The Better to Eat You With

by Tehlor Kay Mejia

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?

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Mental Health, Mystery, Young Adult, Fantasy, Divorce

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 23, 2025

About the author

TEHLOR 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.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[rachel x]

"What big teeth… a spine-tingling tale of transformation, mystery, and the monsters we face—inside and out."

[Skye Elder · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!🌟⭐️🌟⭐️

[Jeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[˚༚✧ ☆ Eliza Lee ☆ ˚༚✧ · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.....

[Yessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Jessica Sinn (Books and Trouble) · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[J E R S O N · Rating 4 out of 5]

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).

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Review to come closer to publication date.

N. B. Although this looks like a horror book similar to this author's It Happened to Anna, it is primarily about Evan's eating disorder.

[Britt Buckenroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focuses on a young girl’s struggle with an eating disorder and her parent’s impending divorce. Her supportive best friend and her friend’s mother are wonderful characters and while the ending isn’t very plausible, it’s hopeful.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle grade tackles some very tough but important topics-disordered eating, mental health, and toxic relationships. There is some mystery and suspense, but not as much as I was anticipating based on the cover and book summary.

[Angela Sandoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not traditional horror. It's all about the journey of the main character's eating disorder. The identity of the "monster" terrorizing the community is predictable. Nonetheless, it was engaging. I would recommend this one to our 6-8th grade students.

[Amanda Herzog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a much deeper meaning and you need to read it to understand. I wouldn’t classify it as horror at all.
Written for the middle grade tweens, it hits home, as my children are young teens and pre-tween.

[Jheneille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not been expecting a tale about disordered eating as a result of a parent no less. What a story. Especially for a juvenile fiction, this was fantastic. "If you are struggling, it's not because you did something wrong."

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for SLJ. One note: the cover suggests horror, but this is entirely focused on disordered eating and the challenges one faces in addressing its causes.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hit me so hard. Not at all what I was expecting. So, so good. Real review to come to my blog. (CW/TW: Eating Disorder-Anorexia)

[Tanya Prax · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, efficient middle-grade book that doesn’t talk down to kids, solidifying eating disorders into a physical beast.

[Ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. I love the way this tackled the heavy topic of disordered eating. Glad I picked this up and will definitely continue to read from this author.