How to Be Eaten [J0284]

2023 PB in nice clean condition. One of NPR's Best Books of the Year: This darkly funny and provocative novel reimagines classic fairy tale characters as modern women in a support group for trauma. In present-day New York City, five women meet in a basement support group to process their traumas. Bernice grapples with the fallout of dating a psychopathic, blue-bearded billionaire. Ruby, once devoured by a wolf, now wears him as a coat. Gretel questions her memory of being held captive in a house made of candy. Ashlee, the winner of a Bachelor-esque dating show, wonders if she really got her promised fairy tale ending. And Raina's love story will shock them all. Though the women start out wary of one another, judging each other's stories, gradually they begin to realize that they may have more in common than they supposed . . . What really brought them here? What secrets will they reveal? And is it too late for them to rescue each other? ​Dark, edgy, and wickedly funny, this debut for readers of Carmen Maria Machado, Kristen Arnett, and Kelly Link takes our coziest, most beloved childhood stories, exposes them as anti-feminist nightmares, and transforms them into a new kind of myth for grown-up women.

From recent mixed Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I'm a sucker for a retelling, and this one definitely felt original. Modernized in a way that just reemphasized how odd the original tales are. For stories with known endings, I was still surprised the direction this went. A little gritty, a little introspective, a wild ride."; "Fascinating premise, but I do think it could have been executed much better. Entertaining read regardless though."; "I loved it but I can see why other people may not. I think it was a great fictional account of female trauma. I do wish that they had chosen to make all the characters modern day versions. I loved ruby but the whole actual wolf story line could have been made into a metaphor like Raina."