Solid and super enjoyable YA horror!
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea is a slow-burn YA horror debut with impeccable vibes. The audiobook is narrated flawlessly by Kristolyn Lloyd. We follow our main character with a first-person point-of-view.
Laure Mesny is a perfectionist, which is perfect for a dancer steeped in the cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet. One of the only Black dancers, she is constantly overlooked even though she is hyper talented and first in her class. In search of equity, she visits the Catacombs and makes a deal with a primordial power to be noticed.
I initially picked this book up because Katee Robert recommended it, and then I inhaled it in two sittings. The publisher's blurb calls this a villain origin story, and it is so good. The cover is phenomenal! Laure is an amazing disaster bisexual.
This was a great character study in the idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. We see many different types of power here: the supernatural from primordial powers, and systemic power (e.g. racism, classism) that can be found in places such as the uber-competitive "classical" dance world.
Tragedy strikes eventually, and there is a side plot with mystery elements. I did figure out the whodunit here, but I still liked the how and why even though I sorted out the who. There's also a slow-burn monster romance that was done well.
The author has noted in interviews that they were inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray--one of my favorites--and Edgar Allan Poe. There's also some great Lovecraftian horror here. I'd also recommend this book to fans of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, or anything written by T. Kingfisher.
The book ends with a note that [SPOILER] will be back, so I'm quite excited that this is turning into a series! The sequel is titled I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call.
CW: lots of blood, ritualistic self-harm, body horror, non-graphic torture, murder, body-shaming, racism, classism, parental neglect referenced, parental abandonment referenced, bullying, toxic relationships
I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
Laure Mesny is a perfectionist, which is perfect for a dancer steeped in the cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet. One of the only Black dancers, she is constantly overlooked even though she is hyper talented and first in her class. In search of equity, she visits the Catacombs and makes a deal with a primordial power to be noticed.
I initially picked this book up because Katee Robert recommended it, and then I inhaled it in two sittings. The publisher's blurb calls this a villain origin story, and it is so good. The cover is phenomenal! Laure is an amazing disaster bisexual.
This was a great character study in the idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. We see many different types of power here: the supernatural from primordial powers, and systemic power (e.g. racism, classism) that can be found in places such as the uber-competitive "classical" dance world.
Tragedy strikes eventually, and there is a side plot with mystery elements. I did figure out the whodunit here, but I still liked the how and why even though I sorted out the who. There's also a slow-burn monster romance that was done well.
The author has noted in interviews that they were inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray--one of my favorites--and Edgar Allan Poe. There's also some great Lovecraftian horror here. I'd also recommend this book to fans of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, or anything written by T. Kingfisher.
The book ends with a note that [SPOILER] will be back, so I'm quite excited that this is turning into a series! The sequel is titled I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call.
CW: lots of blood, ritualistic self-harm, body horror, non-graphic torture, murder, body-shaming, racism, classism, parental neglect referenced, parental abandonment referenced, bullying, toxic relationships
I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.