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Book Review of The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda 4.5/5

Hello and Happy October!

Halloween is breathing down our necks and I’m kind of loving it.
So many dark, creepy, spooky, horrifying reads to be found and enjoyed.. so little time.

I have to say.. I’m looking forward to sharing this one.
Graphic novels, (not to be mistaken with manga, which I’m completely addicted to..) are a new thing for me.
Have you ever been pressured into trying something by a very persuasive, very determined preteen? Yeah. That happened.
Now I’m hooked.

Not sure this is appropriate for younger readers but that really isn’t my department, otherwise, read on..
Find out why you’re going to want a copy of The Night Eaters for yourself.

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu (Author) and Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

Publication date: October 11, 2022
Pages: 208
Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror, Fantasy

Four and a Half Stars!

Art:
The art is magnificent. Haunting. The lines aren’t clean but it suits a story like this.

Storyline:
I don’t know if I would say it was always easy to follow, especially in the beginning, but it isn’t so complicated that you can’t keep up.
We have two grown children, twins Milly and Billy, who are (for the most part) successfully running a restaurant during a time when covid has eased some.. They have a tense relationship with their stern? Reserved? Seemingly unfeeling? mother, who’s personality is balances out by a more easy-going father. Both parents, but mostly the mother, believe they’ve have failed their children by allowing them to become spoiled and soft, therefore, the mother has the twins help her clean the eyesore of a creepy house across the street.. that’s about when all hell breaks loose.

Characters:
Intriguing. Believable. Unusual. Hilarious.

Thoughts:
There was a lot of work put into even the typically less considered details of this novel. The jacket is beautifully done, yes, but all the lovely details don’t just end there.. You’ll find that the artwork extends beneath the jacket, front to back. Every page has been carefully, thoughtfully, and skillfully designed to support the seductively eerie story inside. They complement one another.

I did have an issue with there being no real transition between one time line and the next, it was abrupt and jarring, which made it difficult to stay absorbed in the beginning. An issue I felt became less prominent as the story progressed. By the end I was completely charmed. Charmed by a bizarre and bloody kind of wonderful.

What I didn’t expect was that the author would put a such surprisingly comical spin on the character’s interactions.
I spent quite a bit of the book cackling like a lunatic. Yes, yes, I know. It’s supposed to be creepy. And it is. I may just have a really messed up sense of humor because it’s also really freaking hilarious.
Near the beginning there’s a conversation between the mother and father about her not really handling a situation with the “kids” very well and she states, without batting an eye, that “they could make more” and I kind of lost it from there..

I felt like the character’s reactions were completely believable. I could absolutely see myself responding the way Molly, especially, did.
*Fair warning though.. There are blood and gore scenes that may be unpleasant for some readers.

In the end it was actually, and get this, a pretty sweet story. A story of love, the fear that can be born of that love, and the healing you can find by opening your heart. It’s a story about the potential for good and evil in all of us.  

I highly recommend getting a physical copy of this book.
A lot of work was put into making it what it is and while I’m not usually one to buy first and read later.. this one is worth it.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my review, I hope it has you intrigued!
If you have any recommendations for Halloween reads or graphic novels, please, share them in the comments below.

What are you currently reading?
Are you enjoying it?

Stay safe, stay warm, and have an amazing week!

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