Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > The Book Eaters

At one point in this book, there is an exchange of dialogue between two characters that I felt was not only central to this novel, but also central to real life:

“Does anyone have family that grows up functional? At all, anywhere?”

“In books, sometimes. A few rare cases.”

Considering this novel is about a species of monsters who eat books to stay alive, these lines seem rather droll, but at the same time, they are also rather true; there are few rare cases of truly functional families, whether they be real or fictional.

“The Book Eaters” has been one of the books I was looking forward to reading the most this year from the moment I first read the synopsis. I can say with absolute certainty it blew me away. To market this book as merely a mix of horror and fantasy with a LGBTQ female lead is to do this book a severe, if not almost criminal disservice, for this book manages to deftly weave in a wealth of commentary on many cultural, social, educational, gender, and economic issues even as it tells a compelling tale of a mother who will do anything to save her son and escape the cabal-like life she was born and raised in.

I thought this was going to be a long review, because I have so much to say about it, but I find myself at a loss as to how to explain the way this book intertwines the importance of childhood literacy while emphasizing the importance of making sure a child’s literacy is a well-rounded experience and not a cultivated one only filled with princesses or knights and instead filled with a mixture of both. I find it kind of difficult how to explain that the more rural the family, the further away from civilization and modern experiences the family will be and the further away from modern experiences the family and their children will be and therefore will be unfamiliar with how to move within and without the modern world if they suddenly find themselves stuck in it. This book is especially keen on pointing out that women have a particular need to be as well-educated as possible, for this world is dominated by knights and dragons and the patriarchy and they love nothing more than for women to submit to their perceived power.

There is more, so much more, in this moving and stunning book I devoured as much as a Book Eater literally consumes the pages of the OED.

Sunyi Dean, I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but I tip my cap to you, because this book is a masterpiece of genre literature I know will eat away at my brain for who-knows-how-long. And I’m not even sorry about it. The only other three books that have stuck in my head this much this year so far are “Anthem” by Noah Hawley, “Blood Sugar” by Sascha Rothchild, and “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin. Sure, there have been other 5 star books, but as far as books that like to peek into my brain and say hello? Yeah, this book is going to be one of those ones.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for granting me access to this book.