Reviews with content warning for Murder - I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

33 reviews

motz_stick's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

A really great read by a promising new author, but I also wished it was longer. A few parts felt rushed and glossed over (see spoiler section. )

The sudden mention of Rose Marie as Josephine’s killer was great for anticipation, but it never felt fully confirmed. Similarly, the anticipation during Coralie’s killing had me gripping the edge of my seat, but it later felt anticlimactic. I would’ve liked to see the ending extended more than some of the repetitive content in the middle where we saw her greed/monstrosity grow. It felt as though killing her best friend didn’t impact her at all, which I could understand considering how Acheron affects her, but then she suddenly dropped that she was affected by it. Similarly, what happened to Rose Marie after she ran off? We learn that Laure is presumed dead yet returns to the ballet to quit, but there’s little mention of the others.

Despite my qualms with the pacing and focus, I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the second one in the series. The characters, although flawed, are really loveable and the romance is intoxicating. I’m looking forward to seeing more from Shea.

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kemikemi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-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

3.75

This book did get slow in the middle for me, and it took me a long while to finish the audiobook copy I borrowed, but there was a lot I liked about it. I actually loved how much ballet was in it, ballet kind of became a character of its own with how in-depth the descriptions of each dance scene and of the politics/social drama surrounding the company/career became; as someone who knows little about ballet, I found it all fascinating and I loved how the author depicted how cutthroat and evil it all could be underneath the perfectly polished performances. The ballet drama appealed to me more than Laure’s developing relationships with her new friends/love interest, although I can appreciate what good they did for Laure socially and emotionally. I do wish Laure’s friendship with Coralie was expanded upon more at the very beginning of the book and we got to see more of their bond before the main plot events began, but I loved the author’s quick build up to the big climax at the last part of the book and how it all unfolded from there to the end—I was listening aghast and fabulously stunned when it all went down, just sitting there trying to process everything.

the disaster of toxic and subtly homoerotic girl best friendships, amirite? but i also wish the author capitalized on it more, i would definitely trade majority of the scenes of elysium for ones that intensify the relationship with coralie and how it starts fraying sooner, so that the line at the end about her being laure’s first love hits harder when you finally get it to it.

because i wasnt all that into laure’s elysium friends, i dont see myself reading the upcoming sequel, but im glad i read this book and parts of it will definitely stick with me for a long time

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morag's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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tiakiwi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a horror although there is gore. The plot itself feels a lot like two stories of opposites fighting an unending battle and so it does make the MC story about struggling to finally be the victor.

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theoceanrose's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

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nicolewhopickedthisbook's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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katyakat's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

3.75

The story takes a bit of time to really get going, and it requires some knowledge of ballet to fully appreciate the nuances. Jamison Shea clearly did extensive research for this book, and it shows. She’s not afraid to delve into the darker sides of friendship, exploring themes like jealousy and toxic traits.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed, and something I always appreciate in books, is how Laure accepts that she has a darker, not always kind personality. It’s refreshing to see a character who acknowledges their flaws and struggles with the societal pressures to fit into a box of what others think they should be. This adds a layer of depth and realism to her character, making her journey all the more compelling.

The second half of the book truly shines. However, the first 150 pages felt a bit slow, lacking the pace that would make it more gripping. While this slower start does provide a clear insight into Laure’s character and mindset, it could have benefited from more action to keep readers engaged.

Despite this, Shea crafts a fascinating world that kept me intrigued, and I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel. She has a talent for creating compelling settings and complex characters, and I’m excited to see where she takes the story next.

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