Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

123 reviews

eggwiggle's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

This one just wasn't for me. I just didn't care about any of the characters or plot and the book eating concept was not explored thoroughly enough. I wish I'd reviewed content warnings as I wouldn't have picked it up. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

Minor: Slavery

blewballoon's review against another edition

The most interesting aspect of this book, the book eating, is such an insignificant part of the story. Instead the book is mostly covering the same themes as Handmaid's Tale, but with less dystopia and religious commentary. Characters and conversations are flat, predictable, and monotonous. I've listened to like 6 hours of this audiobook at 1.5 speed and it feels like it's been 12, it's really dragging and depressing. I don't want to make myself read another 7 hours of this bleak situation, and I don't really care what happens. I assume it's bad, like everything that's happened so far. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Body horror and Acephobia/Arophobia

nanoauthor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape

theglossreview's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

A true horror book. Very disturbing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Vomit and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, and Stalking

orbae's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Slavery

Minor: Alcoholism and Torture

crypticspren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

This book was tremendously outstanding. Devon is such a complex character that explores the cost of love in the patriarchal world of The Families. Watching her grow and come to terms with her own naivety was incredible and despite the myriad sins she commits, she might be one of my favourite characters ever written.
The plot itself and general lore is fascinating. The concept of eating books for knowledge, the 'Eater lore regarding their creator and mission, and their whole heirarchical structure with the Families, Knights, and Dragons was so well explored and explained.
The writing, too, was thoroughly gripping and this book was entirely unputdownable. I've been in a bit of a reading slump and this pulled me right out of it.

Overall, this was an exceptional read with drama, suspense, and moral conundrums that had me gasping for air.

Five stars!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Vomit, Trafficking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

sonjaelisee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Ableism, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Sexual content

abbiereadss's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I got a lot to say about this book. This book depicts a lot of social issues that women face. I honestly love the idea of this book. I love the world and the system the author created. There were aspects that kept me hooked and interested enough to finish it, however I still find it difficult to keep reading. I still can't pinpoint why I wasn't interested enough to read it all through. Might be the lack of depth in character and relationships or just the plot wasn't delivered as well as intended. Towards the end however, there were more interactions that made me feel that it deepened the main character's relationship with her son. I think the writing is very average, nothing special or poetic about it. 

The play on the flashback and present time was sort of interesting to read. As a reader, it helped me understand deeper about the main character and how and why she ended up the way she did. I personally love the ending. I love the last few chapters as it is full of excitement and i can finally see how much Devon and Cai love each other. Genuinely though, as a reader, I felt as though Cai was irrelevant and she was dragging him around until the last few chapters (those final chapters really bumped up the rating).

I believe the 'book eater' aspect was sort of an addition to the system's flaws and patriarchy (this was more or less the main focus of the book). It also really revolves around a mother's love for her children. I wouldn't say the characters are lovable simply because they are not supposed to be lovable. I love how the author bring up these realistic topics in our world. It isn't an easy read but I'm glad I got to read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Rape

meggles801's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

3.5

The story was very unique and I enjoyed it a lot. There were some overly sensitive parts I could have gone without however. Just a bit too heavy at times for me, and I don't think the story really needed those topics. 
*Check your TW*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence

chrysanthxmum's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Sexism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence