Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos

Eat Your Heart Out

by Kelly deVos

Shaun of the Dead meets Dumplin' in this bitingly funny 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.

A satirical blend of horror, body positivity, and humor, Kelly deVos's witty, biting novel proves that everyone deserves to feel validated, and taking down the evil enterprise determined to dehumanize you is a good place to start.

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

5 of 5 stars

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This is just what I needed. I've barely read over the last couple years. I needed something light and reaffirming, providing a welcome distraction.

Eat Your Heart Out is delightful. Instantly hooked me, real voices and personalities, and jokes that made me actually laugh. I was so happy for the ride and wasn't expecting much else.

Then, in the middle of all the action, I was completely taken off guard by what happened. And continued to happen. It's teenage zombie horror, but works while making it fresh and modern.

We make it to a realistically happy and hopeful ending. Relieved and refreshed, I really enjoyed reading this book for joy and pleasure and am looking forward to reading again.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 March, 2022: Finished reading
  • 16 March, 2022: Reviewed