Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

34 reviews

tinyjude's review against another edition

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. 

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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 against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

seagullsaga's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Confinement, Violence, Slavery, Infertility, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Rape, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Sexism

ssjd411's review against another edition

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

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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

hazelsnoot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

I cant stop thinking about this book. A unique, dark, and haunting story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Stalking, Trafficking, Abandonment, Drug use, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia

imds's review against another edition

• 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

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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

sav_22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It’s so hard to sum up my feelings on this book, but man did I love it. If I can compare it to anything, I’d say listening to the song Labour by Paris Paloma would be the closest thing I can think of. That song IS Devon. 
The way Dean writes about motherhood, trauma, and dilemma fascinates me. The concept alone is unlike anything I’ve gotten the chance to read, and I really love how devastatingly bittersweet and complex it is. I’d say that a lot of elements of the world of the book eaters resembles Handmaid’s tale, ifykyk.

This isn’t a book that circles around the sapphic relationship, which some may have critiqued for being a bit of a minor subplot. It is hardly a focus, but I kind of enjoy the way Devon’s sexuality is explored in such a simple and gentle way, contrasting the violence in which her femininity and motherhood is explored. The dynamic between Dev and Cai is tragic and beautiful and horrifying; it really is a story that drives home the absolute carnage that is motherhood. This portrays womanhood by extension as what it can feel like: messy, violent, tragic, and ruthless. Dev loses so much of herself, and her identity was stripped from her so constantly, yet she rises like a merciless phoenix. She is one of the most morally complex characters I’ve read about, and I adored her deeply. <spoiler/> If you want to read a book that is the epitome of female rage, i feel like this is the one for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Child abuse, Body horror, Violence, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

I’ll admit that I just don’t like dark gothic stories. If you do, maybe give this interesting spin on a vampire story a try. The book eaters and mind eaters concept kept me intrigued enough, and the out of order storytelling was interesting. Check content warnings before diving in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death, Murder, Ableism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

Aphobia

ageckocalledachilles's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Body horror, Torture, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Sexual violence

zombiezami's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

I’m so fortunate that A) this book exists, B) I added it to my TBR, and C) I got to read it. I don’t even remember how this ended up on my TBR, but I’m glad I did. This story is slow, layered, and beautifully written

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Grief, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Violence, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Chronic illness, Sexism, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Blood

Moderate: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Cursing, Infertility, Cannibalism, Car accident, Bullying, Pregnancy, Stalking, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Body horror

Minor: Incest and Child death

Eugenics