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asparagusisreading's review against another edition
4.0
EAT YOUR HEART OUT follows a group of teens on a bus in route to a weight-loss camp. The teens have varying feelings and motivations about attending the camp with most not knowing what to expect or feeling like this will not be a very fun event. What none of them expected was to be driving into the camp with a "miracle cure" for obesity, a camper has already gone missing, the power is out of wack, and there is an impending zombie apocalypse in the middle of a the town's worst blizzard in history.
First of all, we have a title that works both for the zombie apocalypse setting and the weight-loss camp setting. Second, we have an amazing plus sized female main character that not only WHOOPS ASS, but she stands up for herself and others, AND leads the group. AND SHE IS ON THE COVER. The characters are fighting for their lives but also solving a bit of a mystery. There is discussion of serious topics such as a diet culture and fatphobia in society, but its sprinkled in with humor and satire, lightening the blow of what's being discussed and what's happening to the characters. It makes the story enjoyable but also allows for the necessary conversation to happen.
This book follows mutiple perspectives (if I remember correctly, they were all on the same bus and same pod so you meet each character in the first few chapters.) If you're someone that isn't a fan of reading more than 3 POVs in a book, this may not be for you. Each of the characters fit a movie character stereotype, playing into the satirical side of the book. For example, we have The Jock and a Nerd. When I say I enjoyed reading in almost every character's perspective...
I had no idea where this book would go when I started and once I finished, I was not complaining. In fact, I think I read the entire thing in one day. I could not get enough and wanted to know more. I was surprised by my enjoyment because it was a random book I picked up on a whim. I had never heard of it at the point. I just thought the cover snd description was interesting and borrowed it from my library. Who know a randomly picked up book would captivate my attention and almost make it was one of my favorites of the year?
Be warned, multiple of the trigger and content warnings that I'm about to list are spoilers: fatphobia, murder, death, vomit, cursing, violence, dieting and food shaming, injuries, ableism, dead bodies, grief, [gun violence, kidnapping, death of friends, car accident, teen pregnancy]
First of all, we have a title that works both for the zombie apocalypse setting and the weight-loss camp setting. Second, we have an amazing plus sized female main character that not only WHOOPS ASS, but she stands up for herself and others, AND leads the group. AND SHE IS ON THE COVER. The characters are fighting for their lives but also solving a bit of a mystery. There is discussion of serious topics such as a diet culture and fatphobia in society, but its sprinkled in with humor and satire, lightening the blow of what's being discussed and what's happening to the characters. It makes the story enjoyable but also allows for the necessary conversation to happen.
This book follows mutiple perspectives (if I remember correctly, they were all on the same bus and same pod so you meet each character in the first few chapters.) If you're someone that isn't a fan of reading more than 3 POVs in a book, this may not be for you. Each of the characters fit a movie character stereotype, playing into the satirical side of the book. For example, we have The Jock and a Nerd. When I say I enjoyed reading in almost every character's perspective...
I had no idea where this book would go when I started and once I finished, I was not complaining. In fact, I think I read the entire thing in one day. I could not get enough and wanted to know more. I was surprised by my enjoyment because it was a random book I picked up on a whim. I had never heard of it at the point. I just thought the cover snd description was interesting and borrowed it from my library. Who know a randomly picked up book would captivate my attention and almost make it was one of my favorites of the year?
Be warned, multiple of the trigger and content warnings that I'm about to list are spoilers: fatphobia, murder, death, vomit, cursing, violence, dieting and food shaming, injuries, ableism, dead bodies, grief, [gun violence, kidnapping, death of friends, car accident, teen pregnancy]
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Pregnancy
ghostlyprince's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Suicide, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Abortion, and Classism
franklola's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Murder
willowmae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
farenmaddox's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Deliciously fun and campy just like a zombie thriller should be. It definitely wishes it were a movie instead of a book. I enjoyed all the characters and am so glad to see a thoughtful depiction of fat characters who are nuanced and interesting and capable and flawed and heroic and so many different things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Car accident
nikasbookcollection's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
When a group of five is sent to a fat camp, all having their own reasons, things seem to get out of hand with the suspicious cure to obesity that doesn't seem very trustworthy and some monsters lurking around the corners of the camp. This idea was incredible but many elements fell flat for me.
The main characters were literally sorted into archetypes from the beginning, and I found that made them feel flat, especially since they almost followed it to a T. I found myself not caring for them at all, even when they were hurt or dying. The relationships between them also felt superficial, especially the romance thrown in at the last moment that made zero sense and ruined some of the scenes for me. We definitely could have gone without that. I loved the messages of loving your body and how people who are fat don't need to be "fixed", there were many positive messages and I loved seeing different body sizes in fiction when the norm is often pretty thin women. The Multi-POV did not hit it for me, it felt messy in many spots and ruined those chapters that it did. And perhaps spinning around five, or six POVs, not well done, making it more difficult to connect with the characters.
The plot itself was interesting but not as thrilling as I would have expected from an apocalypse-esque story, and the ending felt completely rushed. The concept and body diversity however did make it a three-star.
The main characters were literally sorted into archetypes from the beginning, and I found that made them feel flat, especially since they almost followed it to a T. I found myself not caring for them at all, even when they were hurt or dying. The relationships between them also felt superficial, especially the romance thrown in at the last moment that made zero sense and ruined some of the scenes for me. We definitely could have gone without that. I loved the messages of loving your body and how people who are fat don't need to be "fixed", there were many positive messages and I loved seeing different body sizes in fiction when the norm is often pretty thin women. The Multi-POV did not hit it for me, it felt messy in many spots and ruined those chapters that it did. And perhaps spinning around five, or six POVs, not well done, making it more difficult to connect with the characters.
The plot itself was interesting but not as thrilling as I would have expected from an apocalypse-esque story, and the ending felt completely rushed. The concept and body diversity however did make it a three-star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death and Fatphobia
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Car accident
vaniavela's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Gun violence and Pregnancy
Minor: Car accident
librarymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.5
I really enjoyed Eat Your Heart Out. It has profound character growth and insight into how different people react in traumatic situations for the main group, and it's a really engaging read. Kelly DeVos has a wonderful skill for describe setting in a way that draws the reader into the story. I think the concept behind how the zombies are made and develop is really interesting and unique to this story.
I'm not giving Eat Your Heart Out a 5 star review partially because of how it uses the classic horror tropes, though the usage and breaking of these tropes is also one of my favorite parts of the book. I didn't like thatone of Vivian's first thoughts after Allison's death was to kiss Steve It's 100% a trope used in slasher fiction all other time, but it's one of my least favorite tropes. The body positivity aspects of this book were also really well done. There was a strong message that thin doesn't equal healthy or strong without making the book didactic.
I'm not giving Eat Your Heart Out a 5 star review partially because of how it uses the classic horror tropes, though the usage and breaking of these tropes is also one of my favorite parts of the book. I didn't like that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, and Pregnancy
colleensreadingadventures's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
3.0
I love love love seeing big girls on book covers! It makes my heart happy to see that the standard mold of what a perfect book cover model should look like is being restructured. The publishing industry has come a long way in representation of race, sexual orientation, mental health, and body positivity. I’m not saying that the book world is perfect, but I see that strides are being taken to change the old structure. So when I do see a book like Eat Your Heart Out with a plus sized chic on the cover I just have to give it a try. And let’s not forget the zombie on the cover. That’s a bonus! 😊
Vivian (Vee) , Allie, Steve, Rachel, Sheldon, and Paul are all staying in the same pod at Featherlite Camp, a rich kids weight loss camp for the next two weeks, all for different reasons. Some are there (willing or unwilling) to lose weight, some are there for hidden agendas and one is there just to earn some much needed cash.
On the very first day camp is already turning into a disaster. Flagstaff is being hit with its worst blizzard in history, a camper seems to have gone missing, the power is down and the generator can only supply power for the next 24 hours. To make matters worse the campers spot something in the snow that can not possibly be human.
After doing some investigating the group finds that Featherlite is not all what it claims to be and there are secrets the founders want to keep hidden. One of them being their claim to a 'miracle cure' for obesity. The other is the existence of “zombies”. The zombie secret is out of the bag when Featherlite is overrun with these hungry crazed creatures. No camper is safe and not all of them will make it out alive.
Eat Your Heart Out turned out very different than what I had anticipated. I was expecting a fun with a side of serious type of read, but this really wasn’t that kind of book. I mean I knew zombies were probably going to eat some people, but I expected a little more comedic action when being compared to Shaun of the Dead. Also seeing the fierce looking curvy girl beating up the zombie on the cover gave me humorous vibes. But this was definitely more serious with a sprinkling of humor. It tackled some serious issues. One of them being body positivity, which I always love, kudos to Kelly deVos. 👏👏
The story itself is face-paced and told through each of the major players' perspectives. Each character has been given a persona type that fits their personalities. Vee is Action Girl, Rachel is The Outcast, Paul is the Jerk, Steve Alternates between The Jock With The Heart Of Gold and The Courageous Captain, Sheldon is The Nerd, and Allie is The Basket Case.
Pretty much from the moment the campers get picked up there was enough going on to hold my attention. But I feel like maybe there was too much going on or too much flip flopping of the POV’s to really get invested in them. I really didn’t feel a connection to anyone.
Also while there was a lot going on there wasn’t really enough zombie action for me. Most of the time it was more like entertaining the idea of zombies, if that makes sense. It was more towards the end when all hell broke loose.
There was also ALOT of F-bombing. I’m perfectly OK with that, it doesn’t really bother me (I myself can have quite the potty mouth 🤭), unless it’s over the top and if it fits the story. But I’m just surprised because this is a YA book.
While this wasn’t a favorite for me, it was still worth the read. Some of the issues I felt were addressed are quite important for young readers especially. Just know going in, this a lot more melancholy than comedy.
Thank You PenguinTeen for this gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Vivian (Vee) , Allie, Steve, Rachel, Sheldon, and Paul are all staying in the same pod at Featherlite Camp, a rich kids weight loss camp for the next two weeks, all for different reasons. Some are there (willing or unwilling) to lose weight, some are there for hidden agendas and one is there just to earn some much needed cash.
On the very first day camp is already turning into a disaster. Flagstaff is being hit with its worst blizzard in history, a camper seems to have gone missing, the power is down and the generator can only supply power for the next 24 hours. To make matters worse the campers spot something in the snow that can not possibly be human.
After doing some investigating the group finds that Featherlite is not all what it claims to be and there are secrets the founders want to keep hidden. One of them being their claim to a 'miracle cure' for obesity. The other is the existence of “zombies”. The zombie secret is out of the bag when Featherlite is overrun with these hungry crazed creatures. No camper is safe and not all of them will make it out alive.
Eat Your Heart Out turned out very different than what I had anticipated. I was expecting a fun with a side of serious type of read, but this really wasn’t that kind of book. I mean I knew zombies were probably going to eat some people, but I expected a little more comedic action when being compared to Shaun of the Dead. Also seeing the fierce looking curvy girl beating up the zombie on the cover gave me humorous vibes. But this was definitely more serious with a sprinkling of humor. It tackled some serious issues. One of them being body positivity, which I always love, kudos to Kelly deVos. 👏👏
The story itself is face-paced and told through each of the major players' perspectives. Each character has been given a persona type that fits their personalities. Vee is Action Girl, Rachel is The Outcast, Paul is the Jerk, Steve Alternates between The Jock With The Heart Of Gold and The Courageous Captain, Sheldon is The Nerd, and Allie is The Basket Case.
Pretty much from the moment the campers get picked up there was enough going on to hold my attention. But I feel like maybe there was too much going on or too much flip flopping of the POV’s to really get invested in them. I really didn’t feel a connection to anyone.
Also while there was a lot going on there wasn’t really enough zombie action for me. Most of the time it was more like entertaining the idea of zombies, if that makes sense. It was more towards the end when all hell broke loose.
There was also ALOT of F-bombing. I’m perfectly OK with that, it doesn’t really bother me (I myself can have quite the potty mouth 🤭), unless it’s over the top and if it fits the story. But I’m just surprised because this is a YA book.
While this wasn’t a favorite for me, it was still worth the read. Some of the issues I felt were addressed are quite important for young readers especially. Just know going in, this a lot more melancholy than comedy.
Thank You PenguinTeen for this gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident and Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence