Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

153 reviews

caitmacd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Infertility, Body horror, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Cannibalism

kimmag92's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The Book Eaters was much better than the internet led me to believe. The quickest way I can think of to describe this book is The Handmaids Tale but with aliens. Book eaters were created by an alien being they call The Collector and live in an insular closed off society where women only consume fairy tales, are taught nothing of the real world, and who’s only value is to have children. It’s a duel timeline story where we follow a book eater named Devon who is trying to find the Ravenscar book eater family who have something that can save her son Cai who is a mind eater.  

I do agree with others that issues Devon faces resolve somewhat easily but I think that is purposefully. Devon will never have a fairy tale ending so the only aspect of those stories she can have is things work out for her though what happens to her is far from happy. 

I think the negative feelings towards this book are a product of a few prominent “book-fluencers” saying they didn’t like it and then everyone enmass deciding not to read it. If you like Handmaids Tale type stories then you’ll like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Abandonment, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Violence

sequelmage's review against another edition

The writing was decent and very good for a debut novel. I think what really bugged me was the constant flashbacks.  

I don’t mind flashbacks, but this was happening every other chapter and it just took me out the story that was happening in the present. 

I also just didn’t care much for the characters and wasn’t really invested. That may have changed if the constant flashbacks didn’t take up such a significant portion of the book. 

I’d also warn that the book has a lot of misogyny in it and includes things like forced childbirth. I think a theme is overcoming that, but it is there and pretty graphic. I wasn’t really in the mood so that was another reason I stopped reading 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy and Gun violence

killeenm18's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Death, Pregnancy, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body horror, Gaslighting, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Misogyny

Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Vomit

plantgal_jill's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Trafficking

the_tridentarii's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Grief

Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Addiction, and Alcoholism

chandrayisaacson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, and Domestic abuse

innastholiel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Rape, Death, Infertility, Gore, Murder, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Torture

maryellen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

An early contender as my favorite read of 2023! Imaginative, complex, brilliant storytelling. I hope there's more to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault