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A review by readthesparrow
Feeders by Caleb Stephens
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This review is based on a physical ARC provided by the author.
REVIEW
I had such a blast with Feeders; it was my holiday read, and I absolutely devoured it.
Like the last Stephens book I read, The Girls in the Cabin, the tension is immaculate. Stephs does not skimp on the gore and violence without going too overboard–it’s all in the small details. Like my art teacher in high school stressed, a little paint goes a long way. Stephens is also excellent at writing characters who we both root for and want to see how far they’ll stretch before breaking; I love his dialogue especially.
I loved Brynn as our main character–she’s determined, rough around the edges, and unafraid to stab a bitch. Our side characters are excellent as well (especially the younger brother; as an older sibling myself, I’m always fond of younger sibling characters).
Of the two books of his I’ve read, familial themes are something that tend to be central to his work, and I’ve noticed a common structure. The father is distant or struggling to connect with his children due to his past mistakes or transgressions. The mother is dead, with some portion of guilt for her death laid at the father’s feet. The older sibling holds this grudge against her father, but eventually forgives him once he puts his life on the line for her. The older sibling is extremely protective of the younger sibling, who is a total sweetheart and usually ends up being one of my favorite characters.
The monsters in this book, the titular feeders, are pretty neat. I’m not normally one for environmental creature feature horror (the issues I have with the genre are long), but the use of a near supernatural species of drilling, semi-sapient, meat-eating bugs not only circumnavigates those problems but also makes for genuinely frightening monsters.
That said, while I was totally along for the ride during reading, once it was over and I had some time to think about it, I had several questions about the feeders that left me feeling a little dissatisfied. Plot spoilers behind spoiler tag!!
Primarily, I was confused about the feeder’s biology. They’re horror monsters, so I don’t expect something 100% real or accurate, but there were some elements that made me think back and go “wait, what?”.
For example, their diet. They feed on oil, and due to over-drilling, they rise to the surface to eat people (and only people). I’m willing to buy the jump from oil to flesh–it’s horror–but why did the feeders then also evolve to have venom? Venom is not necessary for them to eat oil, I doubt they’ve got many natural predators, and it’s not their primary way of eating people, either–they just chow down on flesh like piranhas. So why the venom? What’s the point, biologically?
There were hints that I interpreted as the venom being some kind of result of or interfacing for a feeder hive mind (explaining why the vaccine did what it did to Brynn). I wish that this element–and the feeder’s intelligence–had been explored a little more. Maybe it will be in a sequel?
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was my second Stephens book, and my favorite of his (at least, so far).
His real strength is, I think, his control of tension and pacing–at every turn he seems to ask “What’s the worst thing that could happen right now?” and then committing to it. The rare moments of (relative) peace are just long enough to allow you to catch your breath before the horror begins anew. I don’t often find a thriller that is actually thrilling, but Stephens has managed to thrill me two for two so far. I can’t wait to see what he writes next!
If you want a quick, thrilling read that is reminiscent of 90s creature-features, then I heavily Feeders. I do suggest checking the content warnings, though; the gore is extreme, and the book has heavy themes of drug addiction, domestic abuse, and mental illness.
Thank you to Caleb Stephens for sending me a review copy!!
User-defined content warnings are available via Storygraph.
REVIEW
I had such a blast with Feeders; it was my holiday read, and I absolutely devoured it.
Like the last Stephens book I read, The Girls in the Cabin, the tension is immaculate. Stephs does not skimp on the gore and violence without going too overboard–it’s all in the small details. Like my art teacher in high school stressed, a little paint goes a long way. Stephens is also excellent at writing characters who we both root for and want to see how far they’ll stretch before breaking; I love his dialogue especially.
I loved Brynn as our main character–she’s determined, rough around the edges, and unafraid to stab a bitch. Our side characters are excellent as well (especially the younger brother; as an older sibling myself, I’m always fond of younger sibling characters).
Of the two books of his I’ve read, familial themes are something that tend to be central to his work, and I’ve noticed a common structure. The father is distant or struggling to connect with his children due to his past mistakes or transgressions. The mother is dead, with some portion of guilt for her death laid at the father’s feet. The older sibling holds this grudge against her father, but eventually forgives him once he puts his life on the line for her. The older sibling is extremely protective of the younger sibling, who is a total sweetheart and usually ends up being one of my favorite characters.
The monsters in this book, the titular feeders, are pretty neat. I’m not normally one for environmental creature feature horror (the issues I have with the genre are long), but the use of a near supernatural species of drilling, semi-sapient, meat-eating bugs not only circumnavigates those problems but also makes for genuinely frightening monsters.
That said, while I was totally along for the ride during reading, once it was over and I had some time to think about it, I had several questions about the feeders that left me feeling a little dissatisfied. Plot spoilers behind spoiler tag!!
Primarily, I was confused about the feeder’s biology. They’re horror monsters, so I don’t expect something 100% real or accurate, but there were some elements that made me think back and go “wait, what?”.
For example, their diet. They feed on oil, and due to over-drilling, they rise to the surface to eat people (and only people). I’m willing to buy the jump from oil to flesh–it’s horror–but why did the feeders then also evolve to have venom? Venom is not necessary for them to eat oil, I doubt they’ve got many natural predators, and it’s not their primary way of eating people, either–they just chow down on flesh like piranhas. So why the venom? What’s the point, biologically?
There were hints that I interpreted as the venom being some kind of result of or interfacing for a feeder hive mind (explaining why the vaccine did what it did to Brynn). I wish that this element–and the feeder’s intelligence–had been explored a little more. Maybe it will be in a sequel?
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was my second Stephens book, and my favorite of his (at least, so far).
His real strength is, I think, his control of tension and pacing–at every turn he seems to ask “What’s the worst thing that could happen right now?” and then committing to it. The rare moments of (relative) peace are just long enough to allow you to catch your breath before the horror begins anew. I don’t often find a thriller that is actually thrilling, but Stephens has managed to thrill me two for two so far. I can’t wait to see what he writes next!
If you want a quick, thrilling read that is reminiscent of 90s creature-features, then I heavily Feeders. I do suggest checking the content warnings, though; the gore is extreme, and the book has heavy themes of drug addiction, domestic abuse, and mental illness.
Thank you to Caleb Stephens for sending me a review copy!!
User-defined content warnings are available via Storygraph.