Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

115 reviews

tctimlin's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I’m not much of a fantasy reader, so that may have colored my perception of the book.  The premise (that there is a race of people living in England who look similar to humans, but instead of eating food, eat books) is weird - but gets weirder when you learn that occasionally instead of giving birth to book eaters, they give birth to mind eaters, who can only survive by sucking out all the knowledge in a person’s brain.  The plot bounces back in time, and the present time events are propulsive, and the battle at the end is fun and exciting.  The author also attempts to raise big issues, like motherhood, family, what we do for love, gender roles … maybe too many issues.  At the end, the author kind of leaves the door open for a sequel, but I don’t know that I have the appetite to eat any more pages.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Sexism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Murder

henneyce's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The burn it all down mentality ruined a fasecinating premise in my opinion 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Cannibalism, Violence, Child abuse, and Gore

isaaah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

I'm always weak for stories that talk about the power of stories. I suppose you can say I ate this one up. The Book Eaters tells us that the stories we consume, that we are given, shape the way we see the world, and how we imagine our future. This fantasy of people that eat books and minds seems surreal, but their society, strictly managed by patriarchs who decide what stories their children are allowed to consume, does not seem so far from the truth to me. I'm thinking of real life censorship and book burnings and pearl-clutching parents that think certain stories might lead their children away from the life path they envisioned for them.
This story is about a woman trying to escape the system she is born in and envision a different future. 

The book also talks about love, and the lengths we go for it, which is a theme I'm also always happy to explore. I especially enjoyed the notion that love is not inherently good, it is just something we make choices for. A lot of it focuses on Devons relationship with her children, which I thought well done. However, I'm not a parent, nor do not I wish to be, so some of the emotional layers might have been lost on me. 

I was more so interested in the development of her friendships with Jarrow and Hester. Devon grew up isolated and sheltered and only rarely met strangers. Later she is made to fend for herself in a world full of a people unknown to her, and that are functionally prey for her son. I thought this made for an interesting perspective to the process of trusting new people and making friends, and I'd have liked to see more of it. I personally would have preferred her relationship with Hester to stay platonic, as right now, the romance seemed underdeveloped to me. It seemed more like something to be explored in a potential sequel (or just leave up to the imagination). But then again, my verdict for 90% of romance plots is that it goes too fast; at this point it might be a me-problem. 

 

At the end I also felt like the flashbacks slowed down the pace a bit, but none of these things kept me from thoroughly enjoying this book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Murder, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, and Slavery

Minor: Sexual content, Trafficking, Alcohol, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Rape

imds's review against another edition

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Acephobia/Arophobia, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Body horror, Grief, Body shaming, Confinement, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, and Trafficking

plumpeony's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Trafficking, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Violence, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

unboxedjack's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, and Gore

sav_22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It’s so hard to sum up my feelings on this book, but man did I love it. If I can compare it to anything, I’d say listening to the song Labour by Paris Paloma would be the closest thing I can think of. That song IS Devon. 
The way Dean writes about motherhood, trauma, and dilemma fascinates me. The concept alone is unlike anything I’ve gotten the chance to read, and I really love how devastatingly bittersweet and complex it is. I’d say that a lot of elements of the world of the book eaters resembles Handmaid’s tale, ifykyk.

This isn’t a book that circles around the sapphic relationship, which some may have critiqued for being a bit of a minor subplot. It is hardly a focus, but I kind of enjoy the way Devon’s sexuality is explored in such a simple and gentle way, contrasting the violence in which her femininity and motherhood is explored. The dynamic between Dev and Cai is tragic and beautiful and horrifying; it really is a story that drives home the absolute carnage that is motherhood. This portrays womanhood by extension as what it can feel like: messy, violent, tragic, and ruthless. Dev loses so much of herself, and her identity was stripped from her so constantly, yet she rises like a merciless phoenix. She is one of the most morally complex characters I’ve read about, and I adored her deeply. <spoiler/> If you want to read a book that is the epitome of female rage, i feel like this is the one for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Child abuse, Body horror, Violence, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

I’ll admit that I just don’t like dark gothic stories. If you do, maybe give this interesting spin on a vampire story a try. The book eaters and mind eaters concept kept me intrigued enough, and the out of order storytelling was interesting. Check content warnings before diving in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death, Murder, Ableism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

Aphobia

ageckocalledachilles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Body horror, Torture, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Sexual violence

mareelynn's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

 I was expecting a lighter fantasy tale about the ways the books we devour become a part of us. Instead, Sunyi Dean's debut novel is more of a modern gothic horror with variations on vampire/zombie tropes, a Mother & Child duo on the run from vicious, irredeemable bad guys, and a quest for a Magic Pill that's gonna fix it all.

I found most of the flashbacks to Devon's youth tough to get through, and then the pace finally picked up just in time for the book to end. The uneven characterization of Devon and Cai is balanced with some poignant prose, especially when Dean writes about the fierce, unconditional love between a mother and child. I just wish there was more about book eating in The Book Eaters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Rape