Genre Fiction
![Sunyi Dean - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_sunyi_dean.jpg)
The Book Eaters
Truth is found between the stories we're fed and the stories we hunger for.
Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon―like all other book eater women―is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.
But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger―not for books, but for human minds.
"A darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A delicious modern fairy tale."― Christopher Buehlman, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author
Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon―like all other book eater women―is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.
But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger―not for books, but for human minds.
"A darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A delicious modern fairy tale."― Christopher Buehlman, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author
Editorial Reviews
"I devoured this."―V. E. Schwab, NYT bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue
"Raw and imaginative, this gritty, gothic anti-fairytale knows the truth: love will make a villain out of anyone."―Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
"A delightfully weird exploration of motherhood, queerness, and escaping patriarchal norms."―Buzzfeed
"Innovative, unique, poignant, and told with a voice as original as the story itself. I finished this novel in that one sitting, yet I'll be pondering it for a long time to come. This is the debut of a new master of the modern fantasy. Don't miss it."―James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Starless Crown
"This beautiful, delicate, cruel, utterly unique look at tradition, motherhood, trauma, and what it means to be a monster would be a masterpiece from an established author. As a debut, it is nothing short of stunning. It kept surprising me all the way to the end."―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway
"A powerful story of overwhelming mother love, as something both powerful and potentially horrific. It's a book that delves into the need to survive even when a system is built to break you or determined to crush you; a powerful queer story about difference that refuses to flinch away from difficult choices or the impact of trauma, both generational and inflicted. Readers will devour this compelling, rich fantasy."―Booklist, starred review
"Dean's unputdownable debut gives the phrase "voracious reader" a new, very literal meaning ... The fascinating magic system, impeccable and unusual worldbuilding, and well-shaded characters will keep readers riveted through every twist of this wild ride."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. Great reading for a rainy morning, with tea or coffee on, a cat in your l...
"Raw and imaginative, this gritty, gothic anti-fairytale knows the truth: love will make a villain out of anyone."―Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
"A delightfully weird exploration of motherhood, queerness, and escaping patriarchal norms."―Buzzfeed
"Innovative, unique, poignant, and told with a voice as original as the story itself. I finished this novel in that one sitting, yet I'll be pondering it for a long time to come. This is the debut of a new master of the modern fantasy. Don't miss it."―James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Starless Crown
"This beautiful, delicate, cruel, utterly unique look at tradition, motherhood, trauma, and what it means to be a monster would be a masterpiece from an established author. As a debut, it is nothing short of stunning. It kept surprising me all the way to the end."―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway
"A powerful story of overwhelming mother love, as something both powerful and potentially horrific. It's a book that delves into the need to survive even when a system is built to break you or determined to crush you; a powerful queer story about difference that refuses to flinch away from difficult choices or the impact of trauma, both generational and inflicted. Readers will devour this compelling, rich fantasy."―Booklist, starred review
"Dean's unputdownable debut gives the phrase "voracious reader" a new, very literal meaning ... The fascinating magic system, impeccable and unusual worldbuilding, and well-shaded characters will keep readers riveted through every twist of this wild ride."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. Great reading for a rainy morning, with tea or coffee on, a cat in your l...
