How To Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann

4/5 

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Sexual Assault, grooming, murder, guilt, descriptions of gore 

Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Fairytale Retelling

Published: May 2022

Another spoiler-free review.

For a debut novel, Maria Adelmann has done an incredible job. 

How to Be Eaten takes the lives of five woman who have lived through modern adaptations of fairytales. These fairytales get a new face with a modern twist. 

Some things that people should keep in mind if they wish to read this novel, is that the chapters are pretty long. Each woman has her own chapter about her trauma. A tasteful writing technique was using multiple point of views throughout this book. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but Adelmann was able to execute this beautifully. Each chapter is in third person, however when the character is explaining her trauma, she speaks in first-person.

Adelmann speaks well with using fairytales to have a deeper message. One that resonates with many---in terms of reality television, and using ones trauma for entertainment. It also shows how the media is changed not for the best of people; how guilt is perceived and represented; how determination is seen through survival trophies; how trauma is represented through ones memories, and how a love someone holds can be taken for granted. 

I would recommend all who decide to read this book to not underestimate the content. Once you think it can't get more shocking, it does. More than a reader could possibly imagine. 

If you decide to read this book, let me know what you thought. 

Happy reading!