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faephoenix's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Child abuse
katclaybaugh's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I give this a 4.25/5 stars. This book was extremely tender, and there were some parts that made my heart ache to read. I loved reading her internal dialogue as she made her way through the world as a sin eater and grappled with what that meant.
It was a great premise, and I loved most of it. There were moments when I had to fight to suspend my disbelief for the sin eater overhearing certain conversations between members of the court.
I also thought this book would’ve been more powerful if the focus of the novel was more entirely on May the sin eater and less on the court of Queen Elizabeth I aka Queen “Bethany”. It felt like the mystery at the court was a bit of a gimmick to mimic popular royal intrigue plot lines to keep us engaged. I felt like the character of May already had so much depth and the role of a sin eater was already so fascinating that the court intrigue felt unnecessary and overwhelmed the parts of this book that were truly special and unique.
Keeping the world more focused on May and less on the court would’ve allowed deeper explorations of the thematic aspects of - I had especially hoped for more exploration of her relationship to the Instrument Maker as a Jewish man who didn’t believe in sin eating.
Overall this premise was so unique and was an engaging, tender, dark but not unbearable sort of read, that I really enjoyed.
It was a great premise, and I loved most of it. There were moments when I had to fight to suspend my disbelief for the sin eater overhearing certain conversations between members of the court.
I also thought this book would’ve been more powerful if the focus of the novel was more entirely on May the sin eater and less on the court of Queen Elizabeth I aka Queen “Bethany”. It felt like the mystery at the court was a bit of a gimmick to mimic popular royal intrigue plot lines to keep us engaged. I felt like the character of May already had so much depth and the role of a sin eater was already so fascinating that the court intrigue felt unnecessary and overwhelmed the parts of this book that were truly special and unique.
Keeping the world more focused on May and less on the court would’ve allowed deeper explorations of the thematic aspects of - I had especially hoped for more exploration of her relationship to the Instrument Maker as a Jewish man who didn’t believe in sin eating.
Overall this premise was so unique and was an engaging, tender, dark but not unbearable sort of read, that I really enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Death, Ableism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Miscarriage, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Ableism, Abortion, Rape, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity, Infertility, Classism, Animal death, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Incest, Alcohol, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia
maryarelis's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
BORING.
Nothing grasped my attention at all.
This was very disappointing since I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this novel and now that i did i regret casting aside another book for this.
Don’t bother. There are better books with the same “dark” tones out there.
Nothing grasped my attention at all.
This was very disappointing since I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this novel and now that i did i regret casting aside another book for this.
Don’t bother. There are better books with the same “dark” tones out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Blood, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Ableism, and Alcoholism
abeeeeee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Vomit
Moderate: Incest and Pedophilia
Minor: Antisemitism
christoco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Murder, Rape, Death of parent, Vomit, Child death, and Sexual violence
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, and Torture
cleopatravii's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Torture, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Pedophilia
Minor: Abortion and Incest
aliyyah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Faith is a bloody business."
The Sin Eater is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
The Sin Eater is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
This novel is about a fourteen year old orphan girl who is caught stealing bread, and thus is sentenced to become a sin eater. Sin eaters are women who consume the sins of an individual upon their death, freeing their soul and allowing them to enter heaven. These women however must now carry these sins to their own graves.
I was drawn to this book because of the premise as it struck me as extremely unique and I was not disappointed. I really loved the plot. I think this concept is absolutely fascinating, and learning that this ritual was actually done in the British Isles from the early 1600’s to the 20th century made this novel even richer to me. This book also has a little mystery that, while not at the forefront of the story, is still done very well and had me intrigued from the start.
The main focus of this book is our protagonist, May. While there are a lot of minor characters sprinkled throughout the novel, the heart of this book lies with her. I adored May and I highly enjoyed watching her move through her life. She struggles with being a sin eater but by the end we see a sense of hopefulness from her. May battles with a lot of internal conflict that relate to her family, who she truly is as a person and where exactly does she fit in this world. I felt everything she felt and at times I was completely aching. It was a delight to witness her emotional journey and for me, that was the best part of this book.
I highly enjoyed the writing. It flowed smoothly and captured my attention very easily. I love the atmosphere created by Campisi as well as the religious and political aspects. This book was heavily inspired by 16th century England and I loved the similarities between the history of their world and ours.
Overall I had such an amazing time with this book, and would definitely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gore, Torture, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
coolbeans's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Venturing into a not oft-traveled genre for me, I picked up Sin Eater with it's historical 16th-century England setting and medieval vibes. The hook for me was the interesting main character and the author did indeed deliver the goods. May, caught stealing bread to survive, is punished by being branded a Sin Eater. Sin Eaters must listen to the final confessions of the dying and eat ritualistic foods that represent the sins the dying have confessed to so that they may be accepted by the Maker in heaven. This was a very interesting and fascinating story that focused on May and how she copes with this dramatic change in her role in society.
The mystery that is teased in the book blurb for this title does indeed play a part of the story as it drives the character through the plot, but I found myself much more interested in May's evolution as a character. The author does a wonderful job of putting on the main character's skin and letting us see on the ground level the brutal, unrelenting daily life the young woman endures throughout the novel. This is not a happy story. This story does not hold back in it's stark, raw outlook of life during this time period. No sudden reversals of bad fortune or miraculous happy ever after here. But, that's what made this book all the more interesting to read. The author doesn't ask you to suspend your belief for plot points such as the previous mentioned. Here is the story, this is how it is. I admired that. I also admired the growth of May and how she finds her footing in the brutal world she walks through.
If you like a medieval setting with a major focus on the daily trials of the main character who just happens to have an unusual role, this would be a pick for you. The murder mystery aspect of the story is not a major focus and is not spoken of as much as I thought it would be, but it is an extra element of the plot to enjoy. Interesting main character, moody atmosphere, satisfying ending. Would have liked more Country Mouse, but alas, twas not realistic, I understand.
I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. Kudos to the Sin Eaters for eating some food items that sounded terribly disgusting. I guess that was the least of their problems, to be honest.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this title.
The mystery that is teased in the book blurb for this title does indeed play a part of the story as it drives the character through the plot, but I found myself much more interested in May's evolution as a character. The author does a wonderful job of putting on the main character's skin and letting us see on the ground level the brutal, unrelenting daily life the young woman endures throughout the novel. This is not a happy story. This story does not hold back in it's stark, raw outlook of life during this time period.
If you like a medieval setting with a major focus on the daily trials of the main character who just happens to have an unusual role, this would be a pick for you. The murder mystery aspect of the story is not a major focus and is not spoken of as much as I thought it would be, but it is an extra element of the plot to enjoy. Interesting main character, moody atmosphere, satisfying ending. Would have liked more Country Mouse, but alas, twas not realistic, I understand.
I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. Kudos to the Sin Eaters for eating some food items that sounded terribly disgusting. I guess that was the least of their problems, to be honest.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this title.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Torture, and Cursing
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Excrement, and Vomit
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