Reviews with content warning for Cursing - The Book Eaters

It was good, I can't say I didn't like it. I read it pretty fast and got somewhat into it because I really wanted to know what had happened in the past and what was gonna happen now. The story was well built, in that it really kept the reader wondering while still getting some answers. That part was great. The story was also quite original I think, or at least I don't think I've ever seen anything else with book eaters or anything close to that (which is actually quite surprising, thinking about it). So yeah it was a good book. However, it was often "too obvious" for me. Like it was very often trying to make a point/give a lesson/preach some point of view - and I'm not saying it was wrong in its ideas, it just didn't leave much room for nuance in those instances. Ironically I found it very black and white, for a book that was advocating that "things are more complicated than they seem" and "there's no good and bad" it made a heavy emphasis on what it considered "the right idea" and didn't really let the readers decide for themselves. Also, the whole "life isn't a fairytale" thing was really lacking in subtlety in my opinion. In addition to being (sorry if it's harsh) unoriginal, it was also very heavy and expressed too forcefully for me. Like, of course life isn't a fairytale, and I'm the first person to agree with the fact that reality is brutal and full of disappointment and disillusion, but you don't have to say it so plainly. In fact, I think that a less obvious, more subtle way of making it clear (through hints and ideas and metaphors and what not) is way more efficient than just saying it like that. It gives more room for people to interpret it in a way that resonates with their own feelings and experiences.

Anyway, although not groundbreaking, it overall was a nice read and I'm glad to have read it.

Content Warnings

amiegold's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The book Eaters is a dark, wild ride! A mother and her 5 year old 'mind eating' son embark on a long and painful journey to find a cure for his mind eating that will let him live in the human world without being a danger to others. It opens with Devon in a large manor and being raised as a princess. But, we soon feel that there is a dark, underlying motive for everything around her. I felt like it was almost a literary horror, if that is a thing. It explored the idea that people in fairytales may not have it as good as we always thought. Princesses, arranged marriages, and being raised to produce an 'heir' are all things out of our real-life history. However, in Book Eaters, she takes these ideas and mixes them with a new kind of monster that is oh-so-fun to read. If you like a bit of horror mixed with introspective moments, this book would be a great fit. It may not be the right fit if you are looking for a light or thoughtless horror.

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dannavarro's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense 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? Yes

2.75

I really wanted to like this book. For starters, I was expecting something completely different so that's on me, I suppose. Based on the title & description, I fully expected to finish this book within a few days but after 3 or 4 restarts, even trying various forms of media (physical, audio, & digital), I finally forced myself to trudge through it & finish. It was slow-going & boring up to around 85% through, when it finally picked up pace. And what is it with all the books coming out now pushing gay relationships? We get it; you're woke. I'm evil & old-fashioned. Except I'm not & a whole generation of authors thinks it's something they need to feature to get that other crowd's money, I guess. Smh. Don't have to cater to sell a book.

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trickphoenix's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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mlfey's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't usually do horror or horror-adjacent and I literally just finished reading it on a dark and stormy night when I still have a touch of fever, so I need a beat before crafting a real review. It's undoubtedly fascinating, though! And the writing is lush but not overly so.

Content Warnings

poetry_shaman's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thanks to Tor Books for the free advance copy of this book.

- THE BOOK EATERS is part adventure tale, part gothic mystery, part horror story and I loved it.
- I loved that it not only gave us the gothic manor tropes but also the claustrophobia of being a woman born into an impossibly patriarchal system. Watching Devon try to navigate her love for her children with her need to break free and be her own person was heart wrenching.
- It's not super obvious from the summary, but this book is also queer! There's some nice sapphic longing from Devon, as well as an asexual secondary character.

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