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The Better to Eat You With
From award-winning author Tehlor Kay Mejia comes a spine-tingling tale of transformation, mystery, and the monsters we face—inside and out.
What big teeth…
For twelve-year-old Evan, summertime has always meant carefree days with her family and unlimited time with her best friend, Billie. This year, with her parents on the brink of divorce, she’s staying at Billie’s summer cabin. But Billie only seems to care about crushes these days, and to make matters worse, Evan’s mom’s health obsession has climbed to new heights. The more Evan tries to appease her mom and control her hunger, the sharper it seems to get, until it threatens to drag her under.
As Evan tries to cling to the good things in her life, a sinister presence in the woods begins to stir. Kids are scared, and adults think everyone should go home. Determined to stay, Evan starts hunting for the creature and begins to wonder—is it just her imagination, or is the monster inside her?
What big teeth…
For twelve-year-old Evan, summertime has always meant carefree days with her family and unlimited time with her best friend, Billie. This year, with her parents on the brink of divorce, she’s staying at Billie’s summer cabin. But Billie only seems to care about crushes these days, and to make matters worse, Evan’s mom’s health obsession has climbed to new heights. The more Evan tries to appease her mom and control her hunger, the sharper it seems to get, until it threatens to drag her under.
As Evan tries to cling to the good things in her life, a sinister presence in the woods begins to stir. Kids are scared, and adults think everyone should go home. Determined to stay, Evan starts hunting for the creature and begins to wonder—is it just her imagination, or is the monster inside her?
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 2025
About the author
Tehlor Kay Mejia
23 books1,192 followersTEHLOR KAY MEJIA (he/him) is a bestselling and award winning author of books for all ages.
His debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range.
Tehlor strives to create stories which showcase the importance of community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values. He lives with his child, wife, and two dogs in his home state of Oregon, and is active on Instagram @tehlorkay.
His debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range.
Tehlor strives to create stories which showcase the importance of community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values. He lives with his child, wife, and two dogs in his home state of Oregon, and is active on Instagram @tehlorkay.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 17, 2026
"A middle-grade psychological horror novel about 12-year-old Evan, who spends the summer at a cabin with her best friend Billie as her parents' divorce looms, while she grapples with her mother's intense health obsession and a growing, uncontrollable hunger, all while a mysterious creature stalks the woods, blurring the line between an external monster and the one within herself." This is a creepy read, as well as an approach for eating disorders and body shaming. Very well-written and enjoyable! I couldn't help but be on the edge of my seat. Evan's mother needed a sock in her mouth with all her degrading of her daughter.
October 12, 2025
This definitely not what I expected in terms of a middle grade horror. CW: discussions/representation of disordered eating.
What Worked: To be honest, I think this is my first book by Mejia, but it won't be my last. Their writing style really draws the reader in to not only the plot, but also the very intricate development of the characters. Horror, in this book, is not only about that which we encounter on the outside, but also the many horrific things we encounter internally. Evan shares an extremely complicated relationship with her mother that leads to an unhealthy perception of food. Even as an adult, I connected with the need for parents and caregivers to be mindful of how they present food and body shape/size to youth. It's not a comfortable topic, but it's a necessary one.
What Didn't Work: I wish there was a little more clarity on the connection between Evan and the beast. Though I get what the author was intending, I think that some readers will struggle to make that connection.
Overall, this was an intriguing read and I'm excited to check out more books by Mejia.
What Worked: To be honest, I think this is my first book by Mejia, but it won't be my last. Their writing style really draws the reader in to not only the plot, but also the very intricate development of the characters. Horror, in this book, is not only about that which we encounter on the outside, but also the many horrific things we encounter internally. Evan shares an extremely complicated relationship with her mother that leads to an unhealthy perception of food. Even as an adult, I connected with the need for parents and caregivers to be mindful of how they present food and body shape/size to youth. It's not a comfortable topic, but it's a necessary one.
What Didn't Work: I wish there was a little more clarity on the connection between Evan and the beast. Though I get what the author was intending, I think that some readers will struggle to make that connection.
Overall, this was an intriguing read and I'm excited to check out more books by Mejia.
December 1, 2025
CW: disordered eating egged on by a parent
I'm not entirely sure how to discuss this book. It's difficult on purpose and handles a vastly important subject - disordered eating encouraged by a parent. It's really not discussed enough. It's horror both in the sense that Evan discovers an inner monster and in the framing of anorexia as a monster inside of her. Middle grade readers will want an adult to discuss it with - or rather, that's what the adults will want for them - but don't let that dissuade you from reading it.
I'm not entirely sure how to discuss this book. It's difficult on purpose and handles a vastly important subject - disordered eating encouraged by a parent. It's really not discussed enough. It's horror both in the sense that Evan discovers an inner monster and in the framing of anorexia as a monster inside of her. Middle grade readers will want an adult to discuss it with - or rather, that's what the adults will want for them - but don't let that dissuade you from reading it.
Want to Read
August 9, 2025"What big teeth… a spine-tingling tale of transformation, mystery, and the monsters we face—inside and out."
January 23, 2026
This was a very interesting way to tackle very serious themes. I found myself rooting for our FMC the whole time. And being excited for her character growth.
September 25, 2025
This book has a good lesson in it, but it’s nowhere near a horror book. At first, I was very close to DNF this but I didn’t and I’m glad for that. If anything it’s more about the main character eating disorder which is a good topic, but definitely isn a horror book.
This is definitely 4 stars!🌟⭐️🌟⭐️
This is definitely 4 stars!🌟⭐️🌟⭐️
February 5, 2026
trigger and content warnings: eating disorder
summer had always been evan’s favorite season, a time spent at the cabin with her family and her best friend. this year, though, everything feels different. her parents leave her with her best friend’s family and disappear, quietly on the brink of divorce and trying to shield evan from the fallout. on top of that, evan is battling an eating disorder and relentless body image issues, making even the simplest moments feel heavy and fraught.
as evan tries to hold on to some sense of normalcy, she becomes convinced that something sinister is lurking in the woods near the cabin. the fear starts to intertwine with her internal struggles, and evan decides that the only way to protect her summer and her friendship is to hunt down whatever is out there.
the better to eat you with tackles eating disorders in a way that is both unsettling and thoughtful, especially for a middle grade horror novel. anorexia is portrayed with stark realism, and by blending it with a supernatural threat, the story amplifies the devastation of the illness without trivializing it. the horror isn’t just in the woods. it lives inside evan’s thoughts, her body, and her need for control.
overall, this is a haunting and impactful story that uses genre elements to explore a deeply real and painful topic. it’s a brave, unsettling read that lingers long after the final page.
summer had always been evan’s favorite season, a time spent at the cabin with her family and her best friend. this year, though, everything feels different. her parents leave her with her best friend’s family and disappear, quietly on the brink of divorce and trying to shield evan from the fallout. on top of that, evan is battling an eating disorder and relentless body image issues, making even the simplest moments feel heavy and fraught.
as evan tries to hold on to some sense of normalcy, she becomes convinced that something sinister is lurking in the woods near the cabin. the fear starts to intertwine with her internal struggles, and evan decides that the only way to protect her summer and her friendship is to hunt down whatever is out there.
the better to eat you with tackles eating disorders in a way that is both unsettling and thoughtful, especially for a middle grade horror novel. anorexia is portrayed with stark realism, and by blending it with a supernatural threat, the story amplifies the devastation of the illness without trivializing it. the horror isn’t just in the woods. it lives inside evan’s thoughts, her body, and her need for control.
overall, this is a haunting and impactful story that uses genre elements to explore a deeply real and painful topic. it’s a brave, unsettling read that lingers long after the final page.
January 17, 2026
One of my favorite reads so far this year! Creepy, but also educational, and healed something for my inner child WHILE also being a book that I would recommend to tweens/teens.
March 3, 2026
Different from what I was expecting, and the monster element didn’t always hit for me, but overall, this is a powerful and relatable story that shines a light on disordered eating.
October 17, 2025
4.5 rounded up
March 16, 2026
While the cover of this middle grade to young YA novel will lead readers to assume this is a thriller/horror book, nothing could be farther from the truth. In ALL THE BETTER TO EAT YOU WITH, the main topic is disordered eating with subplots touching on a failing marriage, its effect on the whole family as well as some friendship bits.
Evan and her parents are headed to the summer cabin on a lake where they have vacationed with another family for many years but this time, only 12 year old Evan will be staying allowing her mom and dad to try and resolve serious marital issues. Evan and her best friend Billie have maintained a close friendship even without seeing one another for 9 months of the year but this time, Evan has a secret that will complicate their relationship—Evan’s mom has the two of them following a restrictive diet plan that includes rigorous exercise and in order to continue following the plan so she doesn’t disappoint her mother, food is sneakily thrown away, hidden and sometimes, thrown up using shower noise to cover up the sound. To complicate the summer even more, a monster is terrorizing the camping area and long time visitors are leaving. Evan, Billie and fellow summertime lake camper Jackson determine to track the creature and help the rangers contain the situation so that they do not have to end their annual summer trip early and to that end, defy their parents’ directives on several occasions even sneaking out during the middle of the night.
As readers move through the novel, there is the expected tension of a mysterious, well-clawed, large pawed creature hiding in the woods and leaving marks on trees indicated its ferocity. But the focus stays on Evan’s battles to listen to her body and eat well-rounded meals and her desire not only to please her mother, who is also suffering from an eating disorder, but to feel in control of her hunger since she has so little control over anything else going on in her life right now. Ultimately, author Tehlor Mejia reveals that the monster is a part of her and attempts to learn what it wants to teach her and help her mother see how much she is hurting. Resolution comes with assurance that while their family may look different now, mother and daughter will both seek professional help with healing and restored health is possible.
Younger readers may not grasp the symbolism even with Mejia laying it out clearly during the book’s climax and may feel a little cheated by the lack of real scariness. Older readers will understand the symbolism but may have questions about how, in a book that is written as realistic fiction, a girl can actually turn into a monster and leave claw marks and footprints all over a summer campground. It is an odd mash up of two genres.
Disordered eating is a very real problem among young people and it needs to be included in middle grade and young adult literature, both fiction and non-fiction. While this is not a book that I found moving, it may be exactly the right way to expose others to a serious issue.
Other titles on the subject would include:
*Louder Than Hunger (John Schu)
*The Blue Dress (Rebecca Morrison)
*Taking Up Space (Alyson Gerber)
*The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky (Josh Galatea)
-Target age: grade 5 and up
-Profanity: a few instances of “oh my g-d” but nothing else
-Sexual content: none
-Violence: a monster leaves claw marks, a dead goose and weird flies come out of the ground where the dead goose was found
-Representation: physical characteristics outside of Evan’s unhealthy appearance are minimal; vacationers likely are from the more wealthy end of the spectrum; several traditional families with Evan’s family experiencing separation with divorce likely
-LBGTQ+: a friend of Billie’s who uses they/them pronouns is mentioned briefly
Back matter by the author elaborates on the growing problem of disordered eating and how it effects various populations including white, cis males and females as well as those who identify as BIPOC, trans, queer and more.
Evan and her parents are headed to the summer cabin on a lake where they have vacationed with another family for many years but this time, only 12 year old Evan will be staying allowing her mom and dad to try and resolve serious marital issues. Evan and her best friend Billie have maintained a close friendship even without seeing one another for 9 months of the year but this time, Evan has a secret that will complicate their relationship—Evan’s mom has the two of them following a restrictive diet plan that includes rigorous exercise and in order to continue following the plan so she doesn’t disappoint her mother, food is sneakily thrown away, hidden and sometimes, thrown up using shower noise to cover up the sound. To complicate the summer even more, a monster is terrorizing the camping area and long time visitors are leaving. Evan, Billie and fellow summertime lake camper Jackson determine to track the creature and help the rangers contain the situation so that they do not have to end their annual summer trip early and to that end, defy their parents’ directives on several occasions even sneaking out during the middle of the night.
As readers move through the novel, there is the expected tension of a mysterious, well-clawed, large pawed creature hiding in the woods and leaving marks on trees indicated its ferocity. But the focus stays on Evan’s battles to listen to her body and eat well-rounded meals and her desire not only to please her mother, who is also suffering from an eating disorder, but to feel in control of her hunger since she has so little control over anything else going on in her life right now. Ultimately, author Tehlor Mejia reveals that the monster is a part of her and attempts to learn what it wants to teach her and help her mother see how much she is hurting. Resolution comes with assurance that while their family may look different now, mother and daughter will both seek professional help with healing and restored health is possible.
Younger readers may not grasp the symbolism even with Mejia laying it out clearly during the book’s climax and may feel a little cheated by the lack of real scariness. Older readers will understand the symbolism but may have questions about how, in a book that is written as realistic fiction, a girl can actually turn into a monster and leave claw marks and footprints all over a summer campground. It is an odd mash up of two genres.
Disordered eating is a very real problem among young people and it needs to be included in middle grade and young adult literature, both fiction and non-fiction. While this is not a book that I found moving, it may be exactly the right way to expose others to a serious issue.
Other titles on the subject would include:
*Louder Than Hunger (John Schu)
*The Blue Dress (Rebecca Morrison)
*Taking Up Space (Alyson Gerber)
*The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky (Josh Galatea)
-Target age: grade 5 and up
-Profanity: a few instances of “oh my g-d” but nothing else
-Sexual content: none
-Violence: a monster leaves claw marks, a dead goose and weird flies come out of the ground where the dead goose was found
-Representation: physical characteristics outside of Evan’s unhealthy appearance are minimal; vacationers likely are from the more wealthy end of the spectrum; several traditional families with Evan’s family experiencing separation with divorce likely
-LBGTQ+: a friend of Billie’s who uses they/them pronouns is mentioned briefly
Back matter by the author elaborates on the growing problem of disordered eating and how it effects various populations including white, cis males and females as well as those who identify as BIPOC, trans, queer and more.
March 1, 2026
Twelve year old Evan Rio is heading to her favorite place, the family oriented resort where she and her parents have spent part of every summer. This time, she's staying with her best friend, Billie, and her large, lively, family instead. There is trouble brewing with her parents, and Evan needs to have time to just be a kid. Except she is not; she is struggling with her parents' constant fighting, and dealing with her mother's unhealthy focus on health, exercise, and nutrition. Her mother, in some effort to exert control during a difficult time, has morphed an otherwise healthy approach to wellness into something that is an unhealthy focus for both mother and daughter.
Evan struggles to keep things inside-both her parents' problems and her own food avoidance. Billie's mother, Sue, is a savior in this young adult novel. Sue prepares all kinds of food for her family, and treats Evan as a member of the family, too.
On a separate note, their friend, Jackson, has arrived and the three friends love to spend time together, exploring the island and having fun. "Everyone was changing, Evan thought as she stared out the window into the trees. Billie was flying past her, growing up and getting crushes like she was supposed to. Jackson had boy-band hair and a deep voice. He was probably popular at school, even though he was still into fantasy books and prehistoric animals" (p. 73). Things are changing, as Tanner and Brady arrive on the scene and Billie leads the way to meet up with the boys at night, so Evan feels compelled to join her. Jackson's feelings are hurt when he later finds out about this meet up and that he was not included. When Evan jumps into the water, she struggles to have the energy to swim and Tanner brings her to shore, saving her from drowning.
What is the strange monster lurking about, that has left deep claw marks onto the trees and whose screeches have been heard? What is the mystery of the slaughtered goose and strange black, blood-sucker flies on the beach? Where is the monster? Will the parents allow their children back outside after time has passed from the incident involving the animal slaughter? Will Evan tell someone about her worries and her food avoidance? How will Sue confront Evan's mother with the truth about their unhealthy preoccupation with weight and what its' doing to Evan?
This young adult novel incorporates Evan's problems-her worries over her parent's arguments= and her mother's emphasis on 'health' and her eating disorder with her world of growing up and trying to fit in with her friends, who are also changing. Change is hard for Evan, and she is looking for someone to help her. Sue, Billie's mother, is the savior in the story-the trusted adult who observes, offers help, food, encouragement each day, and confronts an adult who is part of the problem, even offering solutions and more help. This novel is for middle school readers and older, and brings to light the problems that can come about with an unhealthy emphasis on appearance/weight. Evan does tell trusted adults about her problem and she is on the path of getting help, so this novel would be a good addition to a school library's collection. The mystery of the wild animal adds to the story but it is not fully explained in a way that I understood, so that affects my overall rating of the novel.
Evan struggles to keep things inside-both her parents' problems and her own food avoidance. Billie's mother, Sue, is a savior in this young adult novel. Sue prepares all kinds of food for her family, and treats Evan as a member of the family, too.
On a separate note, their friend, Jackson, has arrived and the three friends love to spend time together, exploring the island and having fun. "Everyone was changing, Evan thought as she stared out the window into the trees. Billie was flying past her, growing up and getting crushes like she was supposed to. Jackson had boy-band hair and a deep voice. He was probably popular at school, even though he was still into fantasy books and prehistoric animals" (p. 73). Things are changing, as Tanner and Brady arrive on the scene and Billie leads the way to meet up with the boys at night, so Evan feels compelled to join her. Jackson's feelings are hurt when he later finds out about this meet up and that he was not included. When Evan jumps into the water, she struggles to have the energy to swim and Tanner brings her to shore, saving her from drowning.
What is the strange monster lurking about, that has left deep claw marks onto the trees and whose screeches have been heard? What is the mystery of the slaughtered goose and strange black, blood-sucker flies on the beach? Where is the monster? Will the parents allow their children back outside after time has passed from the incident involving the animal slaughter? Will Evan tell someone about her worries and her food avoidance? How will Sue confront Evan's mother with the truth about their unhealthy preoccupation with weight and what its' doing to Evan?
This young adult novel incorporates Evan's problems-her worries over her parent's arguments= and her mother's emphasis on 'health' and her eating disorder with her world of growing up and trying to fit in with her friends, who are also changing. Change is hard for Evan, and she is looking for someone to help her. Sue, Billie's mother, is the savior in the story-the trusted adult who observes, offers help, food, encouragement each day, and confronts an adult who is part of the problem, even offering solutions and more help. This novel is for middle school readers and older, and brings to light the problems that can come about with an unhealthy emphasis on appearance/weight. Evan does tell trusted adults about her problem and she is on the path of getting help, so this novel would be a good addition to a school library's collection. The mystery of the wild animal adds to the story but it is not fully explained in a way that I understood, so that affects my overall rating of the novel.
March 14, 2026
Well I read this whole book in one setting. Its a very emotional piece of work that follows Evan who has a developed an eating disorder thanks to her careless and selfish mother.
I went into this thinking it was going to be some scary middle grade story that was going to pull from the idea of the big bad wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. I purely based this idea off of the title alone and I don't read synopsis so call me surprised when it didn't do that haha. This isn't a bad thing though the title is still very fitting for what the context of the story does in fact follow.
I do think this type of book is very important for young girls to read. The topic of weight and how much one eats is constantly shoved down young girls throats on a regular basis. What was surprising for me was how the author went the route of choosing her mother to be her source of pain. This is such an overlooked and ignored situation that happens to girls all over the world. Sadly for some girls the first "hater" she will encounter can in fact be her mother under the guise of "wanting her to be healthy". I wish the story had gone a bit harder on her mother in regards to how her actions were negatively impacting Evan. While the resolution was realistic it felt like it came just a bit to easy and to quickly. I wanted the mother to really sit and see what was happening to her daughter.
I do also think there could have been a bit more care when it came to Billie helping Evan and trying to get her eating again. While yes we do need food to fuel our bodies I think it would have been better for Evan to learn moderation and how to make healthy alternative choices without starving but also not overeating. With how the author was explaining her weight loss and gain through out the story it did at times feel like she was going back fourth between starving and overeating in a very quick manner, and I noticed the overeating aspect more when Billie stepped in to her help. Billie is a kid so I give her grace but the author had her present this information as how she learned it. Its a weird crossroad to be frustrated with because when I think about it, I want the author to handle the subject as best as possible but I also want the story to be realistic in the fact that a child is trying to help another child.
Overall I did enjoy the story and I liked how the author wove the horror element of this beast terrorizing their vacation spot into it. The story isn't about the beast though its very much about the eating disorder, they are linked but one highly outshines the other.
I went into this thinking it was going to be some scary middle grade story that was going to pull from the idea of the big bad wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. I purely based this idea off of the title alone and I don't read synopsis so call me surprised when it didn't do that haha. This isn't a bad thing though the title is still very fitting for what the context of the story does in fact follow.
I do think this type of book is very important for young girls to read. The topic of weight and how much one eats is constantly shoved down young girls throats on a regular basis. What was surprising for me was how the author went the route of choosing her mother to be her source of pain. This is such an overlooked and ignored situation that happens to girls all over the world. Sadly for some girls the first "hater" she will encounter can in fact be her mother under the guise of "wanting her to be healthy". I wish the story had gone a bit harder on her mother in regards to how her actions were negatively impacting Evan. While the resolution was realistic it felt like it came just a bit to easy and to quickly. I wanted the mother to really sit and see what was happening to her daughter.
I do also think there could have been a bit more care when it came to Billie helping Evan and trying to get her eating again. While yes we do need food to fuel our bodies I think it would have been better for Evan to learn moderation and how to make healthy alternative choices without starving but also not overeating. With how the author was explaining her weight loss and gain through out the story it did at times feel like she was going back fourth between starving and overeating in a very quick manner, and I noticed the overeating aspect more when Billie stepped in to her help. Billie is a kid so I give her grace but the author had her present this information as how she learned it. Its a weird crossroad to be frustrated with because when I think about it, I want the author to handle the subject as best as possible but I also want the story to be realistic in the fact that a child is trying to help another child.
Overall I did enjoy the story and I liked how the author wove the horror element of this beast terrorizing their vacation spot into it. The story isn't about the beast though its very much about the eating disorder, they are linked but one highly outshines the other.
January 6, 2026
The magical realism aspect of Evan's anorexia that begins with body dysmorphia brought on by her mother's obsession with Evan's appearance becomes intricately connected with beasts at the summer camp that Evan is spending time at with her friend, a girl named Billie and Billie's parents because her parents decided not to spend the typical summer in their cabin but allowed Evan to stay with her friend. As an adult reader, you know that Evan's parents are likely divorcing which is the reason for the constant fighting and need to "stay back" this summer. Yet this exacerbates Evan's issues with food that Billie's mom is recognizing but a little powerless to stop and even in later confrontations with Evan's mom is even more frustrated by her unwillingness to see what she's aided her daughter into doing.
This realistic anorexia is blurred however by the true or magical beasts that are in the woods at camp that Billie, their friend Jackson, and Evan are trying to figure out. The road is rocky though as they're all growing up and recognizing their summer friendships are fraying as they change into the people they will become. There's a lot of heady confrontations of coming of age as well as illness. It works but it's also figurative which for the audience might be helpful or hurtful in confronting what they might be experiencing themselves.
The cover certainly reveals more innate horror than what lies within the pages- think I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me rather than Hungry Ghost.
This realistic anorexia is blurred however by the true or magical beasts that are in the woods at camp that Billie, their friend Jackson, and Evan are trying to figure out. The road is rocky though as they're all growing up and recognizing their summer friendships are fraying as they change into the people they will become. There's a lot of heady confrontations of coming of age as well as illness. It works but it's also figurative which for the audience might be helpful or hurtful in confronting what they might be experiencing themselves.
The cover certainly reveals more innate horror than what lies within the pages- think I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me rather than Hungry Ghost.
February 4, 2026
Book review - Fiction - Paperback ARC - Mid-grade Teen - bildungsroman - horror - psychological
I just finished The Better to Eat You With by Tehlor Mejia and here are my musings.
Evan and Billie are hoping for a fun and carefree summer… Trouble is Billie has gone crush crazy and Evan’s mom has gone on a health kick that is leaving Evan hungry.
If that was the only bad thing… Maybe the summer is salvageable but there is a sinister presence in the woods.. The adults want to leave but Evan wants to hunt it but the more she learns… The more she wonders if the monster is inside her?
Holy MACKEREL!!! What an intriguing read!! I will say there is a TW of eating disorders so please be mindful!
I love the writing style of this author.. Clever and draws you right in. I loved how the author took the idea of horror and not only gave us a horror story but internal horrors that we often feel and encounter so that was hella intriguing.
The mother daughter relationship in this book was really well done. Evan’s mother has given her a really unhealthy understanding of food and that was really sad for me. I was an extremely active kid and I always felt hungry… Broke me a touch.
The only thing I really struggled with was the beast… I didn’t fully feel I understood how they were connected but maybe I missed it. It could even be the author was hoping we would make our own conclusions which is a risky endeavor but all in all it was a solid book.
I liked the book a lot and I highly recommend it!
4 stars
I just finished The Better to Eat You With by Tehlor Mejia and here are my musings.
Evan and Billie are hoping for a fun and carefree summer… Trouble is Billie has gone crush crazy and Evan’s mom has gone on a health kick that is leaving Evan hungry.
If that was the only bad thing… Maybe the summer is salvageable but there is a sinister presence in the woods.. The adults want to leave but Evan wants to hunt it but the more she learns… The more she wonders if the monster is inside her?
Holy MACKEREL!!! What an intriguing read!! I will say there is a TW of eating disorders so please be mindful!
I love the writing style of this author.. Clever and draws you right in. I loved how the author took the idea of horror and not only gave us a horror story but internal horrors that we often feel and encounter so that was hella intriguing.
The mother daughter relationship in this book was really well done. Evan’s mother has given her a really unhealthy understanding of food and that was really sad for me. I was an extremely active kid and I always felt hungry… Broke me a touch.
The only thing I really struggled with was the beast… I didn’t fully feel I understood how they were connected but maybe I missed it. It could even be the author was hoping we would make our own conclusions which is a risky endeavor but all in all it was a solid book.
I liked the book a lot and I highly recommend it!
4 stars
November 19, 2025
This psychological horror, middle-grade mystery is quite atmospheric and compelling. I was immediately drawn to this book by its haunting and remarkable cover art. Author Tahlor Kay Mejia frequently uses language, including simile and metaphors, to establish a gothic tone, which works perfectly for this book. An example of this from the book is, “Like her anxiety had pulled her down a dark tunnel and she was seeing Billie at the end of it.”
The story is centered on our troubled FMC, whose parents are fighting and she fears they will divorce. She is staying with her best friend’s family at their regular summer holiday vacation destination and a mysterious wild creature is potentially threatening the vacationgoers, creating a climate of fear and apprehension.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the audiobook copy of this title. Victoria Villareal does an excellent job with the voice work, creating an immersive listening experience.
This is a story that accurately portrays the fears and uncertainties of a tween on the verge of adulthood struggling with emotional turmoil. The friend relationships are a nice juxtaposition with the emotional trauma and physical fears around safety, creating a balanced story for young teens and older middle grade kids. I enjoyed the book as an adult.
The story is centered on our troubled FMC, whose parents are fighting and she fears they will divorce. She is staying with her best friend’s family at their regular summer holiday vacation destination and a mysterious wild creature is potentially threatening the vacationgoers, creating a climate of fear and apprehension.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the audiobook copy of this title. Victoria Villareal does an excellent job with the voice work, creating an immersive listening experience.
This is a story that accurately portrays the fears and uncertainties of a tween on the verge of adulthood struggling with emotional turmoil. The friend relationships are a nice juxtaposition with the emotional trauma and physical fears around safety, creating a balanced story for young teens and older middle grade kids. I enjoyed the book as an adult.
September 20, 2025
This one is s 3.5 for me. I wish I could have read it when I was 12 or 13. Summer is always the best time of the year for twelve-year-old Evan Rio since she and her parents stay in a cabin near her best friends, Billie and Jackson. But this year nothing is the same. Her parents are fighting all the time, and they won't be staying. In some respects that's a relief for Evan since she'll be away from her mother's constant monitoring of her food, body, and exercise. But even with this freedom, Evan finds that she no longer can eat; she's afraid of her clavicle no longer becoming visible, and competing voices in her head won't leave her alone. As her eating habits endanger her health, she is perilously close to breaking. Plus, there's a fierce predator in the woods nearby, and it seems to be coming closer. Filled with suspense as well as relatable characters, this book captures perfectly how it feels to be in the midst of an eating disorder, no longer able to trust one's instincts about what and when to eat, filled with shame that competes with pride, but more than anything, hungry, so hungry.
January 17, 2026
Evan loves her summers at the lake with her family and two best friends. This summer is different, her parents are divorcing and she is staying at her best friend Billie's house by the lake, not her own. Billie is only interested in boys now and Even feels like she is losing her best friend along with her family. This peaceful community becomes frantic when an apparent beast wreaks havoc on the community. The adults want to evacuate everyone and Evan and her friends want to find the mysterious beast. As Evan's turmoil increases, she begins to wonder if this beast could be within her.
This page turning young adult horror novel is miscategorized. The beast is actually Evan's eating disorder, caused by trying to please her uninformed health conscious mother and feeling like the world she loved is falling apart. Many readers will be unsure if the beast is Evan's eating disorder or an actual beast. Readers will either love this book or scratch their heads. However it is an important topic deftly handled by the the author.
Recommended for grade 7 and above by SEPA school library reviewers
This page turning young adult horror novel is miscategorized. The beast is actually Evan's eating disorder, caused by trying to please her uninformed health conscious mother and feeling like the world she loved is falling apart. Many readers will be unsure if the beast is Evan's eating disorder or an actual beast. Readers will either love this book or scratch their heads. However it is an important topic deftly handled by the the author.
Recommended for grade 7 and above by SEPA school library reviewers
October 11, 2025
From one teen to another, this book is TERRIBLE! Here's why:
As a younger teen girl who is skinnier but healthy this book made me feel pretty bad. The mom was giving bad advice (telling her to diet a lot) and so was her friend (saying she should eat when EVER she wanted, which is also unhealthy). The mom showed pictures of people who were supposedly healthy and had more visible color bones or certain bones because they were skinnier. Pointing the reader to the conclusion that having a visible collarbone or certain bones in your body was bad. The friend was like "Your body needs lots of lots fat and sugar." Which is wrong. Your body needs NATURAL sugar and PROTINE! This makes you full, have energy and less calories. This would be good health advice. Also, her friend is NOT a professional, which she SHOULD go to. it was very confusing, what is true and what isn't? I think books should more vague, or do actually research. Do not read this book. Also, they promote sneaking out and hanging out with random boys at midnight. SO, um.....
September 29, 2025
I can understand the mismarketing for this novel, but I think it does it a disservice. Mejia tackles a very important topic in this story: disordered eating and self esteem in preteens and teens. Evan is spending summer away from her parents as they continue their arguing. Her friends are changing, and Evan feels like she can only find control and her mother's approval in controlling her food intake. She struggles with the hunger at the same time the campground is being terrorized by a monster.
You're able to quickly figure out what happens, but despite the spooky (and amazing) cover, the story is less about the monster and more about Evan's struggle with her self image and food. It is a great look into the mind of someone going through disordered eating, and I loved the writing, the fights Evan goes through with herself, the isolation she feels. However, the cover gives the illusion of more of a monster story, which could deter some readers.
You're able to quickly figure out what happens, but despite the spooky (and amazing) cover, the story is less about the monster and more about Evan's struggle with her self image and food. It is a great look into the mind of someone going through disordered eating, and I loved the writing, the fights Evan goes through with herself, the isolation she feels. However, the cover gives the illusion of more of a monster story, which could deter some readers.
October 21, 2025
A MG book about a tween struggling with an eating disorder.
🍽️
Evan is excited for summer camp to see her two best friends, but this summer is not turning out like she planned at all. Billie won’t stop texting her home school group chat and her mom’s obsession with Evan’s eating is effecting every area of her life, especially her health. A sinister presence emerges from the woods and Evan is determined to find out what or who it is.
👣
This novel obviously was marketed as a spooky/horror/scary book, but definitely isn’t. The focus is more on disordered eating, unhealthy relationships and mental health. Mejia does a fantastic job of portraying the complex relationship some kids can have surrounding food. It is such an important story that I think we need more books written about.
CW: divorce, disordered eating, anorexia, emesis, bulimia, body shaming, emotional abuse, self-harm, fatphobia
3.5 ⭐️ bc the cover is very misleading
🍽️
Evan is excited for summer camp to see her two best friends, but this summer is not turning out like she planned at all. Billie won’t stop texting her home school group chat and her mom’s obsession with Evan’s eating is effecting every area of her life, especially her health. A sinister presence emerges from the woods and Evan is determined to find out what or who it is.
👣
This novel obviously was marketed as a spooky/horror/scary book, but definitely isn’t. The focus is more on disordered eating, unhealthy relationships and mental health. Mejia does a fantastic job of portraying the complex relationship some kids can have surrounding food. It is such an important story that I think we need more books written about.
CW: divorce, disordered eating, anorexia, emesis, bulimia, body shaming, emotional abuse, self-harm, fatphobia
3.5 ⭐️ bc the cover is very misleading
January 26, 2026
Evan hopes that summer at the lake with her best friend Billie's family will help her parents figure out how to be a family again and will help Evan fill the hunger that her mother has made her feel for so long. Evan's mother calls it healthy eating, but Evan's body is weakening even if eating is the only thing in her life she can control. However, a large beast seems to be stalking the lakeside community and renters begin leaving, afraid of the large tracks, gouges in trees, the dead goose, and the unearthly howls. Terrified of having to leave early, Evan and her friends hatch a plan to track and catch the beast. Slowly, however, Evan comes to understand that the beast appears only when hunger is hurting her body. Billie has been helping Evan regain control of her eating, but her mother's decision to make Evan leave early brings her to a breaking point. How can Evan make her mother understand what is happening to her by herself? She calls on the beast for help.
November 1, 2025
Let’s start on a positive note: the cover is fantastic! The image of a dead girl with glowing eyes bobbing in a spooky lake gives me the willies!
Unfortunately... the cover is total false advertising. This is NOT a scary book, nor is it a mystery. It’s a very serious, emotionally heavy story about a girl grappling with an abusive mother and a life-threatening eating disorder. There’s a whisper of a supernatural element—a supposed monster lurking in the background—but it’s not what you’d expect, and the “reveal” left me scratching my head. It felt like the author wanted to write a book about disordered eating but added a horror hook to draw readers in.
I’m really disappointed. I went in expecting eerie vibes and mystery, but instead got an entirely different story that didn’t deliver on the premise the cover promised. I won’t be picking up another book by this author.
Unfortunately... the cover is total false advertising. This is NOT a scary book, nor is it a mystery. It’s a very serious, emotionally heavy story about a girl grappling with an abusive mother and a life-threatening eating disorder. There’s a whisper of a supernatural element—a supposed monster lurking in the background—but it’s not what you’d expect, and the “reveal” left me scratching my head. It felt like the author wanted to write a book about disordered eating but added a horror hook to draw readers in.
I’m really disappointed. I went in expecting eerie vibes and mystery, but instead got an entirely different story that didn’t deliver on the premise the cover promised. I won’t be picking up another book by this author.
November 6, 2025
Excellent middle grade novel, but the premise and the marketing of this book is a little misleading. The cover, the blurb, the tagline on the back (“Beware what lurks beneath the surface…”) sells this book as a horror/thriller. It has some of those elements, but the story is mostly focused on main character Evan’s disordered eating and the conflicting voices she hears in her head. It’s an important topic to be sure. I found myself frustrated with Evan’s mother, and indeed all the adults around her, as she grapples with panic attacks and mixed messages around food, health, body image, and self care.
In addition to disordered eating, there are themes of anxiety, coming of age, the meaning of family, dealing with change, and friendship. These, rather than the horror elements, shine through.
In addition to disordered eating, there are themes of anxiety, coming of age, the meaning of family, dealing with change, and friendship. These, rather than the horror elements, shine through.
January 25, 2026
[arc review]
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Better to Eat You With releases September 23, 2025
Heading to a lakeside resort for the summer is an annual tradition for Evan’s family, but rising tensions between her parents has this year looking a little different.
Exploring the fears and anxieties surrounding change for adolescents who are coming of age, whether that be growing apart from your childhood friends or navigating the separation of parents, is definitely important. That being said, the disordered eating depicted in this novel was so distressing. I really wish there had been an extra fifty pages so that we could see the characters actually getting help from professionals, because even though their best friends had good intentions, it’s simply not enough.
Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Better to Eat You With releases September 23, 2025
Heading to a lakeside resort for the summer is an annual tradition for Evan’s family, but rising tensions between her parents has this year looking a little different.
Exploring the fears and anxieties surrounding change for adolescents who are coming of age, whether that be growing apart from your childhood friends or navigating the separation of parents, is definitely important. That being said, the disordered eating depicted in this novel was so distressing. I really wish there had been an extra fifty pages so that we could see the characters actually getting help from professionals, because even though their best friends had good intentions, it’s simply not enough.
November 15, 2025
Like others, I also want to continue reading this author. I discovered this book thanks to some hashtags on Instagram. Bueno, a lot of spam, because we're here to discuss this children's story. On the one hand, I think the feelings of our protagonist Evan are interesting, as is the tone used in the writing, with its metaphor of a beast dealing with anorexia, mental health, and other intersections. The good intentions are very noticeable, but what I do think needs to be reread is that, although it mixes supernatural elements and a horror scene, I think that in scenes where the protagonist's friend constantly makes her eat, it is not very healthy when it comes to people suffering from anorexia, as it is much more complicated than “just eating” (over and over again).
October 12, 2025
Evan gets to spend the summer with her best friend and family at the summer campground where they met. Evan will be visiting without her family this year as her parents have announced their divorce. As much as Evan tries to hide her disordered eating from her friend Billie, Billie and her Mom start to suspect something is wrong. Things get even stranger when a mysterious monster appears at camp. A story about disordered eating and parental expectations that will provide much fodder for discussion.
February 1, 2026
A solid spooky middle grade book that isn't afraid to tackle serious issues like eating disorders and the importance of providing help to someone in crisis. Author Tehlor Kay Mejia does this skillfully while giving the reader a gripping light-horror mystery that will have all ages turning pages long into the night. I love the fierce friendship between Billie and Evan, the pulse-pounding scenes in the woods, and the perfect pace that Mejia lays out the story.
May 18, 2026
This book is just really well done. It’s spooky, fantastical, has a great setting and ultimately tackles a really sensitive but important topic. Ignoring its mystical properties, it’s a really great representation of someone struggling with an eating disorder that is ultimately caused and coaxed on by their mother. The story has great advice for people struggling, and hopefully will help people feel a little bit braver about asking for support and help when they are struggling.
February 11, 2026
I love what the author tried to do here. Unfortunately it didn't work for me, and I'll be selective with whom recommend this to. Most middle grade horror readers are not looking for a text on disordered eating. And this felt like a very repetitive, regurgitation of one.
Don't get me wrong, the idea was great. Execution? Not so much.
Don't get me wrong, the idea was great. Execution? Not so much.
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