Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

64 reviews

books_and_fairy_lights's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Trafficking, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Physical abuse, and Rape

wsu_tech_library's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

If you're into vampires and books, this book about a species of vampire that feeds on books will probably satisfy your cravings! 

Available at the Wichita Public Library

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, and Abandonment

sunnydale's review against another edition

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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book succeeds as a gothic allegory exploring the ways both targeted abuse and impersonal violence are used to maintain an oppressive culture. If it were marketed primarily as an introspective novel about a woman's journey to free herself and her children from abuse, people might not be so disappointed that the SFF elements aren't at the forefront. I don't think the physiology and culture of the otherworldly race are underdeveloped, but they aren't emphasized. 

I wasn't disappointed by the focus on Devon's personal arc. I was, however, disappointed that the crucial parts of that arc happened almost entirely in the past. The present-day chapters feel like they're only there to build tension as you wait to figure out what led up to them—they don't carry the narrative weight of half the book, despite getting half the book's "screen time." Characters like Hester, Cai, and Killock are intriguing, and I wish they'd been given more depth. 

Overall, I found the worldbuilding compelling, and I'd be interested in revisiting the world to learn more about mind eaters in particular. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Sexism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, Alcohol, Abandonment, Slavery, and Gun violence

Minor: Drug use, Acephobia/Arophobia, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Body shaming

Physical abuse specifics:

Matley chokes Devon until she passes out, and it takes her a long time to recover. This happens immediately after she gives birth to Cai. She is also pinned down when Matley and his guards arrive to take Cai away.

There is no explicit sexual content or description of sexual assault, although Devon's relations with her husbands are nonconsensual. A lot of discussion of Devon's children being taken away from her. Her children are also threatened with violence.

ashleyrunswild's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Slavery, Rape, Sexism, Trafficking, Misogyny, Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit

amiegold's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Cursing and Murder

Minor: Rape

halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

This was not my cup of tea. It's quite triggering and has a society that controls women reproductive rights. Solely, from my understanding, on sexual violence. 

So I jumped from 32% of the audio to the end and was greatly disappointed with the ending. It leaves a dry cough of hope at the end that is 99.9% uncertain/may not succeed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Infertility, Murder, Sexual assault, Body horror, Cannibalism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, and Torture

iloivar's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infertility, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Abandonment, Trafficking, Homophobia, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy

trickphoenix's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Addiction

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Child death, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Trafficking

upperjackpain's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Drug use, Violence, Sexual violence, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexism, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Murder, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

Minor: Torture

shivapriya's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Gun violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Cannibalism