"Book Eaters" First Impressions *No Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come talk about your initial, general impressions!

Please save all discussion of particulars, details from the story, character choices, plot questions, etc. for the full spoiler thread.

Content warnings for those who want them: (view spoiler)[ body horror, gore, explicit violence, domestic abuse, violence against children, sexual assault, homophobia, torture, gun violence, murder (hide spoiler)] (More about CWs here.)

[Brent]

Very interesting premise; enjoying it so far.

[Ellen]

Finished with Act 1. Very interesting so far.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I think I'm getting caught in the worldbuilding. I really enjoy the driving impetus, but the plot and world aren't meshing for me so far.

[Hank, Hankenstein's Modster]

I have finished but still remember my first impressions.

I also was not pulled in at the beginning, the horror-ish aspect did not excite me but as the story unfolded it became much more to my liking.

[Brandon]

Loving it so far! Worldbuilding is great. I'm immediately hooked wanting to know more about them and the world. I'm usual not one who likes books that do this with the chapters. Usually I get confused and spend more time rereading. But this book I feel uses it well and it follows better than past books I've tried like this.

[Jenni]

I really like it so far. I'm listening to it on the way to work. I am very interested in seeing how the story unfolds. I like how Devin's past is intertwined throughout her present day experiences. And I like that the author isn't divulging everything all at once during the present day scenes. It's all unfolding piece by piece when the story calls for it. I find myself guessing and making predictions about all the little mysteries.

[CJ]

Hank wrote: "I have finished but still remember my first impressions.

I also was not pulled in at the beginning, the horror-ish aspect did not excite me but as the story unfolded it became much more to my liking."

I hope this will be my experience too, but so far, I find the prose incredibly dull and the characters uninteresting. And given I'm a SF lit lover who's read plenty of books that one could say the same about, that's something. I switched to the audiobook version from the ebook version but the narrator's reading of the audiobook isn't really to my liking either, so that's not helping*. I'm autistic myself and was excited to read something by an autistic author, but so far I'm just not enjoying it.

*I'm disabled with a hearing disability and am aware that the voice actor is too, but she's doing professional work here, and I feel it's appropriate to critique her performance as such.

[Jenni]

Cade,

I am listening to the audiobook too. I love the narrator, but it definitely took until about act 2 to get used to the accent and to get interested in the story. I had no idea she was deaf until I looked it up. But I had wanted to find a copy of the book so I could actually read the words. Like I still don't know what the uncle's name is. Her accent is so thick!

[Ellen]

The book had to grow on me and I ended up really liking it. I also listened to the audio book. The narrator's accent took me some getting used to but she sounded like I imagine Devon would.

[Liane]

The fairy tale treatment makes me uncomfortable. Waiting for this to turn the corner. I don’t get the horror vibe but I’m not being pulled in yet either.

[Mareike]

Iforgot to post here when I started earlier this week, but I'm enjoying it. That first chapter is quite the attention-grabber.

I'm listening to the audiobook, too, and I'm enjoying the accent.

[Joelle.P.S]

Jenni wrote: "...Like I still don't know what the uncle's name is. Her accent is so thick!"

Uncle's name is Aike, but I'm reading the ebook, so I have no idea how to pronounce it ;-)~

Started this book yesterday & it really sucked me in. I have no idea where it's going to go but I'm enjoying the ride! :-D

(nearly 20% in)

[Jenni]

Joelle, she's been pronouncing it like Ike.

[Bonnie]

Through Chapter 5.
Mostly uninterested, and unbelieving, and disapproving of some of the things happenng/being allowed to happen. Ready to do a mercy-killng or two.
But interest has been piqued a couple times. :-)

[Bonnie]

Finished Act 1. It is growing on me.

I find it notable that the world, the "Muggles" part, is not our world exactly, or an entirely fictional world. From the technology (flip phones, new IVF) and books (some real, some made up) you can tell it is not exactly the same as our world.

[DivaDiane]

I’m about halfway through and really enjoying it. The narrator’s Newcastle accent is really thick though.