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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Similar vibes to my year of rest and relaxation ... but with a vampire ... and much more interesting
There are some brilliant juxtapositions in here that I'm still thinking about weeks after having read them. I loved witnessing the conflict in the character dying to connect with her culture through food, while she can't consume food without harming herself. I loved the mirroring of her mixed-race identity and her vampire-human identity and how she reconciles all parts of herself. I felt, however, that the plot was predictable and all of the characters were a bit pathetic, except the mother, who is complicated and interesting. I wish this had been written as a series of fictional essays instead of relying on a dry plotline where nothing really happens.
Have you ever wished there was a Sad Woman novel where the protagonist is also a vampire? If the answer is ‘yes’, then I have the book for you.
Woman, Eating turns the Sad Woman novel on its head, and has given me something I never knew I needed. Lydia is a 20-something vampire, turned by her vampire mother shortly after birth, sired by a human father. We meet her as she leaves home for the first time in an attempt to live among humans, starting a lucrative internship at a London art gallery, and feeling desperately hungry.
This book was such a fresh, new take on the traditional vampire stories we’ve all seen time and time again, without even having to resort to the idea that they can’t go in sunlight because they *ahem* sparkle. Lydia longs for human connection, and wants nothing more than to be able to subsist on human food, especially Japanese cuisine, which she feels will connect her to her late Japanese father.
At its core, this book is about a woman of mixed-ethnicity trying to figure out who she is, attempting to connect to the different parts of her identity, without really feeling like she belongs anywhere. I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say the last 30 or so pages were probably my favourite and I very much enjoyed Lydia’s character development and the eventual turn of events.
Woman, Eating is a character-driven book with minimal plot and a whole lotta vibes, which doesn’t always hit the mark for me, but this was SO good. I highly recommend picking up a copy, and I look forward to more from Claire Kohda.
Woman, Eating turns the Sad Woman novel on its head, and has given me something I never knew I needed. Lydia is a 20-something vampire, turned by her vampire mother shortly after birth, sired by a human father. We meet her as she leaves home for the first time in an attempt to live among humans, starting a lucrative internship at a London art gallery, and feeling desperately hungry.
This book was such a fresh, new take on the traditional vampire stories we’ve all seen time and time again, without even having to resort to the idea that they can’t go in sunlight because they *ahem* sparkle. Lydia longs for human connection, and wants nothing more than to be able to subsist on human food, especially Japanese cuisine, which she feels will connect her to her late Japanese father.
At its core, this book is about a woman of mixed-ethnicity trying to figure out who she is, attempting to connect to the different parts of her identity, without really feeling like she belongs anywhere. I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say the last 30 or so pages were probably my favourite and I very much enjoyed Lydia’s character development and the eventual turn of events.
Woman, Eating is a character-driven book with minimal plot and a whole lotta vibes, which doesn’t always hit the mark for me, but this was SO good. I highly recommend picking up a copy, and I look forward to more from Claire Kohda.
I find this writing style cool and dreamy. I enjoyed it so much. I could not put this down but I think some of the core ideas didn't get as developed as they could have... I want more of it and there isn't any. it got very slow right towards the end and then suddenly sprinted to the finish line! having said this I'm kind of obsessed with lydia. and once again I find myself wanting to finally learn how to paint with oils
You know, I really liked this one! Very alternate take on the vampire character trope, and I loved it. Self-loathing, struggling artist, trying to be human vampire.
I really like the prose in this book and loved the description of when she was eating gideon and the smoker. I wish she ate more men in my humble opinion
dark
emotional
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes