Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

118 reviews

tinyjude's review

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Very intriguing concept and development. I liked how it perfectly encapsulated the patriarchal, oppressive and cruel world created by the Families and the damage they create to all those poor little girls by just feeding them fairy tales and not preparing them for what's to come. I liked Devon's fierce personality and the characters' grey morality portrayed through the things she is forced to do for Cai and what Cai has to suffer too. I liked that it was sapphic and we also got a tiny bit of asexual representation and some decent men amongst monsters. It is true that the ending and love plot felt rushed but I liked the approach and the points the author wanted to criticize and how they were addressed in the book unequivocally. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Drug use, Incest, Alcoholism, Infertility, Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Body horror

auroramw's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

1.5

I love the book's premise, but it fell short in my opinion. The story is as subtle as a sledgehammer. There's a lot of pacing issues, especially towards the end of the book. Despite all this, I find that the bigges problem for me is how under developed the characters feel. The dialogue feels like a poorly written script where no one has a distinct voice. The characters lack personality which made them deeply unlikable.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Violence, and Sexual assault

bootrat's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

Horror isn't usually a genre I read, but I really enjoy this! The world building was great, the characters were excellent and very relatable, and the whole story was intriguing. I'd very happily read more books set in this world (or eat them if I could)!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual assault

The sexual assault is that Devon doesn't want to have sex, but is made to in order to procreate. It isn't described at all, only referenced that it wouldn't be pleasant.

cakrolik's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Gore, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

fatimaelf's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I also got through this one slower than I’d have liked. The chapters alternated between past and present for most of the book, which was necessary for world-building reasons, but I’m not totally sure was wholly necessary for narrative reasons. I enjoyed learning about the book-eaters, but I sort of wish I’d gotten more insight into them. They did feel like a modern day cult: women subservient, men dominant, and I think that changing up even a few things could have made that dynamic feel fresher. That said, what I was given was good for the story and for the character development. Though I liked the book, I do wish I’d gotten more from it. The ending felt open — perhaps for a sequel — but I think if this book had even a hundred pages more it could’ve done something really special. I thought the relationship between mother and child was atypical in a refreshing way, especially given what Devon sacrificed for Cai, and the relationship between brother and sister was the most intriguing one of the book (though I wish Dean had focused on it more). Overall a solid read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse

ssjd411's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Sexism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Blood, Murder, and Physical abuse

aliclare's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Confinement, Misogyny, Death, Murder, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Gun violence

ren_the_hobbit's review

Too triggering

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, and Slavery

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

imds's review

• 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

---

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