#thebookeaters by #sunyidean was quite the adventure and I really enjoyed the ride. Will be suggesting this one to a friend or two. Thank you #netgalley for the privilege of listening to this audiobook.

Book Eaters is about a secret group of people who can only consume books and retain the content. Each genre has a different taste. Book eater women are very rare and their diet is carefully regulated with fairytales and cautionary stories, while the men feed on stories of valor and adventure. Because of their species declining numbers they are also obligated to bear two children by contract, leave them after three years before they can move on with their lives. But for Devon happily ever after isn't coming when her son is born with a different kind of hunger.

Gosh this book was just delectable! This twisted fairy tale that takes place in a dark urban fantasy setting, was at it's core, about the lengths a mother would go for their child, hating on the patriarchy and bodily autonomy. The amount of thought the author put into this story and different representations were fascinating. She also links the photos she took for inspiration and the locations the book mentions on her goodreads page. I loved the narrator Katie Erich as well and was fascinated to listen to the narrator and authors discussion at the end of the book. Because the book was set up in the north, the author wanted a northern narrator. Erich put so much thought into how to narrate this, and the love she had for the story really came through. The only thing that was missing for me was more of a lore dump and just some more length because i wanted to know more!

Devon is part of a family of book eaters, creatures that subsist on books and nothing more. But on occasion another type of creature is born in their society, ultimately creating an underclass. Deeply patriarchal, Devon's purpose is to birth more of their kind. But when she finds herself broken and forced to protect her son, she embarks on a dark path filled with unthinkable options looking for a way to freedom.

This is an interesting book. I'm not sure that I loved it, but it's really stayed with me and I find myself thinking about it random times. It's dark and at the end of the day there are no right answers for the characters and everyone lives in a world of gray, doing bad things to survive. There is innocence lost too early and a deeply weird patriarchal society, which makes me livid. It was a hard book to read, that makes you mad and sad and disgusted at the same time. I thought the romance element was unnecessary and didn't feel justified, so maybe a bit more development there would have been warranted, and the bad guys were almost caricature of bad guys. Overall, bleak but makes you think.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the copy of the audiobook!

Sunyi Dean introduces us to a new mythology in her novel, “The Book Eaters.

Devon is a book eater. Her sustenance comes from the actual mastication of the written word. Where these creatures came from is a mystery, but nevertheless a few families of them are scattered across the UK. Occasionally a book eater offspring is born a mind eater: a creature who can suck out a person’s memory and knowledge, leaving the body an empty husk.

When Devon gives birth to a mind eater, the result of a family-arranged coupling, she must decide what she values more: the life she was raised in or the life of her son. What is the cost of love?

The world-building and mythos that Dean has created in this novel are noteworthy. I wanted to explore more of it. There is hint of a sequel, which I hope we see. Themes of self-discovery and survival permeate the novel, and the combination of flashbacks and present-day narration ensures that the reader gets all the details they need when they need them.

The narrator of the audiobook, Katie Erich, did an excellent job evoking a voice that Devon, our main character, would have. Often I thought the narration was in first-person because I identified the narrator so closely with Devon.

“The Book Eaters” by Sunyi Dean is dark—there is a lot of movement at night; bad things happen—but we are also treated to a good dose of hope and redemption in the end. I highly recommend this novel, and I look forward to more work from this author.

I expected this to be darker.

Devon's son was born with a hunger for minds in a world of book eaters. What would you do to protect your child even if they were a monster?

I had incredibly high expectations for this book. It had a new concept, dark themes, all the things I usually love, and I really did love it for the first 50% of the book, and then it seemed to slow down. I struggled to enjoy the story and pace but felt like it was treading water. Finally, at the last 25%, we got everything I wanted. There were twists, turns, lies, and truths, BUT then it just flopped for me. A story that should have been an easy five stars for me didn't quite make it there.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed listening to this audio book, but I hope there is a book two. I might forgive this one if there is some more...well, more.

Things I loved in this book:
-The Concept
-The Gruesome Acts
-The Mother Struggle
-The LGBTIA+ Representation
-The Good/Evil Struggle

I'm a little over halfway through with this book (will update my review when complete) but I can already tell it is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.

I went into it fairly blind, as I am known to do, with just the understanding that it would have themes of motherhood, queerness, and people who eat books. And it did not disappoint on any of those fronts!

Within the first few chapters I related to the main character so hard that it was uncomfy. Though she is a creature who only eats books and her son is a "mind eater" their relationship will resonate with any single mother who lives with a deep-seated guilt about the quality of life they are able to give their children.

The chapters alternate between present day and telling the story of how we got to the events happening in present day.

Being a woman born into one of the rare and hidden families of "book eaters", Devon never had a choice about her future. She was to be contractually "married" to another family for a period of time, have a child, raise it for three years, and then move on to another marriage contract with another family.

But... you see... Devon would just rather not.

Still, in the present day, she has a five year old son (who really has the mental capacity of 26 full adults) that she would quite literally murder to protect and feed. Her unusual circumstances make her venerable, showing that even a stubborn badass can be brought to her knees where her children are concerned.

I felt like I needed to go ahead and post a tentative review for the publication so that everyone knows how wonderful this book is. I will update when I finish (which shouldn't be long because even when I'm not reading it, I'm thinking about reading it).

I really wanted to love this, but I'll be honest, I struggled with the narrator! I want to try this again later, but with a print book.

4 stars

As a person for whom fantasy/sci fi can be really hit or miss, the fact that I found this book engaging and intriguing all the way through makes me certain that more traditional fans of the genres will be super drawn to this novel.

Dean does an excellent job of connecting with the most avid readers by creating a world of titular book eaters. As a person who is constantly reading and really loves, well, devouring books, absorbing the knowledge, converting it into energy and ideas (see what I mean here?!), it's impossible not to instantly connect to the way that these characters literally eat books. While the characters and plotting are interesting, I'm willing to reveal publicly that it's this element I couldn't get enough of at any point. It's so interesting to think of what it could be like to exist in this world in a literal vs. metaphorical stance.

There is a fair amount of social commentary throughout the piece, but - likely as a result of my own identities - I really connected with the challenges women characters face here. The concepts of motherhood, partnership, bodily autonomy, and basic human rights all come up throughout and make for a read that feels less fantastical and more (sadly) relevant in the moment.

This was an unexpectedly enjoyable listen for me, and I am confident that some of my engagement has to do with the solid narration of the audio version. I recommend this book in general but especially in that modality when available.

A lovely book with a very unique story, very unique worldbuilding. I wouldn't necessarily say there's a magic system involved, but there are 'magical creature mechanics' that are fascinating and well constructed.

From a storyline standpoint, the book follows the main character, Devon, in the present day as well as ongoing flashbacks from childhood leading up to present. Flashbacks provide droplets of information that give clarity around the mystery of why the main character is on the run and what she's looking to achieve, with the full details only coming into place at the end of the book.

The plot kept my attention and kept me interested in where the story was heading, but I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters. Would say that it was overall a good, solid book, great for a casual read.

Full review is up on FanFiAddict and shared on Twitter and Instagram!

Thank you for the review copy, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it'll be one I return to and it'll be on the top of my list for anyone on the hunt for a standalone for sure.

I added this to my list because people eating books sounds fun, right? It sounded unique and interesting. I saw the eating human minds bit, I saw that people started tagging it as horror. Not especially my jam, but the whole book eating thing was just too… well, scrumptious, to pass up.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. However, I’m 99% certain it’s me and not the book, and it will hit the spot for the intended audience. Maybe it’s because I’m not a mum (which is definitely a huge part of the book), or maybe because I wanted more fantasy fun than fantasy horror, I don’t know. It a fascinating idea and the writing is beautiful (in my non expert, just a reader not a writer opinion).

Unfortunately, I’m not good at quitting books even when I should, and I should have DNF-d this one – not because it was bad, absolutely not, but because I wasn’t clicking with it and I could tell it wasn’t for me, so it was unfair of me to continue. I do think that the right audience will love this book – it just isn’t me.

Re: the audio. The narrator was good but read everything in the same inflection, I’m glad I could follow along on the ebook so I knew dialogue vs description.

5 ⭐️ release TODAY!

The Book Eaters are an old race, spread across the United Kingdom in separate families. Devon is a member of one of these families, and she has the ability to eat books like her brothers.

Every book tastes different based on the story it tells, but girls are only given fairy tales while boys can eat all sorts of exciting books. Once a book is eaten all of that information stays with the eater.

Book Eaters cannot have children with humans so any girls born are used to marry into other families and have children. Marriages are three year terms with the promise of one child, then the woman will leave her child to move onto the next marriage, and the next baby. Once a woman has three children she can return to her family home.

Devon may have been raised on fairytales, but she decides that no knight is coming to rescue her and her child. After all, her child is a monster. He has a different power than that of the book eaters….he craves the human mind when he is hungry. And Devon needs to find a cure—through any means necessary.

Y’ALL. Order this read ASAP. It is such a great horror/fantasy/adventure with a seriously tough mother. You journey with Devon as she discovers what isn’t fair in her life and what value she actually holds in the eyes of her family. You see her stand-up, in so many ways, and fight for her child and herself.

You may think you have read every twist on vampires that there is, but trust me you haven’t. 🧛🏻‍♀️

The storytelling, world-building, and plot is so detailed and satisfying. You are going to be as obsessed with this book as I was, I promise. Or I will eat the book! 😉

I received the audiobook from @Netgalley and that narrator was incredible — highly recommend.

CW/TW: mild body horror, arranged marriage, rape, child abandonment, murder, suicidal ideation.

An easy 5 ⭐️ I finished it a couple days ago and already want to order a copy to read again.

Review on Instagram @borrowersbookclub and also posted to Goodreads under my personal account.

Following a group of beings who sustain by consuming written word, Book Eaters is a wick and weird story tackling familiar social injustices.

In Book Eaters you will get glimpses of our main character's past and present. Devon, a book eater and mother, is on the run trying to protect her second child.... plunging her into morally grey territory. Cai was born a mind eater, and must consume human brains to survive. Living among humans and finding food for her son, Devon desperately looks for a cure for his hunger. But time is running out. With every human Cai consumes he loses a little more of himself.

The Atmosphere and Characters are shining stars here. Despite Book Eaters being rooted in our own world it felt alien in the best way possible. I've only dock it one star because despite all of it's spectacular uniqueness the social commentary felt on the nose for my liking.

This is a must read for anyone looking for a strange and though provoking book about perseverance and societal injustices.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

They say never judge a book by its cover but when the title is The Book Eaters and the cover looks like this how can you not??!? The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean is such a unique novel that I was sucked into this world right away.

✨𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆: August 2, 2022
Happy Pub Day!!!🎉

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤:
In the Northern part of England lives a secret group of people who eat books for food. They absorb the books knowledge with every bite. When children are naughty they are forced to eat a dictionary as punishment.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and secluded group of book eaters. But girls cannot eat the same books as boys. While her brothers eat books about adventure and bravery, Devon was forced to eat books about fairytale romances.

Forced into marriages to have babies to keep this society alive, women are oppressed and have no rights. When Devon’s son is born with a desire to feed off minds and not books, Devon will stop at nothing to keep her baby safe. How will she be able to help him when knights and dragons and men track every step women and children make?

“Love doesn’t have a cost it’s just a choice you make.”

The Book Eaters welcomes you into a world that is dark yet captivating. It is a world that is filled with lies, description and horror. A world where women are oppressed and secrets are kept. But even in this world, nothing will stop a mother from protecting her child.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:🤔
📖This book starts off amazingly. You are completely drawn into this world and left wanting to know more.
📖Strong female main character.
📖Some gruesome parts of the story that may be hard for some.
📖I am not a huge fan of fantasy (don’t come at me I know it’s a popular genre lol!) so some parts of the story were hard to connect to.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four stars for The Book Eaters. Some parts in the middle were a little too much for me, but I think this is a novel that many will love especially those who enjoy a dark fantasy.

This is an interesting book that tells the story of Devon, who is a Book Eater. A Book Eater is exactly what it sounds like, they are people who consume books as food. Book Eaters live quite reclusively in the Yorkshire Moors, and grow up eating classic fairy tales and dictionaries. Female Book Eaters are married early and often, as they are much more rare than males and reproduction is very important to their people. When Devon’s son is born with a rare kind of hunger for human minds instead of books, Devon does what she can to help him, and adventures are had.

I enjoyed this one a lot. The idea of a type of people who can’t read, but who eat books as food and retain the information of what they eat is interesting. Information as sustenance. This idea is fantastically realized in this story, and I found the setting and characters really easy to imagine. I liked the prose and the dialogue a lot, and Devon was a great character to follow on an adventure.

The narrator, Katie Erich, did a fantastic job. I was looking her up to see what other audiobooks she might have done and found out that she is deaf, and it’s still kind of blowing my mind a little. Not to say that a deaf person can’t narrate a book, because clearly she can and has done so very well, but my incessantly curious neurodivergent little brain popped up a whole mess of questions. How do you review what you’ve done? Do you just have to have the confidence to roll with it, or trust someone to say that was good? How did you learn to do different accents?! How do you learn how to pronounce weird words like ouroboros?!? *mind explodes* Someone asked me if the narration is in a Yorkshire accent, and yes it is. The narration was wonderful. I hope she narrates more in the future!

So, all told, The Book Eaters was a great listen, and I absolutely recommend it to anyone that likes interesting and unique Urban Fantasies, books set in Britain, or books about books! This was an absolute banger of a debut!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year (hello, look at the cover and description), and it turned out to be much different than I thought. I was picturing it being more fairy tale-esque, but it actually leans a lot more towards horror. But actually now that I’m writing this, the basis for many fairy tales is horrifying, so it’s actually pretty spot on there. Regardless, I loved Devon and watching her save herself from the stifling world she is born into (though I would have loved more explanation into why the book eaters are the way they are besides “it’s always been that way”). There are so many themes explored here from motherhood to power structures to religion, and it sometimes does feel a little bit overextended. I do love the idea that the books we eat and the people we meet and spend time absorbing ideas from form who we are. It’s different and enthralling, and if you’re a fantasy/horror lover, you should check it out! I thought the audiobook narrator did a fantastic job capturing Devon's voice, and it really added a lot to the story for me.

Digestive Osmosis! Such a different take on vampirism, monstrously devouring books - or memories - while following along with a mother who will do anything to save her son. The trouble with patriarchal society and censorship shows that even the immortal are threatened by class warfare. Interesting and fully developed characters with a range of representation. Well done!

The only reason I didn't finish this in a single day was my bedtime, and it was a BIG temptation! This is going on my Hugo nomination list for next year, and I'm sure plenty of other voters will do the same.

Bibliophage. A fascinating concept. A person who not only eats books, but who also gains all the knowledge within what they have eaten. But there are downsides. Eat too many over your life, and your mind slows, burdened by knowledge. Your birth rate is low, with a most birthing people only able to have two children (VERY rarely a third), and fewer still of those also being female and able to have children. And, most terribly, the birth of "Dragons," who will not eat books, but instead consume human minds.

It's a little bit vampire, a little bit zombie, and a lot of subterfuge. No one in this book has a single plot. Crosses and double-crosses abound.

Our narrative focus is Devon, a Book Eater woman who has already borne her two children, and who now fights to save them. One, a daughter out of reach. The other, a Dragon who grows hungrier by the day. Devon would be the villain in most other people's stories. Cai, her Dragon son, needs to eat minds, and she provides. And she doesn't even look for the "scum" of society, since Dragons take on the personality of those they consume. The only possible saving grace would be Redemption, a drug which allows Dragons to consume books, like the rest of their people, but which Devon can only obtain by making deals with other devils.

It's, just...it's really good. I am putting this on my book club's rec list right away.

The interview between author and narrator, given at the end of the book, is fascinating. For one, they talked about the process of hiring Katie Erich, and Erich's experience as a first-time audiobook narrator. (And I am so happy Dean and MacMillian took that leap, Erich was so pleasant to listen to.) They also discussed the book's treatment of disability, which for some reason just hadn't registered with me. Yet it must be true, Cai has a food-related condition that is debilitating without medication. And Devon herself, like the author, is a person with autism.

Advanced copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance audio copy of this novel.

I'm DNFing this at 16%. I like the premise, but I feel like it isn't going anywhere, and that may be more about my issues with listening to genre fiction on audio and an inability to stay focused. This is a book I might return to in print, but for now I need to set it aside.

The Book Eaters is one of the most unique fantasy/horror-ish books I have ever read. I'm not actually sure how to start this review. This story has so many layers to it...

-This story follows Devon, a princess, who is born and raised to marry and breed (hopefully girls). She is fed fairy tales, while her brothers get fed action and adventure books that prepare them for running the family.
-Devon will do anything to protect her children, especially when she learns that her second child is a mind eater.

The two story lines twist back and forth until they eventually meld together in the end.

This was a really fun listen and I wish I would have requested the e-book to read along with it. I really like the badass mom character of Dev. She is fearless and not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect Cai. I do actually think Cai was my favorite character in this book. The mind reader aspect was so intriguing to me, how a small boy can also be 25 other grown ups at the same time. I do think the romance part needed a little more work. It felt a little rushed in the end? I really hope this book has a follow up!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Tor, and NetGalley for the chance to review this!