My review for this phenomenal novel is long overdue and I ask you to bear with me as I try and ultimately fail to communicate the masterpiece that is The Book Eaters.

The Book Eaters starts off with a fascinating premise, where Devon, a Book Eater on the run from her Family, decides to do anything to save her Mind Eater son, even if it means sacrificing unsuspecting, good humans for his sustenance, even if it means becoming a monster herself.

On thematic concerns, it is a zoom in on choices and those who were given choices that were no choice at all. What it meant to live without a choice bear children without a choice, to love them without a choice, to leave them regardless of your choice, and finally to choose them despite all the choices you made before. The Book Eaters chooses to see motherhood through nuance, neither reducing it to a sacred duty nor an effortless burden, instead focusing on the multifacetedness of the experience.

Dean builds a harrowing society existing in the fringes of ours in this contemporary fantasy/horror, a race of people who eats Books to survive and gain knowledge and a fringe of people with a need to consume brains instead of books. She uses it to explore the inherent misogyny of society as a whole and the brokennaturedness of toxic masculinity that breaks people who break others to hold this system up.

The characters are all complex and broken people who do the best to survive and to fight. They reject the dichotomy of good and evil and choose to be just people who are doing the best they can. For example, Devon and Cai both do terrible things that eat them alive but there is a grim understanding that for their loved ones, they will become monsters. For many of us, it is not a question of what is right but a question of what is necessary and Dean reflects that in her characters.

Frighteningly original and devastatingly emotional, The Book Eaters will ask you just how far will you break and mend and hurt for those who are yours on its way to a triumphant ending.

Highly recommended and one of the top books of 2022.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an arc via Netgalley.

Initial thoughts
Gothic, beautiful, and fantastic with all the rage of motherhood. FTC and thank you to the publisher for providing an arc via Netgalley

"Poets would tell you that love was electricity in your veins that could light a room. That it was a river in your soul to lift you up and carry you away, or a fire inside the heart to keep you warm. Yet electricity could also fry , rivers could drown, and fires could burn; love could be destructive. Punishingly, fatally destructive."

The Book Eaters has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, and after reading I can say that the hype around its release if definitely deserved. Blending horror and fantasy tropes together to create a dark and interesting world, I found myself invested almost immediately in the tale of a mother willing to do whatever it takes to save her son.

This book was honestly unlike anything I've read before, and I loved how unique the whole story was. In a world where groups of people known as book eaters exist secretly consuming books as sustenance, we follow Devon - a book eater woman whose life we watch unfold from a princess in her manor, to a grown woman whose only goal is to escape with her son. Without giving away plot points and spoilers, the book flows from past flashbacks to the present day, and manages to do so without causing confusion or unanswered questions. Plot twists and reveals are given at the perfect times, and I found myself always getting to the end of one chapter and immediately wanting to keep reading on. I really enjoyed Devon as a main character, even as she makes some truly terrible choices, you can always sympathise with her motivations behind them and you feel the pain that she does as she makes them. There's an eerie and creepy atmosphere that follows you throughout the whole book, and without being a scary, full on horror book, the whole world and atmosphere has this feeling to it that I can only describe as unsettling. I found myself cringing on more than one occasion at the events that unfold that's for sure. But at its core, The Book Eaters is a tale of unconditional love, whether between family or friends, it puts to the test exactly how far someone is willing to go to protect the ones they love.

As a side note, it was also great to see some LGBTQ+ representation in this book. The protagonist of the book is a lesbian, and there is also an asexual side character. It's always good to see representation in fantasy novels, so definite bonus points there.

Overall, this is definitely a read I will be recommending going forward, and the hype is well deserved!! If you're looking for a creepy new fantasy read, definitely do not hesitate to pick this one up.

This is a very engaging story about a race of near humans who subsist wholly on books for solid food, nothing else.  They drink pretty much the same things as regular humans though, and some are very fond of alcohol. The Book Eaters are divided into 'Families', six in fact, living in old mansions across most of the British Isles.  And those Families are on the dysfunctional side to say the least. Female Book Eaters are quite rare and children therefore don't come along as often as they would like. Which is becoming a very real problem.

This book is almost a modern day fairy tale.  There are Princesses and Knights and even Dragons, but none of those are what you would usually expect from a fairy tale. 

An exceptionally clever book and one of the most original stories I have read for a very, very long time.  Highly recommended.

A really interesting fantasy debut, with a great mixture of horror and A Handmaid’s Tale.
My only criticism is that, for a book set in Britain with British characters, there were a surprising number of Americanisms used throughout. Definitely took me out of the story, and something that I feel like the editors should have picked up on.

An exciting new book about fantasy, fables and family!

The story follows Devon, one of the titular Book Eaters, an outcast from her family and the society she grew up in. We see her navigate her way through the familial politics and battles, all in the name of her son Cai. A young Eater who feasts on minds instead of books and she'll go to any length to protect him...

The premise of this book really intrigued me and I'm so glad that I got to read it. The setting was one of my favourite kinds, an alternate modern-day version of the UK with more of a supernatural tint to it. We spent a lot of time on the North Yorkshire Moors which are a place near and dear to my heart so I'm always going to enjoy books set here. I enjoy the writing, it evoked a lot of memories for me of that beautiful scenery and helped to set the scene throughout the book.

Devon as a main character was a very morally grey which I loved. A woman raised as a pawn in a society full of men, she spent her entire life conforming and finally snapped. She's an incredibly fierce character, willing to do whatever necessary to look after Cai. The portrayal of motherly love in this book was fantastic, it gave me Wanda Maximoff vibes (in a good way!). I found myself alternating between moments of "YAAAS Devon!!" and "Oh no..." which is a great way to keep me intrigued with a book.

The book had plenty of action and horror throughout, both physical and mental, and there was an unsettling vibe throughout which I loved. The supporting players were also great, the various members of the Families set the scene of how this supernatural society worked and each one had a defined role. I even enjoyed the various unfortunates that Cai encounters throughout the book, and the effect that they had on him, making him grow and change as a person.

My criticism of this book is that although it is set in an alternate fantasy, where people eat books and minds, I felt that was the part that was lacking. There was plenty of horror throughout the book but I found the fantasy to be on the small side. I wanted more lore and the extent of the characters powers expanding a little more.

I really enjoyed this book though - a great read for any fans of dread and dynasties!

Thank you to netgalley harpercollinsuk and Sunyi Dean for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Trigger Warning*
Rape, Gore, Murder, Forced Marriage

I absolutely adored this book the book eaters are such a fascinating creation. This story feels like a modern take on folk horror and I absolutely loved the perspective of the "monsters" I also really enjoyed the discussion of the "families" despite the fact that you don't meet many of the characters. The world building is amazing and the relationships between characters are complicated and intriguing. I cant wait to read more by this author!

Overall not a disastrous read but I have to admit, I had much higher expectations going in since knowing a couple booksellers had already picked this up for subs or special editions. And the fact that I have been slightly disappointed possibly makes me a little more critical.

The concept was intriguing but the execution was a very much lacking. I felt that the Book Eaters gifts/abilities were not especially well thought out. And the worse thing was that it was the writing which prompted the questions but then it just skirted over them without very good explanations.

I thought the main characters were bland, certainly lacking in depth and personality. I also didn’t particularly like any of them which was another disappointment. Being a mother myself I really thought I would connect better with Devon and being able to understand her motivations, but sadly, I just didn’t care enough.

One of the things I actually really disliked about this book though was the romance. It just seemed to come out of nowhere. There was zero hint at any genuine feelings until the last few pages. This for me resulted in it feeling very much like a token. I also found it quite annoying that Devon couldn’t possibly love or feel attraction to any of the male Book Eater since they either repressed women, or was asexual. It genuinely felt like this was the reason given as to why she was a lesbian, which is ridiculous. Imho, having the MC explore the nuances of abusive relationships and love, would’ve been far more interesting than the woke f/f love interest and poorly presented romantic plot we actually got.

I will finish on the one thing that I did like, and that was Cai. He had far more potential than the author gave. I felt like his character was the only one than provided interest but at the same time was limited. Hopefully he will get more page time in future instalments. However that said, it won’t be one I’ll be picking up so I’ll just leave this review here!

That was good, but quite disturbing. Took me longer than usual to finish this book because I needed to pause once in a while.

A gloomy dark fantasy that follows a mother who's willing to do everything for her son. The book title was literally and it still surprised me even though there's something worse than "book eaters" in this book.

The writing was unique and easy to follow even though it's an adult fantasy. I liked how Dean brought up fairytales but in a twisted way. It has strong feminism values that's satisfying to read. It has self discovery into queerness, the process and exploration of it too. It has unbreakable family bond that's heartwarming though complicated.

This book shows us that not everyone in our life is worth fighting for and we better channel our energy to people who matter the most.

Indeed a nice debut, can't wait to see what Dean will come up with next!

Written very much in the vein of fairy tales and layered with gothic tones. A story full of poignant introspection and intensity, exploring the complexities of motherhood, devotion and sacrifice, and the desire for agency over patriarchal control.

3.5/5

Please check the TWs before reading the book itself, and TW for a mention of domestic abuse in this review.

“We consume and store and collect all forms of paper flesh as the Creator created us to do, clothed as we are in the skin of humankind. But we do not read, and we cannot write.”

Book Eaters are a humanoid kind of vampiric alien race, with six ancient families holed up in stately homes across the UK, consuming books and paper for food, absorbing all information contained within them. There are arranged marriages, cold and efficient transactions, reproduction at speed so as not to miss out on very limited fertility windows. Children are rare and daughters rarest, their “protection” through childhood considered a worthwhile investment for the future of their race and the financial position of their family. Fed on fairytales and kept quiet and dutiful, these girls grow up expected only to serve their purpose. But there are dangerous anomalies in the families: children born not with a hunger for books but for minds and memories. And now there is a mother and child on the run, determined to escape the lives they’re fated to.

This was truly horrifying. And utterly brilliant.

I flew through most of The Book Eaters in one morning and struggled through the day until I could finish it that night. I was and very much remain (genuinely it’s all I can think about) thoroughly invested in the world of it. Though it’s a contemporary, the rules and structure of the Families are so archaic and appalling that you can so easily forget this fact. Then you’re snapped back to face that reality by someone playing on a PlayStation. And I loved this aspect of it. Unable to retreat into books in the same way we might, characters find their escapism in video games. This hit especially close to home for me as I really turned to them throughout the pandemic. When I couldn’t go anywhere or see anyone, they provided ways to “travel” and “meet up” with my friends. I could run and swim and go adventuring, have special powers and make decisions at a time when I felt I had no control over anything else in my life. They are one of so few constants for a child that has to endure so much change. They allow Devon to imagine ways out, to work until she can get things right.

This book focuses on love and motherhood and how there is no inherent goodness in either. They can be dangerous and all-consuming. You can become monstrous in the name of them. It at once asks how far you would go and questions why or if you should even bother. I had a teacher once tell me that she was “too strong” to ever be in an abusive relationship “like other women”, and I could never adequately express why hearing that statement upset me so much until I read this. Here is someone unearthly, notably tall and stronger than any human, with physical abilities beyond comprehension, capable of the most bloody and vicious things. And here are all the unspeakable things that happen to her with often minimal resistance. Your mistreatment is never something you deserve or something brought about as a result of some failing in you. It does not occur because you lacked strength, physical or otherwise. Do something enough, tell a child something as fact enough, and the traumatic can become the everyday. It is conditioning. And the patriarchy takes from us all. Ramsey is forcibly moulded by his environment. Devon is taught from childhood that she is lucky for the treatment she receives and to be grateful for the future that’s been laid out for her, quite literally fed stories to reinforce this over and over. She knows no different until she does, and even then things are held over her to force her into submission - anger quelled until it’s just numbness. And this book deconstructs those fairytale ideas she’s fed, and is testament to how it takes everything in you to untangle yourself from all that you’ve been made to believe about yourself, your worth, and the world around you. It is one thing to come to terms with the fact that you deserve better and another to actively go in search of it.

This book is about survival. About how just getting through the day can feel like luck. About a feral kind of laughter in the face of hopelessness. About all the terrible things you’re willing to do just to get by, and how they feel less terrible when you’ve done them enough. And Dean can describe these unthinkable actions so matter of factly, the true horror in the words creeping up on you and only sinking in once you consider what you’ve just been told. But Devon proves that your path and your own safety sometimes have to be carved out from the terrible. And while living cautiously within the jagged-edged confines of what little space you can now make for yourself in the world, you discover that this may be where you’ll find yourself. Or where you can finally be yourself. And like the haircut left from those shorn off plaits, your life is homemade and imperfect and more right than it’s ever been, however it looks. And it’s yours. And that space you're in can get wider with help.

The Book Eaters asks us to look at family not always as just who raised us, but who can truly see us for everything that we are and love us all the fiercer for it.

This is a dark read with twisted creatures, such an interesting plot, morally grey characters I loved and lesbian and ace rep. I couldn’t have devoured this faster or recommend it more!

4.5 ⭐️ (only because there are a couple things I’m still desperate to know)

I think I read this book at entirely the wrong time. It wasn't nice to read about women being treated poorly and being forced to have babies at a time when abortion laws were being passed to do precisely that. It just made me so tired with the state of the world.

The other parts of the book were interesting though. I really liked the descriptions of the houses and the peek into book eater society that we saw. I wonder if maybe there could have been more viewpoints or a bit more time when Devon was ignorant of how bad it was, just to give us a bit of a break from the doom and gloom. I'd have liked to enjoy a world where books can be absorbed just by eating them and whole languages can be learned in a single bite but there was no time for that.

Perhaps if I'd read this book at a different time of my life, I would have felt differently, but for now it was just not the book for me.

I liked the concept of this story, but for some reason it has taken me ages to read it. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I suppose it’s hard to connect with fantasy beings, but, the main character, Devin, whined and felt sorry for herself throughout most of the book. To be fair to the author I think that was partly the point so we could see what a fighter Devin was. She fought for her child, for her own life.
In the end I enjoyed where the story took me, just took me a while to get there. I needed to find out what happened to Devin and Cai, how they got through their situation.
Trigger warning: there is slight, very slight LGBTQ+ mentioned, but not in any detail. Girl likes girl. Boy likes boy. But no details other than that.

The Book Eaters is a feast of a novel, interlocked with a quest for agency, transformation, and ultimately identity.

This book has some rather bizarre elements. Usually 'bizzareness' is a selling point for me, but there were some parts of the story that felt somewhat baffling rather than intriguing. Perhaps these mysteries were intentionally left unanswered for potential sequels, but for me they were jarring enough to interrupt my immersion in the story. Suspension of one's disbelief, therefore, is perhaps an essential tactic for fully immersing oneself in this world.

Despite the above, this is a very accomplished debut novel. There are twists and turns throughout in this fairytale-inspired story in which a mother and son fight for survival, with some slight echoes of 'The Handmaid's Tale' in the novel's Patriarchy-based Family organisation that raises some interesting moral questions and philosophical debates. Indeed, this could be a fun book club title!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an advance copy of the book!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

The story follows Devon, a book eater on the run with her mind eater son Cai, with a focus on Devon's struggles through motherhood within the dwindling secret society's traditions. The chapters flit between past and present, which without I'm not sure the book would have held my interest until the end if told chronologically.

Book Eaters look human, but they are not. Placed on earth sometime in the past by the "collector", they absorb data and information through devouring books, the taste of which reflect the contents, the paper and the people who have previously owned them. Devon Fairweather, raised on fairy tales and called princess, comes of age and discovers what the patriarchs of her community do to women and their children to ensure their species continues. To escape it, she must fight knights and dragons, as well as come to terms with the monsters inside of her and those she loves.

Sunyi Dean's "The Book Eaters" was a joy to read. I am not someone who would normally choose a fantasy novel, particularly one with elements of horror/gore, but I loved it. The plot is very pacey and the story unfolds cleverly. The world building is brilliant and holds true. I found myself wanting to read for longer than I could to find out what happens next. At times it reminded me of Matt Haig's writing. If there was a follow up I would definitely seek it out and I would recommend this to others.

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.

A really interesting concept and the world of the book eaters was well described but I just found it didn’t keep my interest.

Perhaps because I couldn’t fully warm to the central character Devon. The emphasis on her struggles as a mother as she battles for her son were interesting but I felt they overshadowed the book eating & fantasy element at times which is what I tuned in for.

The book was well written and some things worked well - the dual timeline of Devon in the present and her flashbacks to her earlier life were well worked. However ultimately the book didn’t deliver the story I was expecting - that’s on me though.

Although it wasn’t for me I would recommend it to friends who enjoy fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read an advance copy

So, when I say I read this book, I actually mean I DEVOURED this book. It was so good. Horror isn't typically my go-to genre, I actually rarely read horror but when I saw the premise of this book, it immediately sky-rocketed to my anticipated releases list.

The Book Eaters is a book about, you guessed it, book eaters. However, among these book eaters, there are mind eaters, the most feared people. Devon is a book eater, but her son Cai, is a mind eater. Book eater children are rare, let alone mind eater children. We follow Devon as she tries to find a cure for her son's hunger. But with her family wanting her back and mind eaters being hunted down, it's a race against time.

This story is so beautiful. Whilst it's a horror, it's also an amazing tale of motherhood and the lengths a mother would go to protect their child and keep them safe. As Devon grew up, she realised that life isn't as beautiful and poetic as the fairytales she was given growing up and that fuels her ambition to protect and save her son.

The Book Eaters is a perfect blend of the horror and fantasy genre. It didn't feel too much horror-esque or too much fantasy-esque. It's an amazing balance that was handled beautifully. This book also has asexual and lesbian rep in it and it's done so effortlessly, I loved it.

If you're looking for something strange, something new or a book you won't want to put down, this is the book for you!

"Truth is found between the stories we're fed and the stories we hunger for."

I was very lucky to have been given an arc of Sunyi Dean's new contemporary fantasy novel, it has betrayal, family ties, queer discovery and a never say die protagonist. Publication is set for August 2022.

Given everything occuring in the world right now I found this book to be a poignant read. Within The Book Eater universe body autonomy for women is continuously being controlled by older patriarchal systems - the Families. A woman's worth is defined by her ability to carry children and once she has them, she is disguarded and her children are taken away. Devon was not an easy protagonist to like, she is brash, rude and self centered. She keeps secrets and tells only half truths, her redeeming characteristic is her undying love for her children and no nonsense approach to saving Cai. Devon and Hester have a wonderful way of communicating that pulls you right into their story.

"All of those books were forbidden, and thus desirable"

was fascinated by the Book Eaters abilities, particularly the ability to instantly use any information they had ingested. I am cautious of saying too much more as the secrets you unearth in this novel are part of what drives the narrative, but I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy, loves a sapphic romance element and literally wants to stick it to the patriarchy. Sunyi Dean has created a world that look forward to returning to hopefully retuning to in future books.

I devoured this book — no ketchup required!

I was very fascinated by the premise of this book anyway, and then I read chapter one... I was hooked! Straight in there with the mystery, darkness and gore and I loved it.

Best way I can describe this is, Handmaid's Tale but with supernatural "monsters" that eat books for sustenance — unless you're a mind eater that is.

This had everything for me. For starters, our MC, Devon, was a brilliant character, with so much development between her past and present selves. A mother just fighting for, and loving her child unconditionally — and as a mother myself, I loved that.

“Love doesn’t have a cost. It’s just a choice you make, the way you choose to keep breathing or keep living. It’s not about worth and it’s not about price. Those concepts don’t apply.”

The lore of the eaters was so interesting. Like some kind of alien vampires that feast on information rather than blood. I have so many questions still and I'm REALLY looking forward to learning the differences and reasons behind the different kinds of eaters and this mysterious "collector"

Then there was the action. Fights galore, murder, gore, the odd coup here or there. Unlikely allies, old friends, and some seriously effed up family made for a very packed and exciting read.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I LOVED this book. I was so lucky to get an e-ARC for this via NetGalley (and I can't thank them enough!) but you can bet I'll be buying myself a physical copy when I can and waiting with bated breath for whatever comes next!