She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark

Introduction

"A teenager longs for perfect skin. A scientist tends to fragile alien flora. A young man takes the night into his own hands. Each of these characters has a desperate desire. Can any of them be sated?

Unsettling, revelatory, and laced with her signature dark humour, Eliza Clark's debut short story collection plumbs the depths of that most basic human feeling: hunger." (Goodreads)

From the moment I read this blurb, I knew I had to read this book. This was my first encounter with Eliza Clark's work, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew it would be a wild ride - and it didn’t disappoint. The collection features 11 short stories, some of which made my skin crawl, others made me laugh, and most of them lingered in my mind after reading them

Clark tackles important issues, weaving themes like sexuality, beauty standards, and climate change into stories that are often gory, extreme, and deeply thought-provoking. Not only do they intrigue and entertain, but they also leave a lasting impression about the weight of these issues.

I admire how Clark doesn’t shy away from difficult or controversial topics. Her stories are bold, graphic, and come with many trigger warnings. They challenge the reader while remaining entertaining, even funny, in places. That said, some scenes were a bit much for me as someone who doesn’t handle gore well.

Each story was unique. One standout for me was The Shadow Over Little Chitaly. I’ve never read a story structured entirely as a collection of reviews, and I found this approach uniquely creative and hilarious. (I also loved that there’s actually an Instagram account for “Hannah’s Special Pizza”) On the other hand, Goth GF was my least favourite, it just didn’t stick with me.

I should mention that I’m an avid fan of short stories. I love being able to pick up a book during a busy day or right before bed and finish a story in one sitting. I also enjoy being dropped into a narrative with little context, discovering snippets of an author’s imagination, thoughts, and skill.

Thoughts on the Stories

Here’s an overview of the stories, ranked from my favourite to least favourite. I have tried to keep them spoiler free, but I went into this book blind and do feel like that made me like it even more.

1. The King

A human-flesh-eating apex predator waits to claim dominance over humans after a nuclear disaster but encounters another of her kind. This was darkly funny and imaginative—easily my favourite.

2. The Shadow Over Little Chitaly

This story made me laugh out loud. A collection of food delivery reviews for a mystical Chinese-Italian restaurant, it’s a creative gem.

3. Extinction Event

Climate change is the main theme in this story. Scientists are looking for a way to avoid a climate apocalypse and are forced by management to place not-yet fully tested plants on earth. This story explores the risks of 'quick fixes', hierarchy, and greed. Fascinating and thought-provoking.

4. Build a Body Like Mine

A dark take on body dysmorphia and diet culture. The narrator offers a disturbing solution to achieving the "perfect body," which serves as a sharp critique of societal beauty standards.

5. Shake Well

A 15-year-old girl insecure about her acne turns to a black-market cure with bizarre side effects. Disturbingly graphic, but I couldn’t put it down. Also touches on the subject of grooming through her relationship with an adult.

6. Hollow Bones

A chilling, gory story about a hallucinating accident victim. This one will continue to haunt me and was definitely the goriest story in this book. However, I wanted to know more about the world and back story Clark hinted at.

7. She’s Always Hungry

A village where men are the oppressed gender and a sea creature preys on them. While intriguing, it felt less impactful to me, and I think a shorter version might have worked better.

8. Company Man

I don't want to say anything about this story so I don't spoil it. I enjoyed this story but found it an odd choice to end the collection on. I feel like it was a bit too boring to end on compared to other stories in this collection.

9. The Problem Solver

The protagonist opens up to a (male) friend about her rape, and he tries to help her in the way he believes is useful. I read a Goodreads review by the user Alwynne who perfectly described what I felt was the core of this story so I am going to quote them here as I don't think I would formulate it any different: “The Problem Solver” forms a searing critique of the appropriation of female trauma depicted through a man’s attempts to dictate how his woman friend should feel about having been raped". Additionally, it also shows the (possible) consequences of trying to get justice, and why many people choose not to do anything. I thought it was a touching story.

10. Nightstalkers

Focusing on drug use and homophobia, this story was quieter than the others, which made it feel less memorable by comparison.

11. Goth GF

This story about a young man obsessing over his coworker left me feeling uncomfortable and didn’t stick with me.

What I Loved About the Book

• Clark's writing style

• Her creative way of touching very current topics

• Unique stories

• Most stories are very memorable

  
  

What Didn’t Work for Me

While I loved the collection as a whole, some stories stood out less, and a few graphic scenes pushed my limits.

Final Verdict

Rating this collection is tough because the stories vary so much in impact. Some are close to five stars (The King, for instance), while others, like Goth GF, are more a three. On average, I’d give it four stars for its creativity, themes, and writing style.

Who Should Read This Book?

If you enjoy dystopian, slightly unhinged stories with a strong political edge, you’ll likely enjoy this collection. However, do check the trigger warnings first—there’s a long list, and the content can be intense.

Affiliate link to the book: https://amzn.to/4fV8enJ

Note: The link in this post is an affiliate link. If you decide to purchase through it, you’ll be supporting my blog at no extra cost to you.