Reviews with content warning for Gore - The Book Eaters

Una fantasía urbana fascinante y una historia que te deja absorto, pero, sobre todo, una vista a la complejidad de la maternidad.

Devon, una book eater ha pasado toda su vida devorando, literalmente, cuentos de hadas. Envuelta en la pequeña burbuja de su especie, limitada a los confines de su casa, de la cual no conocerá nada más hasta que esté en edad de casarse y tener hijos.

A través de dos líneas temporales, iremos conociendo la actual vida de fugitiva de Devon y sus motivaciones para encontrar a una familia; mientras que en el pasado, nos adentramos a la vida y tradiciones familiares de las que Devon forma parte, las ataduras y dificultades que esto representa.
Somos testigos de numerosos puntos de inflexión que van construyendo el carácter y la historia de Devon.

"Poets would tell you that love was electricity in your veins that could light a room. That it was a river in your soul to lift you up and carry you away, or a fire inside the heart to keep you warm. Yet electricity could also fry, rivers could drown, and fires could burn; love could be destructive. Punishingly, fatally destructive."

Si bien no se ahonda en el folklore de los book eaters , no se siente incompleto. Entendemos parte de su historia, sus tradiciones y sus motivaciones; pues, como dice su autora, la novela va de Devon y la complejidad de su narrativa ya es suficiente como para abrumarnos con más detalles del mundo.

Sin duda, lo que encuentro más interesante es la reflexión de la maternidad y las cuestiones morales afines. Devon se ve obligada a ser una madre antes que su propia persona; sus hijos son tanto una alegría como una carga, la impulsan a todo, ya sea bueno o malo.
Hace lo mejor que puede con lo poco o mucho que tiene, pero esto no siempre resulta beneficioso para ella, su familia, o las personas en general.
Definitivamente, es una protagonista ante la cual no puedes quedar indiferente.

"She was her daughter’s whole world, a realization both humbling and empowering. Devon had never been anybody’s world before—had never been anything at all, in fact, except the sum of paper flesh she’d consumed without thought"

A ratos la narrativa se siente algo lenta y pesada, pero eso no lo hace menos interesante. Pareciera más largo de lo que realmente es.

Recomiendo ver los triggers warnings, hay varios temas y descripciones delicadas.

Content Warnings

chelseainthesky's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

msgslibrary's review against another edition

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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!

Content Warnings