Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

49 reviews

midnightgremlin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Pregnancy

cakrolik's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Trafficking

ssjd411's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

isaaah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Slavery, and Grief

Minor: Infertility, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Trafficking, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

micallab's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual violence

plumpeony's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

sav_22'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It’s so hard to sum up my feelings on this book, but man did I love it. If I can compare it to anything, I’d say listening to the song Labour by Paris Paloma would be the closest thing I can think of. That song IS Devon. 
The way Dean writes about motherhood, trauma, and dilemma fascinates me. The concept alone is unlike anything I’ve gotten the chance to read, and I really love how devastatingly bittersweet and complex it is. I’d say that a lot of elements of the world of the book eaters resembles Handmaid’s tale, ifykyk.

This isn’t a book that circles around the sapphic relationship, which some may have critiqued for being a bit of a minor subplot. It is hardly a focus, but I kind of enjoy the way Devon’s sexuality is explored in such a simple and gentle way, contrasting the violence in which her femininity and motherhood is explored. The dynamic between Dev and Cai is tragic and beautiful and horrifying; it really is a story that drives home the absolute carnage that is motherhood. This portrays womanhood by extension as what it can feel like: messy, violent, tragic, and ruthless. Dev loses so much of herself, and her identity was stripped from her so constantly, yet she rises like a merciless phoenix. She is one of the most morally complex characters I’ve read about, and I adored her deeply. <spoiler/> If you want to read a book that is the epitome of female rage, i feel like this is the one for you. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Alcohol

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

It was not for me! I couldn’t get into the world and the eating of brains. I didn’t connect to the characters so I found myself not really caring what happened to them. It took me a long time to push through and finish this book!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I’ll admit that I just don’t like dark gothic stories. If you do, maybe give this interesting spin on a vampire story a try. The book eaters and mind eaters concept kept me intrigued enough, and the out of order storytelling was interesting. Check content warnings before diving in.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Aphobia

risaleel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Trafficking, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship