Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

130 reviews

abbiereadss's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? No

3.5

I got a lot to say about this book. This book depicts a lot of social issues that women face. I honestly love the idea of this book. I love the world and the system the author created. There were aspects that kept me hooked and interested enough to finish it, however I still find it difficult to keep reading. I still can't pinpoint why I wasn't interested enough to read it all through. Might be the lack of depth in character and relationships or just the plot wasn't delivered as well as intended. Towards the end however, there were more interactions that made me feel that it deepened the main character's relationship with her son. I think the writing is very average, nothing special or poetic about it. 

The play on the flashback and present time was sort of interesting to read. As a reader, it helped me understand deeper about the main character and how and why she ended up the way she did. I personally love the ending. I love the last few chapters as it is full of excitement and i can finally see how much Devon and Cai love each other. Genuinely though, as a reader, I felt as though Cai was irrelevant and she was dragging him around until the last few chapters (those final chapters really bumped up the rating).

I believe the 'book eater' aspect was sort of an addition to the system's flaws and patriarchy (this was more or less the main focus of the book). It also really revolves around a mother's love for her children. I wouldn't say the characters are lovable simply because they are not supposed to be lovable. I love how the author bring up these realistic topics in our world. It isn't an easy read but I'm glad I got to read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Rape

aliteraryescape's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Gun violence and Trafficking

meggles801's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.5

The story was very unique and I enjoyed it a lot. There were some overly sensitive parts I could have gone without however. Just a bit too heavy at times for me, and I don't think the story really needed those topics. 
*Check your TW*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence

lahars_little_library's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is disturbing but really makes you think. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death of parent, and Murder

captnaner's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

arialien's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

mrsbuck's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

blacksphinx's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infertility, Slavery, and Trafficking

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

blackeyedraptor's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This book had me drawn in fast! A highly unique story about finding family and breaking out of a cult, which is what the Families really are. A woman finding her own worth when she's been told all her life her only worth is to have children. Yes, she does have children, but she's not just a mother. 
This book was also very sad, just the horrible things that were done to her, the lies told. 
And holy crap, Sunyi Dean knows how to write loathsome, vile characters! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, and Misogyny

Moderate: Biphobia

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