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grayreadsmanga's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Alcoholism and Classism
arlucadamo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
4.0
julesleigh's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well... That was fucked up!
bouncingsquirrel's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Story elements and interesting characters are all there, but it moves too fast to care about any of them or to understand their development
reaperreads's review
4.0
I'm so glad I chose this for the graphic novel Summerween prompt! At first I thought I was going to read Uzumaki, but that was way too long to accomplish in a one-week readathon. (I got four other books to read, y'all.)
There were two major plots in this story: one psychological, one romantic. The psychological focused on the inner turmoil of our protagonist as she struggles to become accustomed to her boyfriend's family's strange traditions. The romantic focused on whether he is indeed the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
I think the psychological aspect, which is obviously where all the horror goodness takes place, was the strongest. It's what kept me turning pages, and I think it most clearly relates to the capitalist metaphor Sarah Gailey was intending to accomplish here. It was easy to predict the ending thanks to the title Eat the Rich, but the bloody twists and cognitive dissonance and, frankly, worldbuilding made the predictability a non-issue.
The romantic aspect also felt telegraphed a bit, especially with the introduction of a love triangle, but I still felt invested in Jo's liberation not only from traditional (read: capitalist) values but also from traditional (read: heteronormative) romance. (You know, especially since traditional/heteronormative romance is sold to queer people by traditional/capitalist values.)
From the start, Jo seemed to be entering an unspoken, obscured contract in several aspects of her life. Education leads to a dream career, and marriage leads to a dream safety net. We've heard these stories. Hell, I'm probably taking my $100k in student loan debt to my grave. What's interesting about the way this is written for Jo, however, is that her relationship with Astor was constantly the thing keeping her metaphorical pen poised above the dotted line. Because of this, there were several moments in the story that legitimately made me wonder, "Is the pen about to hit the paper?"
Overall, this was a fun read. It satisfied the Class Animus Gremlin that likes to throw wild garden parties in my brain sometimes. It didn't add to my understanding of Capitalism Bad, but it was a cute thrill ride for this queer horror fan.
For fans of: The Menu (2022...remember how we all thought that was going to be about cannibalism?), Hannibal (NBC), The Final Girl Support Group, My Heart is a Chainsaw, The Salt Grows Heavy
There were two major plots in this story: one psychological, one romantic. The psychological focused on the inner turmoil of our protagonist as she struggles to become accustomed to her boyfriend's family's strange traditions. The romantic focused on whether he is indeed the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
I think the psychological aspect, which is obviously where all the horror goodness takes place, was the strongest. It's what kept me turning pages, and I think it most clearly relates to the capitalist metaphor Sarah Gailey was intending to accomplish here. It was easy to predict the ending thanks to the title Eat the Rich, but the bloody twists and cognitive dissonance and, frankly, worldbuilding made the predictability a non-issue.
The romantic aspect also felt telegraphed a bit, especially with the introduction of a love triangle, but I still felt invested in Jo's liberation not only from traditional (read: capitalist) values but also from traditional (read: heteronormative) romance. (You know, especially since traditional/heteronormative romance is sold to queer people by traditional/capitalist values.)
From the start, Jo seemed to be entering an unspoken, obscured contract in several aspects of her life. Education leads to a dream career, and marriage leads to a dream safety net. We've heard these stories. Hell, I'm probably taking my $100k in student loan debt to my grave. What's interesting about the way this is written for Jo, however, is that her relationship with Astor was constantly the thing keeping her metaphorical pen poised above the dotted line. Because of this, there were several moments in the story that legitimately made me wonder, "Is the pen about to hit the paper?"
Overall, this was a fun read. It satisfied the Class Animus Gremlin that likes to throw wild garden parties in my brain sometimes. It didn't add to my understanding of Capitalism Bad, but it was a cute thrill ride for this queer horror fan.
For fans of: The Menu (2022...remember how we all thought that was going to be about cannibalism?), Hannibal (NBC), The Final Girl Support Group, My Heart is a Chainsaw, The Salt Grows Heavy
himalaya's review
4.25
they sure do eat the rich!
this is good, fast paced, to the point. I do wish certain elements had been more developed - like the MC only interacts with the handful of side characters once each, and there is zero believability to why she's with this guy in the first place? I think that's maybe partly just the fault of the episodic issue format. art is high quality but reminds me a little too much of idk superhero comic style, which is not my vibe lol - I was expecting something more gritty and contrasting based on the cover?
this is good, fast paced, to the point. I do wish certain elements had been more developed - like the MC only interacts with the handful of side characters once each, and there is zero believability to why she's with this guy in the first place? I think that's maybe partly just the fault of the episodic issue format. art is high quality but reminds me a little too much of idk superhero comic style, which is not my vibe lol - I was expecting something more gritty and contrasting based on the cover?
aliena_jackson's review
5.0
Not the book I was expecting, but the book I needed. I loved the art! It felt very Scooby Doo: Mystery Inc and also very Norman Rockwell. Just some good ole classic Americana. It was the pick-me-up I needed. I might have to re-evaluate the rest of Sarah Gailey's work.
nightmare_maven's review
dark
funny
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
svmreads's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
GOBSMACKED
REELING
JAW ON THE FLOOR
REELING
JAW ON THE FLOOR
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Cannibalism