Reviews with content warning for Violence - Feed Them Silence

sci-fi horror at its finest.

the thing i love the most about the story is that it really felt like it was written in dual pov….you didn’t just get sean’s perspective, but also the wolf that’s so pivotal to this research study that’s being done.

the combination of invasive technology and vivid descriptions of the cold & barren woods through another species’ eyes added to the surreal atmosphere, i feel.

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readingpicnic's review against another edition

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3.75

Failing sapphic marriages in books make me sooo sad (similar to Our Wives Under the Sea). This story posed very interesting questions about ethics, conservation, and intimacy. The main character was genuinely so morally gray, and I did NOT support most of her behaviors, but my discomfort and disgust with her actions and thoughts also intrigued me. You can see her growth throughout the story as she learns the cost of her selfishness with her work project and her ambivalence towards and unappreciation of her wife. Their relationship was so complicated but felt very real. It gave me hope that after everything, they were still working on it, even though they had both made mistakes and had miscommunications. The wolf scenes were so visceral and strange, but also cool. I could definitely see this type of scenario posed by the book taking place in real life where a big corporation funds something like this in order to monetize it to the masses as a VR experience. What a trip.

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charlotteer's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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 writing style felt almost lyrical to begin with but towards the middle/end it became more repetitive, with the same words or a similar description used noticeably more than once or twice.

The plot was interesting and was explored well in its 105 pages but I felt as if it fell short of a few expectations and was a little lack-lustre because of this.

Overall, a little too monotonous for me but I did enjoy reading it!

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blacksphinx's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.5

First of all, this is NOT a horror novella and I'm not sure why it keeps winding up on lists of horror stories. It is a sci-fi novella focused around a failing marriage between two academics and a research project where our narrator gets to experience what it's like to be a wolf.

Despite not being horror, I think if you liked Our Wives Under The Sea you might like this. It's a different take on "failing sapphic marriage," if you can handle a narrator who is a self-centered racist dick.

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chris_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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eegekay's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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marleywrites's review

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

This book was filled with tension, and the level of familial bonding Sean felt with Kate (her wolf) was quite intense. It was really fascinating to witness Sean approaching Kate— I felt my heart racing right along hers. I found that I wanted Sean’s imagined connection to be as real as she believed it to be. It broke my heart to read Sean longing for the intimacy of a pack; Mandelo described the multifaceted family dynamics beautifully. The parallels drawn between Sean seeking relationships with her wolves and her own failing romantic relationship were striking, and I could feel the pain Sean was experiencing deeply. Overall, I rated this book five stars because it captured the emotional turmoil of wanting to belong to something bigger than you can ever imagine perfectly. The angst and desperation Sean felt was gnawing at me too. Now I’m going to have to give Mandelo’s other works a shot!

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caidyn's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

This is a hard book to rate and review. It's so reflective and it's a huge product of the first wave of the pandemic. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this book. It's well-written and so complex for what a short story it is.

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