Hunger's Bite

by Taylor Robin

A specter is haunting the Atlantic!

After growing up together on the luxurious SS Lark, Neeta Pandey and Emery Botwright are ready to start their lives. Emery wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and sail the Lark forever, while Neeta yearns to travel the world. But neither will have any future at all if the Lark’s new owner, Mr. Honeycutt, has his way.

Mr. Honeycutt . . . The first-class passengers adore him, while he makes the ship a nightmare for the crew. Twisted by unnatural appetites, the rich are actually transforming into something less than human, and their insatiable demands soon push the staff toward a—quite literal— burnout.

Something otherworldly is undeniably aboard the SS Lark, something horribly hungry. But it’s not Wick Farley: vampire, secret agent, and paranormal investigator. Alone and at sea, with only Neeta and Emery to help him, he must uncover the truth about Mr. Honeycutt. And fast—before a ravenous craving for power consumes them all.

Taylor Robin’s debut graphic novel is a thrilling supernatural adventure told in crackling, vibrant colors.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Vampires, Comics

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2025

Reviews

[s.penkevich [mental health hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever have those moments where the work week is an endless horror of skeleton crews working too many hours for too many customers with too many demands and complaints for too little pay and in your beaten down and burned out little brain you think “this place is evil”? Well what if it WAS evil?! Like supernaturally evil. So it goes in Taylor Robin’s delightfully demonic Hunger’s Bite, a rip roaring, sea-faring, monster bashing, capitalist oppression metaphor of a YA graphic novel that bursts off the page with beautifully bold artwork. Don’t tell them rich folk I said to read it though…

Shoutout to my partner and their review for recommending this one. A trans-atlantic voyage on the steamship The Lark becomes a maelstrom of mystery, monsters, and madness for teens Neeta and Emery in Hunger’s Bite and their plans for their futures might go down with the ship.

This is such an engaging and energetic tale—one of the better graphic novels I’ve read this year—and the art really shines. Robin’s has an excellent use of bold colors and character design that can really convey a lot of action and expression. Plus the frame rate of the narrative is pitch perfect and the pacing just soars but theres enough story and nuance to make it feel fully fleshed out and not rushed or overly short. It’s just an explosively good time.

Okay lame joke. But still, this is a delight and so are all the characters. Especially Wick Farley, the sexy, British secret agent who also so happens to be a sexy vampire.

So, naturally, are teen heroes are going to be suspicious of him, especially as possession and work hours start adding up far faster than their pathetic wages. But is Wick the vampire the cause of all these troubles or is the monster we know far less deadly than the monster we have yet to discover…

High seas hijinks and horror collide in Taylor Robin’s Hunger’s Bite, but the real terrors are the real world implications of power hungry greed and capitalist exploitation that drive the monster metaphors and narrative engines. It makes the story a great little microcosm that is accessible for teens and adults, and the art will wow you the whole way. Plus I loved the playlists for each character that adds a riveting soundtrack to the story (and shoutout to all the David Bowie and Dead Kennedys songs on it). There appears to be a sequel set on a train too, which I am very eager for. Hunger’s Bite certainly has a ferocious bite and is quite the delight!

4.5/5

[hope h. · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was far and above the BEST graphic novel i've read in months!! immediately a top favorite of the year!! the vibes, the character design, the ART STYLE, the paneling, the pacing, the character development, the fact that there's going to be a SEQUEL!!!! YES!!! also huge shoutout to the author for making character playlists for each character, we LOVE to see it. the fact that ghosts from the suspiria soundtrack is on one of those character playlists immediately bumped this up to a 6/5. we love TASTE!!

[C.E. McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully drawn, page-turning, & wonderfully horrifying - I sat down meaning to read just a few pages before bed and ended up binging the whole thing! 🙈😂

[Kierston Foutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that took a turn for the horrifying.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh yeah this ruled, can’t wait for the train one

[Lyall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome YA historical horror graphic novel. Taylor Robin does a great job balancing visual and narrative storytelling to pack a spooky and thought-provoking story into a short page count. I also loved our two main characters, Neeta and Wick, and appreciated the focus on their budding friendship. Robin illustrates out internal thoughts in a creative way that made me feel more clued-in to the characters. The way that the supernatural villain of the story works is an interesting way to portray the systemic issues of capitalism's pure growth mindset in a way that's both scary (because of horror and gore) and scary (because of the real world parallels). Also there's vampires and pretty early 20th century outfits. This book rules.

[Emily Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 for me. Like most of the other reviews for this books, the art and specifically color work are STUNNING! Truly creepy villain pitted against a brave and kind female protagonist. Mr. Honeycutt didn’t stand a chance. I actually wish more of the narrative was fleshed out…no pun intended. The only major downside about this is having to wait for book two!!

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little let down by the ending as some loose ends weren't tied up, but there's supposed to be a sequel and HELL YEAH NEXT ONE'S ON A TRAIN

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun creepy vibes and I love the art sooo much.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was weird. Not sure if I liked it. The plot seemed to lack purpose.

[Michael Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. I'm rounding up a little bit, only because I hope to see this expanded more in a sequel. The main vampire character is a lot of fun, and the main horror element is really fun and unique.

[Rea Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you know greed is the root of all evil, clap your hands *clap clap*
if you know people are worth more than their ability to create revenue, clap your hands *clap clap*
if you hate capitalism and you know it, and you really want to show it,
if you hate capitalism and you know it, clap your hands *clap clap*

[Elysia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in about an hour right after receiving it 😂
It's a fun, fast ride with delightful characters ! I really love the humor and the way it's juxtaposed with more mysterious or sometimes spookier bits ! It's great. Definitely a book I'll reread because I just adore Taylor Robin's art style !

[Marah Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED TO READ THE SECOND ONE IMMEDIATELY OH MY GOSH THIS WAS AMAZING

[Darlabatiasmith Asterbuckleyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremenda MARAVILLA. Yo soy la típica que en los cómics no me leo las contraportadas (ni en nada en general), así que me lo empecé pensando que iría de un detective vampiro y su villano, pero NO, es una cosa mucho más COMPLEJA! Me han gustado mucho todos los personajes, las coñas que se traen, la relación de Neeta con Emery… En verdad es que creo que Emery es mi personaje favorito, solo por puro… puro. Demasiado puro el niño. El concepto de lo que ocurre en el barco es también súper increíble, hablando a nivel metáfora, el consumo, el hambre puro y cómo se plasma, me ha dejado loca (y esa! Escena! Del final!). En verdad lo pillé por un impulso y no me arrepiento de nada. Espero con ganas la segunda parte, porque creo que habrá chicha y sacará más de los personajes. Lo recomiendo encarecidamente, he aprendido un montón!

[Isaak RF · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an instant hit for me. I was drawn in by its beautiful illustrations and interesting characters, but the plot was something else, I have never read a book that came even close to this storyline, a one-of-a-kind sort of thing. I finished this book in, like, 40 minutes. IT WAS THAT GOOD! Mr Honeycutt was my favorite character by far (Wick in close second) for his off putting appearance and because he was an amazing personification of capitalism as we know it today, work your workers so hard to save and gain money, while you sit and watch. The author was very clever by having him feed off of desire, (yet again!) like capitalism! This book was an absolute ten out of five. I am so very excited for the sequel. For anyone who hasn’t read it, I HIGHLY recommend it.

[Telthor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabbed on a whim because the cover was so fascinating.
Never even heard of this one before but oh hohohoho that was VERY good.

I need everyone to get this book NOW, what do you mean that was a debut

The colors the lineart the expressions the story. If you like Glass Scientists you’re going to ADORE this.

I want to live and breathe this world and read it again, wow. Wow wow wow. It doesn’t hold its punches, and it takes you on a ride.

[Rune · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the words of a friend, gobbled it up in an hour and a half. Mr Honeycutt I also love your shapes.

What a beautiful, scrumptious book. Loved the character design and the color and sometimes the most straightforward of themes have the most satisfying punches.

[Kirstin Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful book - it's the perfect blend of horror and humor to pull you in so the story just zips along. The art is incredible. I can't wait to read more from this author and from this world.

[Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah..exactly what I'm talking about....................................... read it in like an hour and a half.gobbled it up in one sitting.highly recommend .. mr.honeycutt i love your shapes

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delicious. HUGE the Magnus Archive vibes

[Kiku · Rating 5 out of 5]

god damn good cartooning

[Mel Gillman]

It feels like it’s been a long time since I read a kids’ horror graphic novel with this level of stylistic thought and care put into it. Refreshing!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

creepy thrilling and suspenseful
loved the story and art style

i want more!!!!
hopefully there will be a sequel or smth bc the world and characters are so interesting

[Katie Whitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read but so engaging with amazing artwork that really conveyed feeling and emotion perfectly. I can't wait for the next one!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully creepy illustrations that venture into Picasso territory compliment this story about predators at sea. Sign me up for the next installment!

[Finlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. The art style of this graphic novel was just *chef's kiss* and I loved the use of colors and shading. The subtle discomfort and foreshadowing that was established at the beginning of the book in relation to the villain was awesome, and while I was reading I never wanted to put this down.

[em]

did not enjoy this as much as i thought i would...

[emmareadsya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best graphic novel I've read this year. The use of color (and darkness), the humor, the symbolic and literal burnout of the crew. Oh, and the vampire. I didn't want to put it down; it had a hypnotic quality to it. I can't wait for the next one.

[Morgan Joyner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sympathetic and fleshed-out main characters, fantastic visual storytelling, slightly confusing villain mechanics.


The folks who grab a lifeboat to save our protags should've been fleshed out more, instead of being pure background characters. I don't think they even have names? We should've seen them interact more with Emery and/or Neeta, to help us believe that they would be decent enough people or have enough affection for the kids to snap out of their trance.
Also, Wick Farley's eyes follow Twilight logic. Made me chuckle.