A review by orangezara
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

dark 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? It's complicated

3.75

I enjoyed reading this and I found myself really caring about the characters. The ending was satisfying and the worldbuilding and lore around the book eaters’ traditions was fascinating. There were some events that were hard to stomach but I think they added depth to the story and contributed to the character’s development. The story has  similar themes to The Handmaid’s Tale.

There was a lot of repetition though and stretches where nothing happened or the events were dragging out. There’s lots of ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’ and some parts would be more emotionally impactful if they were left unsaid. I also find jumping between present day and memories to be frustrating - it would’ve been more enjoyable if the timeline was linear.
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