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Eat Your Heart Out
A YA thriller about a kickass group of teens battling a ravenous group of zombies.
In the next few hours, one of three things will happen.
1--We'll be rescued (unlikely)
2--We'll freeze to death (maybe)
3--We'll be eaten by thin and athletic zombies (odds: excellent)
Vivian Ellenshaw is fat, but she knows she doesn't need to lose weight, so she's none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp's van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner's snobby son. And when they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it's clear that something isn't right.
Vee barely has a chance to meet the other members of her pod, all who seem as unhappy to be at Featherlite as she does, when a camper goes missing down by the lake. Then she spots something horrifying outside in the snow. Something...that isn't human. Plus, the camp's supposed "miracle cure" for obesity just seems fishy, and Vee and her fellow campers know they don't need to be cured. Of anything.
Even worse, it's not long before Camp Featherlite's luxurious bungalows are totally overrun with zombies. What starts out as a mission to unravel the camp's secrets turns into a desperate fight for survival--and not all of the Featherlite campers will make it out alive.
In the next few hours, one of three things will happen.
1--We'll be rescued (unlikely)
2--We'll freeze to death (maybe)
3--We'll be eaten by thin and athletic zombies (odds: excellent)
Vivian Ellenshaw is fat, but she knows she doesn't need to lose weight, so she's none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp's van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner's snobby son. And when they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it's clear that something isn't right.
Vee barely has a chance to meet the other members of her pod, all who seem as unhappy to be at Featherlite as she does, when a camper goes missing down by the lake. Then she spots something horrifying outside in the snow. Something...that isn't human. Plus, the camp's supposed "miracle cure" for obesity just seems fishy, and Vee and her fellow campers know they don't need to be cured. Of anything.
Even worse, it's not long before Camp Featherlite's luxurious bungalows are totally overrun with zombies. What starts out as a mission to unravel the camp's secrets turns into a desperate fight for survival--and not all of the Featherlite campers will make it out alive.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 2021
59 people are currently reading
7606 people want to read
About the author
Kelly deVos
6 books338 followersKelly deVos is from Gilbert, Arizona, where she lives with her high school sweetheart husband, amazing teen daughter and superhero dog, Cocoa. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. When not reading or writing, Kelly can typically be found with a mocha in hand, bingeing the latest TV shows and adding to her ever-growing sticker collection. Her debut novel, Fat Girl on a Plane, named one of the "50 Best Summer Reads of All Time" by Reader's Digest magazine, is available now from HarperCollins.
Kelly's work has been featured in the New York Times as well as on Salon, Vulture and Bustle.
Kelly's work has been featured in the New York Times as well as on Salon, Vulture and Bustle.
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March 6, 2021I'm never going to have enough words to describe just how much it means to me to see badass fat girls on covers of books. ♥
July 7, 2023
look at this glorious cover with a fat girl front & centre 😍
➸ Trigger warnings for .
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
➸ Trigger warnings for .
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
June 28, 2022
I love love love seeing big girls on book covers! It makes my heart happy to see that the standard mold of what a perfect book cover model should look like is being restructured. The publishing industry has come a long way in representation of race, sexual orientation, mental health, and body positivity. I’m not saying that the book world is perfect, but I see that strides are being taken to change the old structure. So when I do see a book like Eat Your Heart Out with a plus sized chic on the cover I just have to give it a try. And let’s not forget the zombie on the cover. That’s a bonus! 😊
Vivian (Vee) , Allie, Steve, Rachel, Sheldon, and Paul are all staying in the same pod at Featherlite Camp, a rich kids weight loss camp for the next two weeks, all for different reasons. Some are there (willing or unwilling) to lose weight, some are there for hidden agendas and one is there just to earn some much needed cash.
On the very first day camp is already turning into a disaster. Flagstaff is being hit with its worst blizzard in history, a camper seems to have gone missing, the power is down and the generator can only supply power for the next 24 hours. To make matters worse the campers spot something in the snow that can not possibly be human.
After doing some investigating the group finds that Featherlite is not all what it claims to be and there are secrets the founders want to keep hidden. One of them being their claim to a 'miracle cure' for obesity. The other is the existence of “zombies”. The zombie secret is out of the bag when Featherlite is overrun with these hungry crazed creatures. No camper is safe and not all of them will make it out alive.
Eat Your Heart Out turned out very different than what I had anticipated. I was expecting a fun with a side of serious type of read, but this really wasn’t that kind of book. I mean I knew zombies were probably going to eat some people, but I expected a little more comedic action when being compared to Shaun of the Dead. Also seeing the fierce looking curvy girl beating up the zombie on the cover gave me humorous vibes. But this was definitely more serious with a sprinkling of humor. It tackled some serious issues. One of them being body positivity, which I always love, kudos to Kelly deVos. 👏👏
The story itself is face-paced and told through each of the major players' perspectives. Each character has been given a persona type that fits their personalities. Vee is Action Girl, Rachel is The Outcast, Paul is the Jerk, Steve Alternates between The Jock With The Heart Of Gold and The Courageous Captain, Sheldon is The Nerd, and Allie is The Basket Case.
Pretty much from the moment the campers get picked up there was enough going on to hold my attention. But I feel like maybe there was too much going on or too much flip flopping of the POV’s to really get invested in them. I really didn’t feel a connection to anyone.
Also while there was a lot going on there wasn’t really enough zombie action for me. Most of the time it was more like entertaining the idea of zombies, if that makes sense. It was more towards the end when all hell broke loose.
There was also ALOT of F-bombing. I’m perfectly OK with that, it doesn’t really bother me (I myself can have quite the potty mouth 🤭), unless it’s over the top and if it fits the story. But I’m just surprised because this is a YA book.
While this wasn’t a favorite for me, it was still worth the read. I especially liked some of the issues addressed, body positivity being one. I think KdV touched on some important topics for young readers. Just know going in, this a lot more melancholy than comedy.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.
June 28, 2021
This YA horror is pitched so perfectly. It really is like Shaun of the Dead meets DUMPLIN'. This mashup has both the conversations surrounding fatphobia and diet culture alongside the unlikely group of individuals, each fitting a specific movie archetype, having to battle zombies.
How are fat camps still even a thing? Don't they belong in a museum with inflatable dart boards, Flowbeers, and Thigh Masters?
I loved how the conversation around weight was done, I loved how much acceptance was in this story, and how despite being set at a fat-camp, and how this particular zombie apocalypse unfolds, it doesn't feel like a story about being fat. Even though it is. Hard to explain!
Between the gorgeously colourful cover with a fat girl, unapologetically front and centre, and the satirical content that sadly doesn't feel far off from how fatness is dealt with in our own world, this is a read that we all need. Sure, we're sorta in out own apocalypse but this particular set-up is lightyears away from our own. I promise it won't stress you out!
I'm not sure I would reread this, which is usually why I award four stars to books, but I just appreciate this so much. Was it perfect? No. While we get to know the characters enough to be invested, it is still a bit surface level, as we're thrown pretty much right into disaster mode. Think of the way Cloverfield unfolds. We sorta get to know our protagonists as they navigate their new reality but it's more about surviving than anything else. But this book did exactly what it set out to do and it still managed to have a few surprises along the way, too. Would recommend!
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
How are fat camps still even a thing? Don't they belong in a museum with inflatable dart boards, Flowbeers, and Thigh Masters?
I loved how the conversation around weight was done, I loved how much acceptance was in this story, and how despite being set at a fat-camp, and how this particular zombie apocalypse unfolds, it doesn't feel like a story about being fat. Even though it is. Hard to explain!
Between the gorgeously colourful cover with a fat girl, unapologetically front and centre, and the satirical content that sadly doesn't feel far off from how fatness is dealt with in our own world, this is a read that we all need. Sure, we're sorta in out own apocalypse but this particular set-up is lightyears away from our own. I promise it won't stress you out!
I'm not sure I would reread this, which is usually why I award four stars to books, but I just appreciate this so much. Was it perfect? No. While we get to know the characters enough to be invested, it is still a bit surface level, as we're thrown pretty much right into disaster mode. Think of the way Cloverfield unfolds. We sorta get to know our protagonists as they navigate their new reality but it's more about surviving than anything else. But this book did exactly what it set out to do and it still managed to have a few surprises along the way, too. Would recommend!
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
November 12, 2022
This book was awesome 🤩
Packed with heart, action, thrilling and hilarious moments. This book is one to pick up for a fun time.
This story is about Empowering fat kids and some monsters—set in a fat camp. If you like camp slaughter films and creature features this is it. It’s not extremely scary more of a horror comedy. A unique set of teens alongside their camp counselor take on a scary yet hilarious mission to save themselves and the world from something lurking around camp killing off the other kids.
Packed with heart, action, thrilling and hilarious moments. This book is one to pick up for a fun time.
This story is about Empowering fat kids and some monsters—set in a fat camp. If you like camp slaughter films and creature features this is it. It’s not extremely scary more of a horror comedy. A unique set of teens alongside their camp counselor take on a scary yet hilarious mission to save themselves and the world from something lurking around camp killing off the other kids.
March 31, 2023
Eat Your Heart Out
By Kelly deVos
I normally don't go for what I thought was a zombie book and I usually avoid teen books because of the teen angst that usually fills the pages. This book had creatures but not zombies, so there was that. There was a bit of teen angst but it was part of the satire. This book really surprised me!
This book is about rich families sending their kids to a fat camp to make the kids conform to the beauty standards and fit in to the parent's world. The main girl of the story is slightly overweight but very active at school, a cheerleader, but that's not good enough for her parents. Same with many other kids. One is pregnant and parents didn't notice. They thought she was overweight.
There are people who change into something else by eating the required weight loss bars. But our gal and her group all rebelled against eating them.
The action and adventure to get away and get help was pretty good! Especially since the pregnant girl starts having her baby! If it wasn't bad enough, they are snowed in!
Pretty good book! Narration was good too!
By Kelly deVos
I normally don't go for what I thought was a zombie book and I usually avoid teen books because of the teen angst that usually fills the pages. This book had creatures but not zombies, so there was that. There was a bit of teen angst but it was part of the satire. This book really surprised me!
This book is about rich families sending their kids to a fat camp to make the kids conform to the beauty standards and fit in to the parent's world. The main girl of the story is slightly overweight but very active at school, a cheerleader, but that's not good enough for her parents. Same with many other kids. One is pregnant and parents didn't notice. They thought she was overweight.
There are people who change into something else by eating the required weight loss bars. But our gal and her group all rebelled against eating them.
The action and adventure to get away and get help was pretty good! Especially since the pregnant girl starts having her baby! If it wasn't bad enough, they are snowed in!
Pretty good book! Narration was good too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2022
some things about this book that are EVERYTHING:
1. the campy satirization of fatphobia and diet/wellness culture (how better to illustrate the pervasive harm and devastation of fatphobia than through a zombie outbreak???)
2. the redemption arcs
3. that cover art 🤩🤩
4. the TITLE
this novel wasn't perfect, but by golly was it entertaining.
more stories by & about people in bigger bodies, please!
1. the campy satirization of fatphobia and diet/wellness culture (how better to illustrate the pervasive harm and devastation of fatphobia than through a zombie outbreak???)
2. the redemption arcs
3. that cover art 🤩🤩
4. the TITLE
this novel wasn't perfect, but by golly was it entertaining.
more stories by & about people in bigger bodies, please!
May 17, 2021
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: fatphobia, mentioned cheating, implied abuse
3.3
Fat camp- a place that's hard to imagine still exists, and the place where Vivian Ellenshaw is heading. Stuck in a place that thinks there's something wrong with her, and that insists on trying to feed her and the rest of her "pod" something that should hardly qualify as food, not to mention stuck there with her former best friend, it's hard to imagine things can get worse. But they do. Because not only does she and her fellow campers have to survive fat camp, but they have to survive the zombies fat camp is creating. With nothing but horror movie tropes to help them, can they all make it out alive?
This seemed like a really amazing book from concept alone, and then the cover really sold me, so I was ready to have a lot of fun with this book. Unfortunately it didn't work as well as I was hoping it would.
I do really like the concept, and the fact that it's a horror satire. It does keep up that sort of tongue and cheek feeling throughout,-even when I think I would have preferred it get a little more serious, but it does deliver. I am, personally, a big fan of things like conversion camp media (when done well), so fat camp fits into that general area well enough for me, and I'm also a big fan of horror about the marginalized experience, so this really did seem incredibly up my alley. And in some ways it does work and hit those marks, just not as often as I would have wanted.
There's a nice varied cast with very different backgrounds and very different reasons for being there, which kept things interesting. I do like how the POV changes enough to always have someone in the dark, and the ability to be in so many very different people's heads.
With the satire side of things, there are some nice moments where the aesthetic gets zoomed in on as being more important than the actual use, which works really well as a film based satire and as a conversation on forcing healthy people to "look better" by having them lose weight.
However, coming back to the premise, I feel like theme and satire didn't really get the focus. Much of this book is just action, which I'm absolutely sure some people are going to love, but felt really surface level and less interesting for me. For one thing, this is a book about fat camp, and I was excited to have some real motivations here about weight and forcing people to change, but beyond the very obvious it never goes in to talking about any of it. Including, the fact that only 2 of the 5 main characters were actually forced to go there. Combine that with the fact that we get almost zero actual time with them being part of the camp and it's like the fat camp could be any setting and it would change almost nothing about it.
And as varied as the characters are, it feels as if those backgrounds- that are so distant to the fat camp premise- are their entire character. They never have room to be fleshed out into having full personalities. The closest we get to being 3-dimensional is Vee, who spends most of her time being The Main Character and mostly all we get of her specific details and traits plays directly into that.
I was hoping with the addition of the trope character labels that they were being assigned, and the discussion for how they fit and how they don't, that we'd get an exploration for how these boxes don't actually work. But we don't. They are just their tropes. There's nothing subverted. There's nothing more interesting than an actual run of the mill horror movie. Even when the tropes are being questioned by a character there is no deconstruction or invitation for layers, only a determination to make that person fit better into a box. I really just feel that there was a missed opportunity to make this thing have more meaning.
The romance also felt no better than a run of the mill horror- or, maybe, a little worse. This is one of those situations where there's zero reason for romance to be on anyone's minds and zero time for it to blossom or get the reader invested. It happens because romance arcs are supposed to happen in these things. Not to mention that the romance we're given involves an older authority figure. I know he's not much older, but he is literally supposed to be taking care of her and the other teens, and is a legal adult where she is not. Even if there was a good build up and actual chemistry between them I wouldn't be happy with this romance.
This book is a quick read with a lot of interesting ideas. If you enjoy a lot of action and rooting for strong main characters taking charge then you'll probably like this one.
Pre-review comments below
Angry teens dealing with being forced into fat camp and a massive blizzard and zombies?? I'm so glad I got an ARC of this I'm vibrating
TW: fatphobia, mentioned cheating, implied abuse
3.3
Fat camp- a place that's hard to imagine still exists, and the place where Vivian Ellenshaw is heading. Stuck in a place that thinks there's something wrong with her, and that insists on trying to feed her and the rest of her "pod" something that should hardly qualify as food, not to mention stuck there with her former best friend, it's hard to imagine things can get worse. But they do. Because not only does she and her fellow campers have to survive fat camp, but they have to survive the zombies fat camp is creating. With nothing but horror movie tropes to help them, can they all make it out alive?
This seemed like a really amazing book from concept alone, and then the cover really sold me, so I was ready to have a lot of fun with this book. Unfortunately it didn't work as well as I was hoping it would.
I do really like the concept, and the fact that it's a horror satire. It does keep up that sort of tongue and cheek feeling throughout,-even when I think I would have preferred it get a little more serious, but it does deliver. I am, personally, a big fan of things like conversion camp media (when done well), so fat camp fits into that general area well enough for me, and I'm also a big fan of horror about the marginalized experience, so this really did seem incredibly up my alley. And in some ways it does work and hit those marks, just not as often as I would have wanted.
There's a nice varied cast with very different backgrounds and very different reasons for being there, which kept things interesting. I do like how the POV changes enough to always have someone in the dark, and the ability to be in so many very different people's heads.
With the satire side of things, there are some nice moments where the aesthetic gets zoomed in on as being more important than the actual use, which works really well as a film based satire and as a conversation on forcing healthy people to "look better" by having them lose weight.
However, coming back to the premise, I feel like theme and satire didn't really get the focus. Much of this book is just action, which I'm absolutely sure some people are going to love, but felt really surface level and less interesting for me. For one thing, this is a book about fat camp, and I was excited to have some real motivations here about weight and forcing people to change, but beyond the very obvious it never goes in to talking about any of it. Including, the fact that only 2 of the 5 main characters were actually forced to go there. Combine that with the fact that we get almost zero actual time with them being part of the camp and it's like the fat camp could be any setting and it would change almost nothing about it.
And as varied as the characters are, it feels as if those backgrounds- that are so distant to the fat camp premise- are their entire character. They never have room to be fleshed out into having full personalities. The closest we get to being 3-dimensional is Vee, who spends most of her time being The Main Character and mostly all we get of her specific details and traits plays directly into that.
I was hoping with the addition of the trope character labels that they were being assigned, and the discussion for how they fit and how they don't, that we'd get an exploration for how these boxes don't actually work. But we don't. They are just their tropes. There's nothing subverted. There's nothing more interesting than an actual run of the mill horror movie. Even when the tropes are being questioned by a character there is no deconstruction or invitation for layers, only a determination to make that person fit better into a box. I really just feel that there was a missed opportunity to make this thing have more meaning.
The romance also felt no better than a run of the mill horror- or, maybe, a little worse. This is one of those situations where there's zero reason for romance to be on anyone's minds and zero time for it to blossom or get the reader invested. It happens because romance arcs are supposed to happen in these things. Not to mention that the romance we're given involves an older authority figure. I know he's not much older, but he is literally supposed to be taking care of her and the other teens, and is a legal adult where she is not. Even if there was a good build up and actual chemistry between them I wouldn't be happy with this romance.
This book is a quick read with a lot of interesting ideas. If you enjoy a lot of action and rooting for strong main characters taking charge then you'll probably like this one.
Pre-review comments below
Angry teens dealing with being forced into fat camp and a massive blizzard and zombies?? I'm so glad I got an ARC of this I'm vibrating
July 15, 2021
How are fat camps still even a thing? Don't they belong in a museum with inflatable dart boards, Flowbeers, and Thigh Masters?
This book was a fun take on zombies while shining a light on the fatphobia in our society. I cannot say how happy I am to see more and more realistic MC's. Not everyone is a size 2 with perfect fitness. The fact that we're getting plus-sized MC's is a definite move in the right direction.
Anyway this book is a take on fat camps and the people who run them. What starts off as a group of kids being sent away to lose weight turns into a fight for their lives as they learn that the camp has been testing a "miracle cure" on the campers with some very serious side effects - like turning into zombies. Our group of 6 band together to try to make it out but sadly, that's just now how horror scenarios work.
I did like that we had a very eclectic group of people and we got each of their POV's. But while they all seemed different on the outside, I found that their inner monologues were very similar and there were times that I forgot who's POV I was in and had to go back to check. Maybe it was because there were so many and the chapters were super short? I don't know. But I wish we would have gotten to delve more into each character and learn more about them. Everything seemed very much on the surface - even being in their own heads.
Then the ending came rather abruptly and there was little resolution, which I am not a fan of. I want to know what happens next! We get very little of that and it's mostly thrown together, like here is your ending! Overall, this was fun. I enjoyed the humor mixing with the horror visuals. I also liked that the author didn't feel the need to save everyone - which a lot do and is extremely unrealistic in this type of setting.
But in all honesty, it was the author's note at the very beginning of the book that got me. Society needs to change how we view and treat people of different sizes. Fatshaming needs to stop. Period.
This book was a fun take on zombies while shining a light on the fatphobia in our society. I cannot say how happy I am to see more and more realistic MC's. Not everyone is a size 2 with perfect fitness. The fact that we're getting plus-sized MC's is a definite move in the right direction.
Anyway this book is a take on fat camps and the people who run them. What starts off as a group of kids being sent away to lose weight turns into a fight for their lives as they learn that the camp has been testing a "miracle cure" on the campers with some very serious side effects - like turning into zombies. Our group of 6 band together to try to make it out but sadly, that's just now how horror scenarios work.
I did like that we had a very eclectic group of people and we got each of their POV's. But while they all seemed different on the outside, I found that their inner monologues were very similar and there were times that I forgot who's POV I was in and had to go back to check. Maybe it was because there were so many and the chapters were super short? I don't know. But I wish we would have gotten to delve more into each character and learn more about them. Everything seemed very much on the surface - even being in their own heads.
Then the ending came rather abruptly and there was little resolution, which I am not a fan of. I want to know what happens next! We get very little of that and it's mostly thrown together, like here is your ending! Overall, this was fun. I enjoyed the humor mixing with the horror visuals. I also liked that the author didn't feel the need to save everyone - which a lot do and is extremely unrealistic in this type of setting.
But in all honesty, it was the author's note at the very beginning of the book that got me. Society needs to change how we view and treat people of different sizes. Fatshaming needs to stop. Period.
July 28, 2021
This was clever and endlessly fun. I snort laughed several times!
July 31, 2021
3.5 Stars
This was a fun YA horror story that included some awesome body positive messaging. Despite the zombie outbreak, this story was not scary or gory, but rather quite cute. I would recommend this one to fans of young adult horror who are looking for an entertaining zombie story that really isn't about the zombies.
This was a fun YA horror story that included some awesome body positive messaging. Despite the zombie outbreak, this story was not scary or gory, but rather quite cute. I would recommend this one to fans of young adult horror who are looking for an entertaining zombie story that really isn't about the zombies.
February 20, 2021
"Meet your new favorite zombie story: EAT YOUR HEART OUT is packed with nonstop thrills and chills, and a kickass leading lady you'd gladly follow into battle against the undead."
This was just my kind of book! Wonderful, much-needed fat rep and taut pacing. Loved every page!
This was just my kind of book! Wonderful, much-needed fat rep and taut pacing. Loved every page!
July 3, 2021
Great premise, lacking resolution.
I lost a part of me that I don't know if I can regain.
And it hurts; not in a good way.
the writing sent me to an early grave
i would write a rant solely dedicated to 'what was that, was that a real edited book'
I lost a part of me that I don't know if I can regain.
And it hurts; not in a good way.
July 7, 2021
A YA zombie novel with great characters and an exciting, fast-paced plot, Eat Your Heart Out is the perfect mix of action, horror, humor, and touching moments. Satirical, ironic, suspenseful, and scientifically scary, the novel has a fantastic cast of characters, especially Vivian. She is strong and funny and vibrant, and she is unapologetic. Though her mother sent her to fat camp, Vee knows there is nothing wrong with how she looks, and she does not feel shamed by her appearance even though she lives in a society (and household) that constantly pushes the idea that thinner is better. She is a young woman who takes action and knows how to lead, and I enjoyed her confident, take-charge attitude.
The other characters are also interesting, and they have distinct personalities. Each character is an archetype typical of the horror genre, and I love the humorous way the author integrates these stereotypes into the novel. Action Girl, The Nerd, The Jerk, The Courageous Captain, The Outcast, and The Basketcase are all at the camp for different reasons, and when put into a pod together, they become each other’s lifelines. Interestingly, they are all very much like their labels. I like that the chapters alternated between all of the major characters’ points of view, as you get a well-rounded view of what’s happening. You also learn the thoughts and feelings of each of these characters, which made me more invested in each person.
The story has a campy slasher/zombie movie feel to it while also offering some really interesting and powerful messages about diet culture and fatphobia. I thought this was really well done. Our society is so fixated on weight and what bodies look like, and the damaging effects of pushing those beliefs onto kids are highlighted throughout the text. I’ve been fat-shamed throughout my life, and it has had such a negative impact on my self-esteem and self-worth, especially when the shaming and derogatory remarks come from family. This book stresses the point that you don’t have to be thin to be healthy and feel good about yourself. It also encourages self-acceptance and support of others.
As the story progressed and more was revealed about the origins of the zombie outbreak, the novel also made me start to wonder who the real monsters were. Sometimes the monsters lurk behind the faces we know best, and sometimes society as a whole can be monstrous. The zombies weren’t the only horrific monsters in the book, that’s for sure.
The story includes a ton of action and some heart-stopping scenes, especially since these are not your typical slow-moving zombies. They are fast, nimble, extra strong, and ferocious, and they are relentless in their pursuit of food. They remind me of the zombies in World War Z. – fast, frightening, relentless, and vicious. As the plot progresses, there are also some major revelations about the fat camp and how it relates to the zombie outbreak, which I thought was really interesting. On top of that, there’s a massive snowstorm in an area that doesn’t usually get blizzard-like conditions, and several characters with major secrets, which only adds to the suspenseful intensity of the story.
A funny, immersive, and suspenseful horror story, Eat Your Heart Out is described as a cross between Shaun of the Dead and Dumplin’, which sums it up perfectly. I enjoyed the story and am so thankful to Turn the Page Tours, Kelly deVos, and Razorbill for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
The other characters are also interesting, and they have distinct personalities. Each character is an archetype typical of the horror genre, and I love the humorous way the author integrates these stereotypes into the novel. Action Girl, The Nerd, The Jerk, The Courageous Captain, The Outcast, and The Basketcase are all at the camp for different reasons, and when put into a pod together, they become each other’s lifelines. Interestingly, they are all very much like their labels. I like that the chapters alternated between all of the major characters’ points of view, as you get a well-rounded view of what’s happening. You also learn the thoughts and feelings of each of these characters, which made me more invested in each person.
The story has a campy slasher/zombie movie feel to it while also offering some really interesting and powerful messages about diet culture and fatphobia. I thought this was really well done. Our society is so fixated on weight and what bodies look like, and the damaging effects of pushing those beliefs onto kids are highlighted throughout the text. I’ve been fat-shamed throughout my life, and it has had such a negative impact on my self-esteem and self-worth, especially when the shaming and derogatory remarks come from family. This book stresses the point that you don’t have to be thin to be healthy and feel good about yourself. It also encourages self-acceptance and support of others.
As the story progressed and more was revealed about the origins of the zombie outbreak, the novel also made me start to wonder who the real monsters were. Sometimes the monsters lurk behind the faces we know best, and sometimes society as a whole can be monstrous. The zombies weren’t the only horrific monsters in the book, that’s for sure.
The story includes a ton of action and some heart-stopping scenes, especially since these are not your typical slow-moving zombies. They are fast, nimble, extra strong, and ferocious, and they are relentless in their pursuit of food. They remind me of the zombies in World War Z. – fast, frightening, relentless, and vicious. As the plot progresses, there are also some major revelations about the fat camp and how it relates to the zombie outbreak, which I thought was really interesting. On top of that, there’s a massive snowstorm in an area that doesn’t usually get blizzard-like conditions, and several characters with major secrets, which only adds to the suspenseful intensity of the story.
A funny, immersive, and suspenseful horror story, Eat Your Heart Out is described as a cross between Shaun of the Dead and Dumplin’, which sums it up perfectly. I enjoyed the story and am so thankful to Turn the Page Tours, Kelly deVos, and Razorbill for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2021
A fun time about body positivity and running from zombies. The audiobook was pretty fucking good too as I know for a FACT I’d never pick this up physically.
When Vivian and her ex best friend are both shipped to a fat camp for Christmas to lose weight when neither want to; they quickly realise things are very wrong and something is amiss with their fellow campers. Queue running from zombies and the allocation of horror movie endings for our group of characters.
This had multiple POV's which made it a little hard to follow sometimes listening to the audiobook. Other than that this had a lot of body positivity and slammed dunked any stupid myths peddled by people about what overweight people can or cannot do.
The plot was fun and didn't rely you to pay attention too hard. Other than that, the characters were typical two dimensional for a ya book but the romance really really wasn't necessary to advance this story.
When Vivian and her ex best friend are both shipped to a fat camp for Christmas to lose weight when neither want to; they quickly realise things are very wrong and something is amiss with their fellow campers. Queue running from zombies and the allocation of horror movie endings for our group of characters.
This had multiple POV's which made it a little hard to follow sometimes listening to the audiobook. Other than that this had a lot of body positivity and slammed dunked any stupid myths peddled by people about what overweight people can or cannot do.
The plot was fun and didn't rely you to pay attention too hard. Other than that, the characters were typical two dimensional for a ya book but the romance really really wasn't necessary to advance this story.
December 19, 2025
The zombie part came a lot earlier; I think the author should've taken time to set a proper base for the characters first.
It's a fun and rather new concept for a novel but the writing could've been faster considering the juicy plot.
It's a fun and rather new concept for a novel but the writing could've been faster considering the juicy plot.
August 2, 2021
That was an extremely unsatisfying ending.
October 22, 2024
One good thing about being sick today was I finished both of my current reads 👍🏼
This one was a fun ride :).
Didn't care for the ending and the one plot device used in the narrative. It made sense in its own way for the story I guess but overrused in my humble opinion.
If you want to turn your brain 🧠 off for awhile and go for a wild ride then go for this one :) 👍🏼
Happy 🎃 👻 spooky season 🤪.
This one was a fun ride :).
Didn't care for the ending and the one plot device used in the narrative. It made sense in its own way for the story I guess but overrused in my humble opinion.
If you want to turn your brain 🧠 off for awhile and go for a wild ride then go for this one :) 👍🏼
Happy 🎃 👻 spooky season 🤪.
August 5, 2021
fast paced, action packed and a whole lot of fun.
a body positive take down of the crap the diet industry pulls + zombies = everything i didn’t know I needed but clearly did. this was a riot and kelly devos’ authors note made it that must better.
TW: fatphobia/body shaming (both internal and external)
a body positive take down of the crap the diet industry pulls + zombies = everything i didn’t know I needed but clearly did. this was a riot and kelly devos’ authors note made it that must better.
TW: fatphobia/body shaming (both internal and external)
March 17, 2022
This ending was a let down!
I can't believe that after all they had passed through, they will not won some revenge or even have the opportunity to share to the world what had happened during the blizzard.
Nevertheless I enjoyed this story: It's thrilling, angsty and have horror vibes.
➛ 4,5 stars
I can't believe that after all they had passed through, they will not won some revenge or even have the opportunity to share to the world what had happened during the blizzard.
Nevertheless I enjoyed this story: It's thrilling, angsty and have horror vibes.
➛ 4,5 stars
June 21, 2022
1.5 stars
I didn't like it. I wish I did, becuase the plot seemed like it had potential. I just hated how it was executed. I didn't like any of the characters; half of the time I forgot who's point of view I was reading. I didn't care at all about the two day romance that I didn't even realized was happening until they kissed. The deaths that happened didn't make me feel any sort of way; they happened to annoying characters so it kind of made the book more bearable. Overall, it just wasn't a good book and didn't appeal to me at all.
I didn't like it. I wish I did, becuase the plot seemed like it had potential. I just hated how it was executed. I didn't like any of the characters; half of the time I forgot who's point of view I was reading. I didn't care at all about the two day romance that I didn't even realized was happening until they kissed. The deaths that happened didn't make me feel any sort of way; they happened to annoying characters so it kind of made the book more bearable. Overall, it just wasn't a good book and didn't appeal to me at all.
June 25, 2021
Eat Your Heart Out (EYHO) is both satirical in nature yet oddly sad and realistic. When I first started it, I thought it would be completely comedic but as I read along, I was surprised when it began to hit me in my feels. There’s legitimate body shaming/fatphobic culture represented and discussed in EYHO and the negative effect it has on the spirit but when you meet Vivian, a strong willed ‘Fat Girl’ it’s like a breath of fresh air. Vivian. Loves. Herself. Period. I loved this message and the impact she had on others.
When Vivian’s high society mother decides to send her to a high dollar fat camp, things couldn’t go more wrong. First off, her ex-best friend Allison is on the bus and second, a bizarre blizzard is hitting Flagstaff. After a series of unfortunate events, all of which Vivian is suspicious of, things take a downward turn and before you know it, the campers are fighting for their lives against a zombie coup.
I loved that the author took specific slasher movie traits and assigned them to the characters! Action Girl, The Basket Case, The Courageous Captain, The Jock, The Jerk, The Nerd, and The Outcast and gave each an odds of survival! This brings me to the characters! I loved Vivian and Allie but each character brings something to the story that is meaningful and relevant. There were some periods of confusion – on my part – because there’s a lot of character POV and keeping up in the beginning was difficult so I had to reflect back a bit but as the story got moving, each voice became distinctive and memorable.
I really enjoyed this story and the message it sends plus ZOMBIES and evil scientists! I love badass characters but I love when there’s redemption of a character that I initially don’t like. Each character is so uniquely touching and at risk of being a bit spoilerish, they don’t all make it and this crushed my soul. Highly recommend this to any fan of the genre!
TW/CW: Death, Gore, Teen Pregnancy, Fat Shaming, Slurs
When Vivian’s high society mother decides to send her to a high dollar fat camp, things couldn’t go more wrong. First off, her ex-best friend Allison is on the bus and second, a bizarre blizzard is hitting Flagstaff. After a series of unfortunate events, all of which Vivian is suspicious of, things take a downward turn and before you know it, the campers are fighting for their lives against a zombie coup.
I loved that the author took specific slasher movie traits and assigned them to the characters! Action Girl, The Basket Case, The Courageous Captain, The Jock, The Jerk, The Nerd, and The Outcast and gave each an odds of survival! This brings me to the characters! I loved Vivian and Allie but each character brings something to the story that is meaningful and relevant. There were some periods of confusion – on my part – because there’s a lot of character POV and keeping up in the beginning was difficult so I had to reflect back a bit but as the story got moving, each voice became distinctive and memorable.
I really enjoyed this story and the message it sends plus ZOMBIES and evil scientists! I love badass characters but I love when there’s redemption of a character that I initially don’t like. Each character is so uniquely touching and at risk of being a bit spoilerish, they don’t all make it and this crushed my soul. Highly recommend this to any fan of the genre!
TW/CW: Death, Gore, Teen Pregnancy, Fat Shaming, Slurs
June 30, 2021
Such a great book...Until it fizzled out in the end.
I was super excited when I was given a digital ARC of this book. I devoured it like the infected humans in this book ate everything in its path and then it ended and it was as if a balloon of joy deflated in my heart. Usually, I would not give a book with a disappointing ending more than two stars, but (if you can suspend disbelief) the book was so great until the end, that it would be a disservice to give it a lower rating.
I was super excited when I was given a digital ARC of this book. I devoured it like the infected humans in this book ate everything in its path and then it ended and it was as if a balloon of joy deflated in my heart. Usually, I would not give a book with a disappointing ending more than two stars, but (if you can suspend disbelief) the book was so great until the end, that it would be a disservice to give it a lower rating.
April 1, 2022
2.5 rounded up. The satirical slasher movie plot was a lot of fun, but the writing left a lot to be desired. I didn’t care about most of the characters until the 70% mark, and any character development was made pointless in the last chapter.
May 30, 2021
A group of teens being forced to spend the summer at a weight-loss camp know it's going to be an awful place, but when they arrive to find the camp in the middle of a zombie takeover, they realize their time at Camp Feather-lite is going to be even more of a horror movie than they originally thought.
Vee is a teen girl who knows she doesn't need to be "fixed", but that doesn't stop her parents from sending her to the horrible Camp Feather-lite anyway. To make matters worse, her former best friend Allie ends up in her group, and they're joined by a cast of characters who Allie immediately recognizes as the horror movie tropes they are: The Jerk (the son of the camp's owner), The Nerd (an electronics and hacker extraordinaire), The Outcast (a quiet girl keeping a big secret), and their driver and group facilitator, The Jock with the Heart of Gold, or maybe the Courageous Captain, Allie can't decide. Either way, if they want to survive Camp-Featherlite, they're in for a long night of fighting against evil of multiple kinds.
This book is a zombie story, but the real villain at play is the fatphobia that forced these teens into a camp designed to make them lose weight in the first place. The book highlights the harm caused by a society that tells people there is something wrong with them when there isn't.
There is so much to love about this book, I personally enjoyed the distinct characters and all their individual personalities and strengths and weaknesses, the campy, over-the-top zombie flick vibes, and the really important social commentary. I had so much fun staying up late to finish it, and highly recommend it!
Vee is a teen girl who knows she doesn't need to be "fixed", but that doesn't stop her parents from sending her to the horrible Camp Feather-lite anyway. To make matters worse, her former best friend Allie ends up in her group, and they're joined by a cast of characters who Allie immediately recognizes as the horror movie tropes they are: The Jerk (the son of the camp's owner), The Nerd (an electronics and hacker extraordinaire), The Outcast (a quiet girl keeping a big secret), and their driver and group facilitator, The Jock with the Heart of Gold, or maybe the Courageous Captain, Allie can't decide. Either way, if they want to survive Camp-Featherlite, they're in for a long night of fighting against evil of multiple kinds.
This book is a zombie story, but the real villain at play is the fatphobia that forced these teens into a camp designed to make them lose weight in the first place. The book highlights the harm caused by a society that tells people there is something wrong with them when there isn't.
There is so much to love about this book, I personally enjoyed the distinct characters and all their individual personalities and strengths and weaknesses, the campy, over-the-top zombie flick vibes, and the really important social commentary. I had so much fun staying up late to finish it, and highly recommend it!
July 8, 2021
My rating: 🧟🧟🧟🧟/🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟
Give me a zombie game, movie, tv-show, or book and I will show you what it means to be happy. Think a six-year-old on Christmas morning, but all the time. When I first heard about this book, I knew it was for me. The cover alone is enough to make any horror fan go nuts. Do I want to see this made into a movie? Yes. Will I fund it? Probably yes.
What do you get when you mix a fat camp with genetically altered weight loss bars that turn people into mindless husks? You get EAT YOUR HEART OUT. Not only do we get plus-sized heroes, but we also get fat acceptance, and that even during a zombie apocalypse you are accepted for who you are. The little references about being large but healthy and beautiful made me smile.
We do follow quite a few POVs in this book, but the chapters are quick and witty, and wonderful. I have o say my favorite is Allison and Steve who really got my respect for his protectiveness of Rachel. Allison, a budding filmmaker puts every person in her circle into a movie archetype I.E the Final Girl, The Jock, The Nerd, etc and they all seem to fall into their labels while all being unique in their own ways.
The message around fatphobia and diet culture is very much a big theme in this story, but it doesn't overshadow the action if that makes any sense. it stresses that no matter what you look like, you deserve love and acceptance. Our society is so obsessed with what we do with our bodies that we forget to really love ourselves for who we are.
Overall, I had a blast reading this book. Solid plot and interesting characters rounded out a quick read perfect for those looking for a funny thrill to cut through your epic fantasy and romance reads.
Give me a zombie game, movie, tv-show, or book and I will show you what it means to be happy. Think a six-year-old on Christmas morning, but all the time. When I first heard about this book, I knew it was for me. The cover alone is enough to make any horror fan go nuts. Do I want to see this made into a movie? Yes. Will I fund it? Probably yes.
What do you get when you mix a fat camp with genetically altered weight loss bars that turn people into mindless husks? You get EAT YOUR HEART OUT. Not only do we get plus-sized heroes, but we also get fat acceptance, and that even during a zombie apocalypse you are accepted for who you are. The little references about being large but healthy and beautiful made me smile.
We do follow quite a few POVs in this book, but the chapters are quick and witty, and wonderful. I have o say my favorite is Allison and Steve who really got my respect for his protectiveness of Rachel. Allison, a budding filmmaker puts every person in her circle into a movie archetype I.E the Final Girl, The Jock, The Nerd, etc and they all seem to fall into their labels while all being unique in their own ways.
The message around fatphobia and diet culture is very much a big theme in this story, but it doesn't overshadow the action if that makes any sense. it stresses that no matter what you look like, you deserve love and acceptance. Our society is so obsessed with what we do with our bodies that we forget to really love ourselves for who we are.
Overall, I had a blast reading this book. Solid plot and interesting characters rounded out a quick read perfect for those looking for a funny thrill to cut through your epic fantasy and romance reads.
November 27, 2022
Amazing title, cover, and premise...lackluster execution.
There was a little too much focus for my taste on the government conspiracy side than on the campy zombie attack side. From the way the cover and blurb are marketing the book I was expecting something more like a quick, off-beat, teen slasher flick...but it goes into like Iraqi terrorist groups and huge government militia operations which felt very odd.
Also, there are more perspectives in this one, short, 300 something page book than we ever needed. Pick one, two...MAYBE three characters to carry the narrative but six is just way too many. I was constantly confused who's perspective we were in because with that many voices everyone's inner monolouges just started to sound the same.
I wish this would have leaned more into the slasher mythology and archetypes (similar to "my heart is a chainsaw"), and kept reinforcing or breaking down the stereotypes but that theme dissolves pretty quickly. (Like maybe someone would die and the other characters could be like but no they can't die they're "action girl"!! or whatever.).
QUICK SPOILER PARAGRAPH...
I think this would have been accomplished a lot more effectively if Allie had lived through and become the action girl not Vivian. Like the quirky writing from the beginning with the script stuff just ends abruptly. And so the slasher sort of theme kind of dies with it since Allie was the one enforcing it. I think Allie was the most interesting character of the whole bunch and had more backstory to explore that wasn't done justice. Also it would have shown more of a character arc to see Allie overcome everything, than to see what small arc Vivian could have because what did she really need to overcome other than getting along with her new stepdad. She already had everything (confidence, status, love) while Allie started the book in a really desolate place and I don't think her sacrifice was worth what her redemption arc could have shown.
....END SPOILER PARAGRAPH
Overall great premise, great set up...but just went off the rails. Was it effective at showing how plus sized people are treated in our society and how weightloss is hyper marketed to us? Meh, I feel like the point kind of got lost to me. Especially because the ending was not satisfying at all. There was no resolution.
I think the author just went too big with this. I think the story didn't have to branch into this crazy cover-up scheme with a thousand perspectives and could have stayed on a smaller scale to really drive the point home that fat people aren't treated fairly in our society and fat-phobia causes people to do horrible things like eat gross scaly bioengineered weightloss bars that turn them into flesh eating zombies.
There was a little too much focus for my taste on the government conspiracy side than on the campy zombie attack side. From the way the cover and blurb are marketing the book I was expecting something more like a quick, off-beat, teen slasher flick...but it goes into like Iraqi terrorist groups and huge government militia operations which felt very odd.
Also, there are more perspectives in this one, short, 300 something page book than we ever needed. Pick one, two...MAYBE three characters to carry the narrative but six is just way too many. I was constantly confused who's perspective we were in because with that many voices everyone's inner monolouges just started to sound the same.
I wish this would have leaned more into the slasher mythology and archetypes (similar to "my heart is a chainsaw"), and kept reinforcing or breaking down the stereotypes but that theme dissolves pretty quickly. (Like maybe someone would die and the other characters could be like but no they can't die they're "action girl"!! or whatever.).
QUICK SPOILER PARAGRAPH...
I think this would have been accomplished a lot more effectively if Allie had lived through and become the action girl not Vivian. Like the quirky writing from the beginning with the script stuff just ends abruptly. And so the slasher sort of theme kind of dies with it since Allie was the one enforcing it. I think Allie was the most interesting character of the whole bunch and had more backstory to explore that wasn't done justice. Also it would have shown more of a character arc to see Allie overcome everything, than to see what small arc Vivian could have because what did she really need to overcome other than getting along with her new stepdad. She already had everything (confidence, status, love) while Allie started the book in a really desolate place and I don't think her sacrifice was worth what her redemption arc could have shown.
....END SPOILER PARAGRAPH
Overall great premise, great set up...but just went off the rails. Was it effective at showing how plus sized people are treated in our society and how weightloss is hyper marketed to us? Meh, I feel like the point kind of got lost to me. Especially because the ending was not satisfying at all. There was no resolution.
I think the author just went too big with this. I think the story didn't have to branch into this crazy cover-up scheme with a thousand perspectives and could have stayed on a smaller scale to really drive the point home that fat people aren't treated fairly in our society and fat-phobia causes people to do horrible things like eat gross scaly bioengineered weightloss bars that turn them into flesh eating zombies.
July 2, 2021
This book was so fun! It has a great cast of characters and a fast-paced adventurous plotline. I am pretty sure this was the first book I ever read that had zombies in it and it was intense. I thought the concept was well developed and scarily realistic in some ways.
Society has put us all under a spotlight when it comes to weight and if you search for weight loss programs you will find way too many to count. Why not use that to some sick scientists advantage by creating something as simple as a weight loss bar to experiment on unsuspected individuals. Now those individuals are zombies running all over the camp.
I can guarantee you will not want to put this one down once you start it. The audiobook is great too with a whole cast of characters to make your experience even more enjoyable! I definitely recommend it!
Society has put us all under a spotlight when it comes to weight and if you search for weight loss programs you will find way too many to count. Why not use that to some sick scientists advantage by creating something as simple as a weight loss bar to experiment on unsuspected individuals. Now those individuals are zombies running all over the camp.
I can guarantee you will not want to put this one down once you start it. The audiobook is great too with a whole cast of characters to make your experience even more enjoyable! I definitely recommend it!
June 30, 2021
4,25 ou 4,5/5 (ainda indeciso)
É oficial: eu amo histórias de zumbi em QUALQUER mídia (e esse aqui não decepciona)!
É oficial: eu amo histórias de zumbi em QUALQUER mídia (e esse aqui não decepciona)!
September 18, 2023
Definitely not horror. Mostly boring to me. I expected more.
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