Wicked Hunger - DelSheree Gladden

I had heard great things about Wicked Hunger and saw it on the freebie list on Amazon, so I immediately downloaded and read it. I was not disappointed.

This book is a dark YA paranormal read told from alternative POVs of Van and her brother Zander.  As the title suggests, the main plot of the story is about Vanessa (Van) and her brother's "Wicked Hunger."  It's not a vampire story, as I first expected.  It is a unique, suspenseful read about a hunger that is only fed with pain, which makes Van and Zander very dangerous.

While Van and Zander eat actual food, their body craves pain.  They feed off of the pain of others and sometimes this can lead them to lose control and take a life.  It was very dark and scary to read about the struggles that they had trying to control their hunger.  It drove their brother mad.  Literally.  He ended up in a psychiatric hospital.  The hunger created secrets between Van and Zander, and Zander's secrets were very intense.

Despite the fact that our main characters are dangerous and could potentially kill everyone, I really liked them.  I even found two book boyfriends:  Ketchup and Noah.  Ketchup is always loyal to Van, and though I sometimes was annoyed at his persistent love for Van, how could I not crush on a guy named Ketchup?  And Noah liked Van for who she was, regardless of all the scary stories he had heard about her.  I found it admirable that he was willing to form his own opinion of her, rather than judge her based on rumors.  In addition to book boyfriends, this book had the crazy family member, over-protective grandmother, and character that you love to hate.

Wicked Hunger was also very well-written.  The plot and character development were both very well created.  I hung onto every word and was very sad when I reached the last page.  I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.  Even though crisis was averted at the end of this book, I can only imagine what drama and danger will be present in the next installment.