Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

141 reviews

sinead_price's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

4.0

Adventurous and refreshingly original. I loved the concept of book eaters/mind eaters and the tropes of fairy tales that were re-worked to challenge what fairytales teach us to be true. The protagonist of this story must learn to see beyond a certain way of living and to dream beyond the narrow walls of the life she has been given. An imaginative story that will leave you wondering what the characters are up to now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Blood

saracat's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I listened to the audiobook, so before I get into the book review itself, I want to say it was a delightful surprise to learn that both the author and narrator are neurodivergent and hearing them chat together at the end was really nice. This is the first book I’ve listened to that had a chat between narrator and author and now wish more of the books I listened to had this. 

Now to the review. I became so invested in the main characters. And the world Dean created felt so fresh and unique to me. While I never quite got my head around understanding the knights and dragons completely, it doesn’t really bother me. 

I love characters and books that are riddled with morally grey - which this book is full of. Though, the farther I got into the book, the more I hesitated to keep picking it up because after everything the characters had been through I wanted them to at least have ‘better’ and I just couldn’t get a sense if Dean had written a book that would have an ultimately happy ending, tragic ending, something in between, etc. And I didn’t want to reach the end. But I finally did, and I think the ending fits everything that proceeds it in the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Gore, Rape, Kidnapping, and Acephobia/Arophobia

chase0w0's review against another edition

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

kmsander4's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

2.25

The last 75 or so pages of this one contains some pretty great action that's quick and easy to readthrough, but I found the lead up to be a real slog in many places.

It's a weird and interesting concept, and dark in so many ways, but I just don't think I'd pick it up again if given the choice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Devon will do anything to save her son, even if it means facing both of their monstrous personas. 

This book was quite gripping and action packed. The characters were gritty and unapologetically imperfect. I appreciated it as a stark metaphor for patriarchy and what breaking a patriarchal society would entail. 

Quite enjoyable! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Homophobia

gnomeguy1138's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Car accident, and Alcohol

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infertility, Rape, Torture, Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Vomit, Trafficking, and Acephobia/Arophobia

slburg's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse

chelseainthesky's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Slavery, Vomit, Trafficking, and War

msgslibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

This book was a marvelous piece of writing, able to carry a story in a non-linear style chapter by chapter to slowly peel back the layers of the main character's life. I was worried I wouldn't like it at first because the opening chapter makes it seem like the main character's primary personality trait is being an alcoholic, but that thankfully isn't focused on with the same intensity for the rest of the book. If that's of concern, get past the first chapter and the story will get better from there. The worldbuilding that Dean is able to weave throughout the story is masterful, even though there are holes. In fact, the holes that are left make it all the more interesting. Our own history as a species is full of mystery and unanswered questions the further back in time we try to study, and the Book Eaters of this book are no different. This, paired with the rigidity of the social structures the Book Eaters live under, makes for a wholly enjoyable read with enough lore to not get bogged down. And if you love a feral woman/lesbian main character, Devon, this book's lead, is for you! There is also an underlying metaphor of disability rights and how to navigate the world as an autistic/neurodivergent person, at least through my reading, that Dean works in so subtly and fluidly that is moves but doesn't overstate itself. Wile extremely gory and dark at points, by the end this book was a breath of fresh air for a sci-fi/fantasy lover like me who loves seeing unique ideas in the genre executed well!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

happy ending