meet the old and new residents of Bobcat.

WARNING: This novel contains graphic content. This book is not intended for those easily offended or appalled.

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk

212 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another ultra-violent adventure from Jon Athan. Much like my feelings on Am I Beautiful, I felt this really went over the top with the violence. I know that Athan veers hard towards splatterpunk, but at times, it just feels a bit overwhelming to read nonstop gore. The story warrants a good deal of what's in the book, but I feel like it could be curbed a bit and still be effective. I know this sounds like my previous reviews on Athan, but the more I'm getting into his collection, the more I am confident in my opinion here. But City of Hunger has a ton of great qualities, including the writing itself, its characters, and the story itself. All of it was good, and it keeps you nervous, wondering what will happen throughout. And I think that's where my initial critique also rings true, in that Athan tends to just kill almost everyone off by the end of his stories, so you try not to get too attached to anyone, knowing their probable fate. That just takes a bit of the experience away from the book, and could be avoided with some subtle reduction of the kill count and pursuit of having a bloodbath on every other page. But I liked much more than I disliked here, and recommend to splatterpunk die-hards.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

She felt a grip on her ankles, causing her to wince and tremble. Her legs were raised from the ground, then she slid across the pavement. She looked at her feet. A tall man dragged her away. He was nude, so she knew he was one of them. “Please,” she croaked out. The cannibal didn’t hear her. Even if he did, he didn’t care enough to listen to her. He dragged her away from the house and headed into the city.

This was my first Jon Athan's novel, it was free for five days on kindle a few weeks ago and that killer cover just nailed my attention.
Essentially The Hills have Eyes meets Bone Tomahawk and Cannibal Holocaust in a rollercoaster page-turning (fast clicking if you read it on a kindle or another e-reader) disturbing read filled with gore, action, twists and ultra-violence.
Prologue is an intense one, with inbred cannibals raiding at night small mine town of Bobcat, Montana, in a killing rampage spree.
It follows a few chapters of main characters fleshing/building up, with a couple not following suggestion, taking a backroad instead of main state and starting exploring the apparently empty "City of Hunger".

“Survival, Blake! It’s survival! We don’t do this because we enjoy it. We do it because it is our destiny. God wants us to survive and survive we will. I guess it’s very literal in this situation, but it’s true: we are what we eat. We are human, we are survivors. Now, are you going to eat or are you going to be eaten? Choose wisely, boy.”

Then $h1t quickly hits the fan, turning storyline into a "survival of the fittest" one and getting more and more violent until litterally exploding into one of the most disgusting and bleak endings I've ever read.
A good tale if you are in the mood of a splatterpunk/extreme-horror genre sick read, but beware: graphic descriptions of gore, violence on kids, rape on women, torture and much more abound between these bloody sick pages.

Macy smiled through her tears and nodded in determination. Peter opened the cellar doors, then he stepped aside. Blake and Macy ran out into the backyard, duffel bags full of weapons slung over their shoulders. They headed to the front of the house and slipped past the gate. They could hear the gunshots from Owen’s rifle already. Somewhere in the darkness, cannibals were dropping like flies.

You've been warned.

[amanda Pickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

I absolutely love this author, I could read his books all day long. This story kept me hooked, would highly recommend.

[Uptown Horror Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great cannibal horror story from a great horror author. The book was a fun ride from start to finish and the pacing was great, but I can't help but feel as if something was missing - what that "something" is I can't quite put my finger on.

If you're like me and have read dozens of stories involving cannibal families, you start to pick up on patterns after a while:

1. Reader gets introduced to protagonist and friends.

2. The group winds up someplace they have no business being.

3. The group gets attacked by cannibals. One or more people get dragged back to the cannibals' lair. It is now up to the remaining members of the group to go save them.

4. The survivors infiltrate the cannibals' lair and a final showdown commences.

This isn't really meant to be a knock on Jon Athan, I'm just going over the redundancy of the genre as a whole. I would love to see a novel involving cannibals that breaks this pattern and tries something different, but I know it's easier said than done. Maybe you can add a twist at the end of the book or add a supernatural element that completely turns the book upside down.

Despite my critiques, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book from this author.

I scored it a 3.5/5, but rounded it up to 4 stars.

For more in-depth video reviews, subscribe to my YouTube channel 😀


https://youtube.com/channel/UC-9EiDna...

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

When someone fervently warns you NOT to take a backroad through an eerie, seemingly-deserted town where masses of people vanished with no explanation, take their advice and stick to the Interstate!

Athan always satisfies my appetite for demented destruction!

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is set near Washington State (not DC) and a couple Blake & Susan are going to meet her parents when they decided (more Blake) to go through the scenic route because he doesn't want to confront her parents (he being a writer and not making as much money as her - maybe Jon Athan suffers the same? :)

So as they go through this empty house they start exploring, maybe something will come to Blake so he can write a new book... Alas, stuff goes wrong and Susan is kidnppaed by some Cannibals and Blake is injured but rescue by the town survivors. Afterwards, not going into spoiler is mayhem and some of the most disturbing scenes I've read...

First of all, if you are a woman and don't handle rape (mildly compare with the rest) and body mutilation (mainly you guess it) then I guess you should stay away from this book. I am a man and as I read this, some parts my crotch went away and it took them some time to reappear lest the cannibals look for them. IT was disgusting scenes an I enjoy them reading about them. I mean, it's awful, I am not saying they don't happen (I hope cannibalism is not that common) but body mutilation and death my means of inflicting the most pain ever do happen from time to time...

Overall, it's a disgusting, delightful story. Even Jon say it's probably is most disgusting one. It's splatterpunk, what do you want. I am going to rate this 85/100 and Jon Athan is that writer who for me never misses. I read this in 24h period. Some of his other books have been like this. It just flies...

[CARLEEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

CANNIBAL HORROR!

I REALLY loved this Jon Athan cannilbalist horror story. A couple decides to visit an 'abandoned ' town not knowing cannibals reside there. This story is full of intense action and gore. One of the best Jon Athan books I have read out of the 19 I've read thus far. Highly recommended.😲

[David Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa, this was really brutal - possibly the most brutal book I have ever read.

A couple decide to take a detour through a small town called Bobcat in Montana, despite being warned off by locals in the surrounding areas. It is the worst decision they could possibly make.
The immediate feel to this book is of a 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Hills Have Eyes' vibe. An out of the way place, weird people, strange, disturbing noises and some truly disgusting smells. As if that isn't bad enough in itself, as the story progresses, there are frequently escalating attacks that are of a brutal and very sexual nature, to the point of being almost too over the top. I say this not because I feel there is too much per se, but because the characters causing this don't have any real backstory as such to 'justify' why they are attacking in this particular fashion. The culprits do attack their own kin too, but not on this scale, and a bit of backstory might have helped give an indication as to why so much intense hatred and frustration was dished out. I will admit that this one made my stomach churn, so a big congratulations to the author for that 😉. This is a nasty book that will definitely appeal to fans of extreme horror fiction - be warned, this is not for people who think they might like this genre, this is on the edge. A really gory story that will destroy any unicorns and rainbows in the vicinity.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite horror novels is “Off Season” by Jack Ketchum and one of my favorite horror movies is “The Hills Have Eyes”.

How can I not love a novel inspired by those two?!

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, thank author for doing cannibals, not zombies. A lot better than expected. I should have learned by now - When it comes to my favorite authors, most of the books that I've put off reading for one reason or another have
turned out to be highly enjoyable.

[Tracy Halls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

Didn’t enjoy this as much as some of the others I’ve read from this author not sure what it was but just couldn’t really get into it, the other books I have read have left me wanting to keep reading, needing to turn the page to find out what happens next but this one just didn’t have that appeal, it seemed slow and almost forced, I hate leaving negative reviews but I need to be honest in the fact I didn’t really enjoy it!
Still worth a read but don’t think it’s as good as other stuff I’ve read from the author

[❤ArtfullySinful❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 23rd, 1991

Roger Huntley was a single father caring for his sox year old daughter Amy following her mother’s passing. A nightmare was blooming ever so slowly in the small town of Bobcat, Montana; One filled with paralyzing screams and bloodcurdling cries. While Rodger was tucking his daughter into the bed, hearing domestic disputes and yelling never really was All that bizarre, considering their neighbor’s fought nearly daily. Yet tonight the screams were different; more gutters, more raw, more intense as glass shattered at the house next door. Confused, he slipped from his daughter’s bedroom to investigate, leaving a wide eyed little girl hearing it all and not seeing a thing. Hearing her father crashing through the front door, she stood huddled on the staircase as he was bloodied and screaming for her to run away. As a naked man barreled through their front door she watched as he ripped out her father’s throat and consumed the flesh. Hiding in her bedroom she snuck out the window and dropped to the driveway below watching the town she grew up in turned to pure madness. Watching people being eaten, torn apart, she was distracted and struck by a car. As her consciousness faded to black, she vaguely could see a nude man dragging her mangled body behind the house.

they’re going to kill us, then they’re going to eat us, and then they’re going to kill Blake, and we’re all going to die.

Susan and Blake Hanson were traveling through Montana to reach Washington where Susan’s parents were awaiting seeing the couple again. A one bit wonder of sorts, Blake was falling behind the curve in her father’s eyes as a writer who hasn’t picked up a pencil in closer to a year. The breadwinner of the household was Susan, who worked as a nurse and supported Blake’s ambitions and pushed him to write again. While sitting in a small diner, the cook made an appearance, coming with an ominous warning to the young couple. He pleaded with them to take the main roads and steer far clear from the small town of Bobcat, fore it was a ghost town of horrendous horrors. Seemingly in the blink of an eye six months ago the entire town went offline, and the people that once occupied it lost all communications outside of its confines. Isolated and alone, few would actually return to the town too frightened by what occupied the ruins now. Shaking off the warning, they bundled up and upon arriving in Bobcat noticed some truly odd things. Houses torn to shreds, bloody clothing strewn down the roads and homemade spike traps carved from human bones. As the couple became frightened, they were prepared to leave until Susan spotted a young boy isolated and alone in a gas station. Yet he wasn’t merely a young boy. Nude and covered awkwardly with a loincloth, he was hunched over and feasted on the decaying flesh of a dog before turning his hungered eyes towards Blake and Susan. As the two stumbled away they were met with arrows and a sense of true horror as They crashed their car. Barely standing, he watched an unconscious Susan carried away as a man rescued him and brought him to the manor of Hell.

The feral boy was chewing on the rotten carcass of a dog. He sank his teeth deep into one of the dog’s hind legs, then he shook his head, trying to tear a chunk off the animal. He drew some blood from the carcass, but most of his mouth was filled with fur and maggots. Yet, the boy still chewed and swallowed everything.

Peter Doyle once played the role of Sheriff, but now lended his times to the survival of the survivors isolated in a house. Starving and malnourished, he was horrified to meet Macy Anderson and learn their meals were crafted from human flesh. As she refused to partake, her father Nathaniel was skeptical of the newcomer, and it wasn’t until Macy killed him were her and Blake able to escape. Held captive in a makeshift cage in the abandoned mine shaft, Susan met another young woman captured, Sophie Bailey, and was scared of the stories she told. Incest ran rampant through the cannibals, and torment was a daily occurrence. Raped and scared, Sophie refused to have her spirit shattered and would defiantly stand up to both Kaden and Candance daily, refusing to take it laying down. Elijah Bower took a keen interest in the nude body of Susan and proceeded to rape her before the two woman managed to slaughter him. Enraged and heart broken, Candance forced the brutal beating and torment of the two young woman, having Susan literally spilt in two. While Blake and Macy fought to find his wife and leave Bobcat far behind, Macy would perish and a mortally wounded Blake would detonate dynamite, blowing apart a huge portion of the mine apart with him. Few cannibals escaped, including young siblings Piper and Finn would felt trusting remorse to Susan after her help. As the town struggled to come to terms with Their new freedoms, no one would ever truly believe what happened...

“She is Candace. She is my family, my sister, my wife. She is my love. Re-spect. You respect her.”

January 24th, 1992

....were these people hunted by humans?

[Travis Herink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t take the scene route!

I was shocked by how quickly I finished City of Hunger. It was like one minute I started it and the next there for twenty minutes left in the book. A real page turner! The character development was awesome and the violence and gore? TOP NOTCH. Athan did not hold back!
Admittedly, there was a point in the story where I thought “yeah so and so is going to make it and have a great life” only to forget I was reading Jon Athan novel and BOOM, dead. Don’t miss this book. I was glued to my kindle.

[Carrie Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my third cannibal-themed read by this author and over 50 reads by him overall. CITY OF HUNGER was a fast-paced absolutely gruesome account of one couple's unfortunate drive through a 'ghost town' that has been overrun by inbred cannibals.

If you've ever been tempted to take the "scenic route" on a route trip, read this book and I guarantee you that you'll stay on the main roads.

The amount of violence and gore is on par with his other books, and as with all extreme horror titles, familiarize yourself with the trigger warnings that are plastered all over the book, and be sure to read the author's notes at the end as they usually contain a treasure trove of information.

[Cea | CharmedByChapters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pure entertainment! It’s nonstop from beginning to end, with chaos unfolding almost immediately. The most ridiculous (and honestly fun) part was the terrible decisions the characters kept making, which perfectly set up the carnage to follow.

The result is a fast-paced, gory, over-the-top story that all takes place in a tiny abandoned town over the course of just a couple days.

Wild, brutal, and unhinged...exactly what I’ve come to expect from Jon Athan.

[Claudia Liberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelieeeeeevable

Jon, Jon , Jon...you've done it again...a hideous, horrifying, nauseating book and I loved it. I'm happy that people like you exist in the world. Please don't ever change....depraved but terrific.

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first few chapters, I actually thought this was a zombie novel. It is actually a cannibal novel. For fans of Jack Ketchum, this novel is for you. This book was bittersweet. There was a couple characters I wish that lived. But the story was good.

[Ginnie Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

This is a great book filled with gore and hungry cannibals. This book is the reason I keep reading his books. This is a perfect book Jon Athan.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. This book gave me major “Offspring” vibes. It was extremely violent and gory and not for the faint of heart. It was very good. I devoured it in a day lmao

[Adam Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I often describe Athan’s novels as fun despite some frustrating writing. This one was just as enjoyable and even fooled me into thinking that things might actually have a.......... SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!! Happy ending and then, in the space of a couple chapters, things really go to hell with a bone tomahawk in the face! I gave this three stars before writing this shit review but thinking about this one has me smiling which, things aren’t the greatest in my life right now so, anything making me smile gets praise. Bumping you up one star! Wow, how pretentious of me.

[Todd Charlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. Jon Athan is a young man honing his craft. For City of Hunger he sites influences from Thomas Harris to Wes Craven to Stephen King and mostly Jack Ketchum. In Jon Athan's line of work Jack Ketchum is THE influence to have.
I've read two of his books now, this one and Do Not Disturb. The stories are older than Moses but Jon Athan does spin them his way, with courage of his convictions and hard won freedom of choice.
Jack Ketchum like his mentor Henry Miller fought the censors tooth and nail, paving the way for kids like Jon Athan. They traveled the hard yards, broke their backs to get the censors off of theirs.
Now another fight has come up in the form of the PC thug. Jon Athan has a whole new fight on his hands. But with the help of authors like Wrath James White, Matt Shaw and the redoubtable Edward Lee, extreme horror will survive. The stories have guts and those who write it have balls.
Jon Athan can only learn and get better.