Reviews

Sin Eater by Megan Campisi

trasgu's review

dark informative mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

whatvictoriaread's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

paytograce's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Some reviews stated how unrealistic it is that someone that cannot talk or read can solve a murder…but May is an incredibly observant individual and I loved seeing how her mind worked to put different clues together.  Her growth from girl to curse to viewing sin eating as a profession as fascinating.  I’m glad that she was able to find peace.

huntersavage's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.25

libluv's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.25

olivecatlady's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad

4.75

shmelia's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thereviewbooth's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book had been on my wish list for quite some time and a Bookstagram friend picked it as my exchange book. I was so excited to read this book and I’m delighted that I finally got to sit down and read it. The Sin Eater is an exceptionally well-written book whose synopsis does not do it justice. I did not go into this one thinking that I would get courtly intrigue and a tale of mysterious murders. I would consider it a slow burn but I was not bored, constantly checking the food list at the beginning of the book and even looking up foods that I had absolutely no clue about. They ate some strange things.

The ending was a little sad and I wanted more for May but it was honest – rising above her station in life would have been impossible considering what was done to her. I understand why she chose the safety and security of her role – even if she initially hated and chafed at being assigned as a sin eater. I also wanted justice for her but that would have also proven difficult. Elizabethan England was not a kind place.

If you enjoy courtly intrigue from the perspective of a necessary but reviled FMC, murder mysteries, and historical (Elizabethan) fiction then I highly recommend picking this book up. I just found out that the author is publishing another historical fiction book this year (2024), The Widow Spy, and I cannot wait to check that out either!

carladelgado's review

5.0

I like this novel, I think it's a good read. The story kept me engaged the whole time and I felt like the pacing was just right. It's not full of action and it has a slow build-up, which is very fitting for the plot. Not sure how this novel resembles "Alice in Wonderland" in any way though.

I think some readers might have been dissatisfied with the book because they were so caught up in the mystery, which wasn't the main focus of the book at all. (Some say they didn't like how uninvolved they were in a mystery as the reader, and others felt like the plot started way too late.) Obviously, we, the audience, wouldn't be able to solve the mystery because we can't decipher the clue by ourselves. We can only see it through the protagonist's eyes, who does not understand it and therefore cannot relay it to us. If you read the book expecting her to act à la Hercule Poirot, of course, you'd be disappointed.

The plot didn't start "too late" in the book because the story is not about the mystery in the first place. It's evident from the beginning—even with the chapter divisions—that the whole point of the book was the protagonist's arc. If you are able to realize that early on, then this would be a fulfilling read for you as it was for me.

lfschwar's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0