Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

67 reviews

montereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

This was so unexpectedly excellent. A very underrated book, with a fantastic performance by the audiobook narrator

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Child death, Body horror, Death of parent, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual assault

sharron_joy_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.75

Devon is a book eater, vampire like creatures who consume books instead of food. Growing up she is fed a steady controlled diet of what is expected of her as one of the rare female book eater. There are six families and their numbers are dwindling and she is needed to breed.

When she gives birth to Cai, a rare mind eater she runs with him to save him.

 

This is a gothic thriller in essence and although I was initially drawn to the book eating side the story is really about family, loyalty, forced marriage and motherhood in a strictly patriarchal cult like community who just happen to eat books. 

It is thought provoking but the way women and girls are treated in this world infuriated me and although Devon fights against the system her efforts are often in vain. 

 

It is an interesting story but for me it was too long and the ending felt rushed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Child abuse, Grief, and Body horror

touchegiantsquid's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Brilliantly forces the reader to confront the truth that everything actually does have a price, that perfect is unobtainable, and that living in the real world requires accepting tradeoffs. Even though the main character repeatedly says there's no price on love, the plot reveals there is nothing without a price.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Gun violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Trafficking

johnbat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

good concept, lackluster follow through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Ableism, and Gore

Minor: Trafficking

sammirosewater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Abortion

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Murder, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Child death, Trafficking, Alcohol, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Torture

remaininlullaby's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

i got into this expecting to read a story about a mother who moved mountains for her child. i kinda got that, but i also got way too many pages of men trying to oppress women/mothers by using their children against them & ugh. i wish i'd read some cws first bc while it wasn't actually triggering for me i found all these sect-/cult-like tendencies to be vERY uncomfortable and unsettling.
the whole "love doesn't have rules or a cost & also isn't necessarily good all the time" was a cool touch tho.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Infertility, Rape, Homophobia, and Medical trauma

cgoedel's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely loved this. It took a while to build the background because you were simultaneously getting a present time-line, but it fit together seamlessly. I also love some queer representation and it was so subtle. I will be reading this again!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Rape

mariep97's review against another edition

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse

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