Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

32 reviews

bubbly_lara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What a brilliant book! 
The setting, atmosphere and mood were very dark and gloomy, but in a good way (reminded me a bit of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "Mexican Gothic"). 

I really liked the story, the characters and the writing style. Highlighted quite a lot of quotes, I'll put three further down below.

The themes of chosen/found family and trying to find who you are as a person outside of the people you grew up with, what is expected of you vs the pursuit of what makes you happy deeply resonated with me. 

Highly recommend if you're looking for a slightly spooky, rather dark and grim story of a young mother trying to break her son and herself free from familial chains and expectations, hoping to one day have a better life for themselves.

"Memory was an anchor. It could ground you in a storm, keep you from drifting.
But anchors could also weigh you down and keep you from sailing free."

"For here was the thing that no fairy tale would ever admit, but that she understood in that moment: love was not inherently good."

"- What price do you put on love? 
- No price. There isn't one. Love doesn't have a cost. It's just a choice you make."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, and Outing

laylagrace's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, and Torture

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Blood, and Pregnancy

thepermageek's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad 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: Body horror, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Vomit

innastholiel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

lifexlindsey's review against another edition

Truly unique. A mothers love forced to make tough decisions as she is used for breeding and her children are taken away. Some of the most creepy occurrences and the tongues 🤢

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, and Trafficking

monnibo's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

mxbluet18's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective 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? No

4.75

Trigger warnings for The Book Eaters include: body horror, gore, explicit violence, domestic abuse and abuse against children. There is also violence against women; sexual assault, emotional abuse, homophobia, physical abuse, torture, gun violence and murder.
☆
☆
I wasn't necessarily sure how I was going to fair with this one, but I have really enjoyed it. I've read reviews describing it as 'a fairytale stapled to a thriller', and I wouldn't argue with that assessment.
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I don't read much in the way of fairytale retellings, nor do I read many thrillers, partly because I don't like being scared. But this was struck a pleasing balance between suspenseful and uncertainty for the reader, with the calm of childhood.
~
I liked the way it went back to Devon's childhood and the experiences she had then, to show how her personality and resentment for the Families develop. And with the fairytale aspect of it, I liked that there was inclusion of dragons and knights, and Camelot. 
~
Something I found interesting was the whole thing with the Ravenscar family, and how they had monopoly over an important element, and therefore to some degree had complete control over the other Families. Though I didn't like the arranged and forced marriages and pregnancies, however I'm aware that's the part of the plot that's intended to make people uncomfortable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Torture

_nika_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-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

I have to say this is incredible well written for a debut novel. I really enjoyed the dual time lines and especially that they match up for the last couple chapters. 
I also found the premise very intriguing, i only wish we’d learn more about the book eaters backstory. 
It also wasn’t as spooky as i would’ve liked but that may just have been a result of going into it expecting a straight up horror story when it’s more a thriller. This novel is more about motherhood, womanhood, and humanity, and less about the actual concept of mind & book eaters. If you go in with that as your expectations it’s for sure an enjoyable story, personally i just would’ve preferred a deeper dive into social & moral commentary on the idea of mind eaters. However the characters were well written, three-dimensional and i adore that there’s lesbian and ace representation. My favourite character was probably Hester, i loved her personality and i would’ve loved reading more about her. 
I could definitely see myself rereading this in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Rape, Torture, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse

varo's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Trafficking

halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

This was not my cup of tea. It's quite triggering and has a society that controls women reproductive rights. Solely, from my understanding, on sexual violence. 

So I jumped from 32% of the audio to the end and was greatly disappointed with the ending. It leaves a dry cough of hope at the end that is 99.9% uncertain/may not succeed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol