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A review by gw7
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.25
I'm really not sure how to rate or talk about this book. I think it would do better, and find more of its audience, if it was marketed as a contemporary vampire book.
This book was immediately not what I expected, but I was immediately drawn in... until about the 100-150 page mark. It's not that it doesn't know what it wants to be, and it's not like it didn't execute what it wanted to execute... it was just a really solid contemporary, with some elements with quite a lot of room for improvement?
The first 100 pages, specifically when we're first meeting Lyd and Ben, the dialogue is so well written to were I could immediately see, and know, they're characters. And that's something to be praised throughout the book, it is excessively real. There were many, many moments where I was fully immersed in the scene as if I was there with the character, and a thought went through my mind of 'this is what I would be thinking' (and it's largely unconnected to the previous few lines), and then that's exactly what Lyd then says she thinks about in that moment. In fact, throughout the book, it is so excessively believable and real... which is OF COURSE by no means a bad thing (and a thing many, many authors struggle to realise- something by no means to taken for granted or skipped over lightly)... but it does make some parts almost boring? Like, yes, I know what these situations are like, because I've lived them... and they're boring. So... good hob at portraying that? Again, I'm not saying they SHOULDN'T have been included (it should be noted I also don't read a lot of contemporary)... and it's not like everything HAS to HAVE A REASON for being there... it maybe just makes it more into a book for a moment?
The story... the plot...??? Some elements came together, a lot did not. Not that everything HAS to come together... it had the inkling sense that a more experienced author, having written those elements into the book... would have made them come together? It's contemporary in it's plot (and ending), but more litfic in its themes and explorations... and yet the main themes being explored really being anxiety and belonging... they were dealt with as more contemporary plot points... so the more overarching, nebulous concepts... just were? -Like they are in our brains, when we do have those thoughts... but, again, it was just like... ok? I really don't know how to talk about this. It's weird.
About the weirdness, though, for me (in my incredibly subjective opinion) this did what Bunny tried to do, but didn't quite. It's quite dark academia vibes, and it has that weird element, and yet is so grounded in the reality of the world that what is weird STANDS OUT and creates this eerie, tangible sense in the air that is barely imagined, more summoned by the prose. Like I said, by no means a small feat.
It was very relatable. The ending is what I expected the whole book to be. Some (a lot) of really impressive elements (THIS IS A DEBUT WOT). Some (quite a few) elements that I think would disappoint me if it wasn't for the fact they were so incredibly fine? A lot of points (quite major) that weren't wrapped up- but not in the 'unresolved ending' sense- which, is fine? cause that's how life is? but at the same time feels really quite... meh?
Just to note the Gideon element was interesting- not so much the Otter. How that story line and its, and his character's, meaning, that was good and clever and made space for a lot of thoughts. And also the thought behind what vampires and their digestion and life systems really are was cool, and I don't think nearly enough attention was given to how much though the author must have put into that.
I feel like I could have given this a much better review if it wasn't for the fact that, upon finishing, I am quite sad that I don't really feel much about it (despite speeding through it and eagerly wanting to read it throughout the day, constantly until I finished it (again, not a small thing, especially for me)), and could maybe even give it away quite soon after... except there's so many beautiful moments, and quite a few excellent lines. Really really strong in the writing, not once was I taken out of it (except that part with all the people before the gallery where I was just bored and like 'what's the point though?')it was at that point at the dinner party it started to fall apart. Up until then I thought the characters were really solid but then the dinner party and Ben was weird for reasons not really explained, I know we're meant to feel all sisterhood new friend attached to Maria but... who is she? idk, and then Shakti, ok, she's sharing that Gideon experience but like... that's all her character is to us? and then Anju... ok, I know who she is- but who is she TO US?? does it matter? I don't think so. There was a guy who we were apparently meant to have met that I have no idea about and then the german guy and woman... who never show up again, but given the length of the book they're given quite a bit of page time? which was a choice. I don't feel like Ben is resolved. (this is just a full on spoiler talk now)And also... why did we get the Ben romance? It was barely even a subplot. Fair enough she needed to feel human for all that part of the story- meet a mysterious guy and accidentally sleep together or something- why is everyone within this one building so neatly? (I get she's a vampire) And then what's with her whole mum story line? Again, just kinda odd. Has excellent moments... but the whole thing. was. odd. But then having the doctor 'mum thinks he's a blood sucker' story line playing in parrallel to the Gideon 'is he monstrous' story line was a nice parallel and kept us guessing and also thinking. The ending with the milk (first, funny) and how Ben handled that and seeing the milk bleeding from her, that was nice and interesting- BECAUSE OF HOW HUMAN HE HANDLED IT AND DIDN'T FREAK OUT BEYOND I CARE ABOUT THIS PERSON AS MUCH AS A PERSON I'VE JUST MET WHO I THINK'S HOT... but then that goes nowhere cause Lyd needs to go feed and kill people and fulfill that plot line and probably meet a publishing word/page limit...? Me thinks. ITS SO HARD TO TALK ABOUT . Idk, really strange. I find myself thinking I might have forgotten it in a few days WHICH IS ANNOYING ME WHICH IS WHY I'M WRITING SO MUCH because I don't want that to happen. Another reviewer said it had a quite sadness, which I quite like. But in that vein (heheh), I feel like it could have been really cool, though less for the mainstream, if it was styled a bit more like Swimming in the Dark? That could have been nice.
I'm just gonna put my cawpile here cause that will probably better illustrate:
Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 3
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 6
Enjoyment: 9
Feels like a 3... but add a .25 because... IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A THREE. There are so many parts better than that.
*I would say there is no eating disorder content (no character has one) but behaviours are very explicily on page that many with restrictive EDs regularly engage in, so a lot of the behaviour and thought and pattern descriptions (mild character pattern spoiler for the purpose of proper trigger illustration)she watches a lot of what i eat in a days and narrates about thinking about what it would be like to eat the food+be the people able to eat like that, etc. can be triggering (speaking from experience). As a basic advice- make sure you're ok before you read it, but if you think it won't bother you, you'll probably be fine, and it's at no point so explicit that it's be excessively hard to just put it down if you can't read that right now? Again, really quite hard to explain.
This book was immediately not what I expected, but I was immediately drawn in... until about the 100-150 page mark. It's not that it doesn't know what it wants to be, and it's not like it didn't execute what it wanted to execute... it was just a really solid contemporary, with some elements with quite a lot of room for improvement?
The first 100 pages, specifically when we're first meeting Lyd and Ben, the dialogue is so well written to were I could immediately see, and know, they're characters. And that's something to be praised throughout the book, it is excessively real. There were many, many moments where I was fully immersed in the scene as if I was there with the character, and a thought went through my mind of 'this is what I would be thinking' (and it's largely unconnected to the previous few lines), and then that's exactly what Lyd then says she thinks about in that moment. In fact, throughout the book, it is so excessively believable and real... which is OF COURSE by no means a bad thing (and a thing many, many authors struggle to realise- something by no means to taken for granted or skipped over lightly)... but it does make some parts almost boring? Like, yes, I know what these situations are like, because I've lived them... and they're boring. So... good hob at portraying that? Again, I'm not saying they SHOULDN'T have been included (it should be noted I also don't read a lot of contemporary)... and it's not like everything HAS to HAVE A REASON for being there... it maybe just makes it more into a book for a moment?
The story... the plot...??? Some elements came together, a lot did not. Not that everything HAS to come together... it had the inkling sense that a more experienced author, having written those elements into the book... would have made them come together? It's contemporary in it's plot (and ending), but more litfic in its themes and explorations... and yet the main themes being explored really being anxiety and belonging... they were dealt with as more contemporary plot points... so the more overarching, nebulous concepts... just were? -Like they are in our brains, when we do have those thoughts... but, again, it was just like... ok? I really don't know how to talk about this. It's weird.
About the weirdness, though, for me (in my incredibly subjective opinion) this did what Bunny tried to do, but didn't quite. It's quite dark academia vibes, and it has that weird element, and yet is so grounded in the reality of the world that what is weird STANDS OUT and creates this eerie, tangible sense in the air that is barely imagined, more summoned by the prose. Like I said, by no means a small feat.
It was very relatable. The ending is what I expected the whole book to be. Some (a lot) of really impressive elements (THIS IS A DEBUT WOT). Some (quite a few) elements that I think would disappoint me if it wasn't for the fact they were so incredibly fine? A lot of points (quite major) that weren't wrapped up- but not in the 'unresolved ending' sense- which, is fine? cause that's how life is? but at the same time feels really quite... meh?
Just to note the Gideon element was interesting- not so much the Otter. How that story line and its, and his character's, meaning, that was good and clever and made space for a lot of thoughts. And also the thought behind what vampires and their digestion and life systems really are was cool, and I don't think nearly enough attention was given to how much though the author must have put into that.
I feel like I could have given this a much better review if it wasn't for the fact that, upon finishing, I am quite sad that I don't really feel much about it (despite speeding through it and eagerly wanting to read it throughout the day, constantly until I finished it (again, not a small thing, especially for me)), and could maybe even give it away quite soon after... except there's so many beautiful moments, and quite a few excellent lines. Really really strong in the writing, not once was I taken out of it (except that part with all the people before the gallery where I was just bored and like 'what's the point though?')
I'm just gonna put my cawpile here cause that will probably better illustrate:
Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 3
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 6
Enjoyment: 9
Feels like a 3... but add a .25 because... IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A THREE. There are so many parts better than that.
*I would say there is no eating disorder content (no character has one) but behaviours are very explicily on page that many with restrictive EDs regularly engage in, so a lot of the behaviour and thought and pattern descriptions (mild character pattern spoiler for the purpose of proper trigger illustration)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault