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This is a novel in three parts, each told from a different character's point of view, and each narrated in the second person. For the first two or three pages I was distracted by this, but after that I was so absorbed in the story that I stopped noticing. By the end, I was impressed with this method of storytelling; each character colors the story in their own light, so that you as reader are constantly aware that there is no omniscient presence to explain what's going on. Everyone leaves clues not only in what they say, but in how they say it and even in what they fail to say.

In the first part, Meredith Malady is obsessed with a series of grisly murders taking place in her hometown. As... More > she tries to figure out who the killer is, you the reader are being trained as a detective.

The second part of the novel is told by Jim Carr and Maggie Duncan, a pair of serial killers from Michigan's past. This section is chilling, as the second person narration brings you into the minds of the deranged pair as they confess their lives to each other.

The final section brings it all together; Meredith's sleuthing knits the clues left behind by the modern day killer to the legacy left by Carr & Duncan's long ago actions in the woods. The identity of the narrator of the first section is revealed, which changes the whole story (unless you figured it out early). Meredith Malady's detective skills have put her directly in the killer's sights, and her life depends on her intelligence and nerve. < Less

Who is the Rat Man? Bella has nothing on Meredith Malady. Seriously, this novel is part poem, part Sweeney-Todd drunken butcher's opera, with a dash of logging-town historical fiction. What starts as a dark, licorice-flavored coming-of-age story poses, by the end, a serious mystery in which we as readers feel compelled to choose an allegiance. As a high school teacher, I wish I could put this on the curriculum to read with my students. Hungry Rats feels like several books in one. There's plenty of young adult material here: imperfect parents, awkward jealousies, dangerous friendships, runaway adventures. At the same time, this slim volume would make a power-shake of reading comprehension. Don't let the experimental style deceive you--this is edgy fiction that's made for devouring.

Hungry Rats is not easy reading. That is not to say that it isn't enthralling, but the subject matter and prose constantly challenge the reader's expectations. Those who press forward into the world of the novel will be well rewarded, not only by the richness of the rhythmic, musical language, but also with the phantasmagoric treatment of Flint's history. Part murder mystery, part gothic neo-mythology, and part young adult novel, Hungry Rats is a reading experience that lingers with you long after you flip the final page.

Hungry Rats is a compelling read. It's filled with rich, fascinating metaphors and imagery that walks the fine line between drawing you in and scaring you away. I found it difficult to read in one sitting, feeling a little overwhelmed by the evocative language and imagery, but I couldn't put it down for too long, either. The characters are drawn skillfully and the quirks of their relationships move the story beautifully from one point to the next. The different points of view add more depth than is often found in similar novels. And the often-poetic language used make this a great read.