Book Review: The Better to Eat You With

 

The Better to Eat You With

by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Pub Date: Sep 23 2025  

read courtesy of netgalley.com

I might have liked this more if the author didn't make the 'monster' as vague and disconnected as it was. The narration relied heavily on the reader trying to figure out, along with the main character, if the monster was real. What didn't help was that the adults saw the scars and the effects of the monster's great claws, but when the monster was finally described, it was a hybrid monster made of many different animals. I then lost my ability to suspend disbelief because the 'monster' the adults were looking for couldn't be found even though there was physical evidence of its existence. 

Otherwise... the book sent a positive and realistically described message about eating disorders, their possible origin, the havoc they wreak, and possible ways to get help from others. The characters were well developed, and the story - with the exception of the monster - felt realistic for their ages. However, if the monster had been something that could be experienced by both the adults and the younger characters, I might have bought into the story better.

⭐⭐