Scan barcode
A review by particledamage
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Interesting premise. Characters with potential. Great traumatic background with a chance to say a lot of profound things.
All of this is wholly underutilized and left me feeling bereft and irritated by the end of this book.
The tone itself is too easy and breezy for the concepts this novel should be exploring--the cost of human trafficking, the complexity of raising children begot from rape, the isolation of communes and religious orders, the intense force of the patriarchy and growing up with rigid roles. Framing much of this in contrast with fairy tales had me constantly checking to make sure this was adult fiction. I understand the point of the fairy tale references is to show how women are infantalized but then it briefly tries to reclaim that and falls apart.
A lot of this book falls apart--the world building feels weak and the premise of eating books seems more just like an easy explanation for why some things are super hard and some things are super easy than it does an actual meaningful part of the book. I feel like this book should be questioning what it is to know and what knowledge and literature even is more than it does. What if Devon ate something incorrect? We barely explore what it means for Cai to eat and become people. It changes him, he vaguely becomes them, but what does that mean about humanity? Is it knowledge that changed him? This book can't be bothered to toy with it.
Just like it can't be bothered to toy with what it means to be a trafficked. It just seems to be marked with tedium. We know Devon wants to save her daughter from the same fate but there's no urgency. I get it, BOTH kids are victims of the system, but the fact that the daughter is put on the backburner for the son feels under-explored in terms of implications. Because it implies a lot. Just like Devon choosing to let the system stay in place while she personally flees is framed as "worth it" implies... a lot.
This book upholds the family unit in a weird way for a book trying to criticizing the patriarchy. It actually made me uncomfortable with how much "Moms should give up everything for their children" is pushed. No, her calling another woman her princess and a poorly added lesbian romance doesn't change that. (I'm gay, I'm allowed to say this romance was tacked on poorly.)
The potential of this book was great. The execution wasted literally all of this. It was written proficiently enough and there was enough being teased to salvage this book, saving it from a much lower rating, but wow what a disappointment.
All of this is wholly underutilized and left me feeling bereft and irritated by the end of this book.
The tone itself is too easy and breezy for the concepts this novel should be exploring--the cost of human trafficking, the complexity of raising children begot from rape, the isolation of communes and religious orders, the intense force of the patriarchy and growing up with rigid roles. Framing much of this in contrast with fairy tales had me constantly checking to make sure this was adult fiction. I understand the point of the fairy tale references is to show how women are infantalized but then it briefly tries to reclaim that and falls apart.
A lot of this book falls apart--the world building feels weak and the premise of eating books seems more just like an easy explanation for why some things are super hard and some things are super easy than it does an actual meaningful part of the book. I feel like this book should be questioning what it is to know and what knowledge and literature even is more than it does. What if Devon ate something incorrect? We barely explore what it means for Cai to eat and become people. It changes him, he vaguely becomes them, but what does that mean about humanity? Is it knowledge that changed him? This book can't be bothered to toy with it.
Just like it can't be bothered to toy with what it means to be a trafficked. It just seems to be marked with tedium. We know Devon wants to save her daughter from the same fate but there's no urgency. I get it, BOTH kids are victims of the system, but the fact that the daughter is put on the backburner for the son feels under-explored in terms of implications. Because it implies a lot. Just like Devon choosing to let the system stay in place while she personally flees is framed as "worth it" implies... a lot.
This book upholds the family unit in a weird way for a book trying to criticizing the patriarchy. It actually made me uncomfortable with how much "Moms should give up everything for their children" is pushed. No, her calling another woman her princess and a poorly added lesbian romance doesn't change that. (I'm gay, I'm allowed to say this romance was tacked on poorly.)
The potential of this book was great. The execution wasted literally all of this. It was written proficiently enough and there was enough being teased to salvage this book, saving it from a much lower rating, but wow what a disappointment.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, and Murder