Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - The Book Eaters

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

64 reviews

rachelschloneger's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

3.0

Content Warnings

semeyers's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.25

Oh man I am so sad by how disappointed in this book I was! This book was on my reading list forever and I was finally able to grab it. I was so excited for it.

A secret race if aliens(?) who live among humans, subsisting on eating books and absorbing the knowledge. They can learn a new language by eating a book in that language. Master skills by eating a trade manual. Catch up on history by eating a textbook. Yet they stay to the fringes of society, forbidden from interacting with or living among humans, the Families ruled by powerful patriarchs. Women are rare in their species so the precious few that are born are kept oppressed, only allowed to eat fairytales to keep them from learning how to function in human society, and forced to birth children that they aren't allowed to raise past the age of three. The structure of their society has remained unchanged for hundreds of years until one woman finds a way to escape.....

Sounds great, right? Too bad most of that took a backseat to the true crime thriller that the book became. So much of the book eaters lore was cast aside almost immediately, brushed over, or seemingly forgotten about

for example, in the beginning, Devon mentions that book eaters live much longer than humans and age slower - to the point where she has trouble discerning human ages. But, the book eaters throughout the novel seem to age completely normally and this is never mentioned again in that last 3/4 of the book

. The characters were one-sided and always reacted predictably. Devon somehow goes from bumbling around barely able to survive in human society to essentially a professional spy in 18 months. Devon's relationship with her son is so much more of a friendship than a parent-child relationship that the mentions from other characters of how motherly and amazing their bond is were confusing. The characters had so much plot armor that I found myself rolling my eyes more than once. The twist was fun, but the book just kind of dragged on from there until it ended abruptly.

Unfortunately, one from my reading list that I just did not enjoy!

Content Warnings

quihi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

I really enjoyed it once I got into it. Unfortunately, it took me two thirds of the book to get really into it.

Content Warnings

ashwaar's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

Living secretly within British society are the book eaters, ancient families that survive on literature to sustain and give them knowledge. Devon is part of one of these families, and as a rare girl, her future is carefully negotiated to ensure she produces heirs for their dwindling population. But when she gives birth to a mind-eater, a being who craves and survives on human minds rather than books, Devon must escape from the families to save her son.

A lot is happening in this book, and the story only becomes more intense, gritty and grotesque as it continues. It comes with all sorts of trigger warnings, so be sure to check those out if you’re unsure! But overall, I thought this was a pretty interesting premise, if a little contrived. It sounds a little like an idea I’d think up in my English class at secondary school, but it’s also pretty cool to see someone write it in an actual book.

The story is complex and compelling, jumping between present-day on-the-run Devon and her past, growing up within the families. There is a lot of legacy and lore in the book, and I think the author does well blending it all with the current narrative. You learn more alongside younger Devon, and as a reader, I felt very comfortable with this pacing.

At the same time as I found this book interesting and engaging, I also found it pretty tough to read at points. Because every character does terrible gruesome things, I found it hard to have sympathy or find a connection with any of them. I also found the setting a bit weird, and juxtaposing these mysterious families with the average UK life didn’t feel right. Maybe it would have felt more fitting in its own world, but I know that’s even more lore and background to commit to. It’s not a big complaint for me, and I got used to it as the story went on.

Overall, this was a pretty solid book, just not completely my cup of tea. It’s very plot-heavy, and I’m more of a character-and-vibes reader. I also thought it was very gory, and although I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it doesn’t make it very enjoyable to read at points. It’s one of those books where I think you’ll be able to tell from a review if you’ll like it or not, and hopefully, I’ve been able to help you out a little bit.

Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/

Content Warnings