Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

31 reviews

tkat211's review against another edition

adventurous medium-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? Yes

2.75

"If we grow up thinking that we're princesses and someone else will rescue us, then we spend our lives waiting for that rescue and never trying to escape ourselves."

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Slavery, Vomit, Trafficking, and Fire/Fire injury

nina_rae_131's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

grassygale's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious

4.5

Very cool vampirific type of story. Might be difficult for some readers. I think if I had read this (instead of the audiobook), I would probably classify it more as a horror book, and probably would have had a more difficult time with different scenes. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infertility, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

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

---

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

bookish_redpanda15's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Sexual violence and Pregnancy

chase0w0's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

msgslibrary's review against another edition

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

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

happy ending

esme_may's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Homophobia, Incest, and Trafficking

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Very intriguing concept and development. I liked how it perfectly encapsulated the patriarchal, oppressive and cruel world created by the Families and the damage they create to all those poor little girls by just feeding them fairy tales and not preparing them for what's to come. I liked Devon's fierce personality and the characters' grey morality portrayed through the things she is forced to do for Cai and what Cai has to suffer too. I liked that it was sapphic and we also got a tiny bit of asexual representation and some decent men amongst monsters. It is true that the ending and love plot felt rushed but I liked the approach and the points the author wanted to criticize and how they were addressed in the book unequivocally. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug use, Incest, Infertility, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

astralfeline's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

5.0

This book has really captured my attention from the first time I heard a synopsis of it. I love how unique this concept is (at least to me) and the sort of "dystopian" feel to it. There are so many layers to this book, different themes or metaphors that stand out to me. I also listened to the audiobook version while following along in the ebook and loved the narrator's accent. I can tell there was just so much time, effort, and intention behind this story and it really delivered. I feel like I'll be thinking about this book for the rest of my life. I also have to add that I enjoyed the casual inclusion of LGBT characters, where their identity wasn't their whole characterization and the plot very much had it's own leg to stand on. Not that I dislike books where the whole plot is about the characters being LGBT, but I feel like the characters and their place in the story were very well done and not overly "shown off," but also wasn't just mentioned once and not really mentioned ever again. You know? 

Anyway, definitely recommend this book to literally anyone. Very intriguing concept, great characters, and the plot is very well written. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Gaslighting