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The Book Eaters posted by Robyn

The contemporary fantasy The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean is a novel featuring a family of book eaters – children are fed actual books instead of food.  Maps give them the ability to know directions, dictionaries feed them vocabulary, mystery novels are peppery snacks, and romance novels are dessert – sweet & delicious.  Devon is the only sister in a family of brothers – they are being raised by their uncle who feeds them novels.  As the sole daughter, Devon is limited to fairy tales and cautionary stories.  She has never met her mother, and as she grows into adulthood and finds herself in an arranged marriage, she begins to understand and disapprove of her designated role. This fantastical story alternates between her coming of age and her life in the present – where current events are happening on Christmas Day.  Devon is a single mother to 5-year-old Cai, who subsides on a different kind of food – he is a human eater – books will not do and he has to be fed human minds in order to survive.  Devon tries to acquire the special elixir that will save her son as well as innocent victims, but she must battle knights, dragons, and the book eating families…

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