When we meet Devon, she’s portrayed as a down on her luck single-mom. We know that she’s not human, and that she feeds on books. That itself is a wild element of this story, but her son can’t eat books like her. It doesn’t immediately make sense why, but what he does need to eat is very sinister and my jaw dropped to the floor.

I admit, the story immediately shocks you, then simmers for a while.

I actually stopped reading for a moment and checked the reviews. The majority of readers said that it was hard to get into, but that it was worth it. With that in mind, I didn’t give up and I am soooo glad I didn’t.

This story slows down a little after she feeds her son. It’s important because this is when we learn why/how book eaters exist. The back and forth between past and present shows us the dynamics of her patriarchal family. The barbaric methods they employ to keep their species alive. It’s dark and very oppressive. Devon is the first woman of their kind to imagine something better. Thus, she sets in motion a diabolical plan of double crossing betrayals with many hard choices. All of her choices made with one goal in mind, protect her son, get to freedom.

This gothic tale of a book eater tearing down her oppressors is truly bad ass!

Devon is fierce. Nothing matters more than her child. She goes to some very deep lengths for him and all the while I kept thinking, “same girl”. The element of books being food was very imaginative and added a fiction fantasy to an otherwise dark horror of a story. It’s a little confusing at first, but as Devon grows and shares her opinions of fairytales vs. instruction manuals as food, it all makes sense.

Anyone who wants to feel empowered by strength of smart women should read this book. There are so many gems dropped in this story about love, the meaning of life, and friendship. I have so many meaningful quotes to share from this book. I did NOT expect any of that from a “gothic horror” book.

Congratulations on a successful debut book! I hope we get a sequel of Devon’s next fight.

Get your copy of The Book Eaters by Suni Dean here! *this is an affiliate link.