The Book Eaters

The Book Eaters is an absolute gem of a book. I was enraptured from page one. Everything from the pseudo-gothic setting, the wholly unique premise, and the incredibly complex character development made it difficult to put this novel down.

A species of humanoid creatures known as Book Eaters live in six families on the fringes of humankind across the United Kingdom. In order to survive, they must consume books, but every so often a Mind Eater is born who must consume human minds instead. With their lineages dwindling and female births rare, each female Book Eater is forced into marriage contracts and required to produce two children before being sequestered back into her family’s estate.

Devon, after being ripped away from her first child after the marriage contract ended, delivers a Mind Eater child to her second husband and must choose between staying in line with the family’s rules or fleeing with her son before he is taken and either killed or turned into a true monster to serve the family’s twisted machinations.

Part fantasy, part horror, if you liked The Handmaid’s Tale but yearn for queer representation and feminine rage fulfilled, then this is the book for you.