| Title | : | Feeder |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1534400168 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781534400160 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published March 6, 2018 |
| Awards | : | Sunburst Award Young Adult (2019) |
It’s a living—or was, until a job for the Lake Foundation goes wrong, and Lori stumbles across the Nix, a group of mutant teenagers held captive on the docks. Now the Lake Foundation is hunting Lori, and if they find Lori, they find Ben, the brother Lori would do anything to protect. There’s only one thing to do: strike first.
Lori teams up with the Nix to take on Lake, and to discover why the Nix were kidnapped in the first place. But as she watches their powers unfold, Lori realizes the Nix are nothing like her. She has no powers. She has…Handler. Maybe she’s not the monster hunter after all. Maybe she’s just the bait.
Feeder Reviews
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I went into it blind - not having even read the back cover and only had a vague idea about the genre. So everything was a surprise and it was just great.
I loved the main character, Lori. The other kids were pretty much what you'd expect of a YA ensemble cast (and their occasionally annoying things/habits/situations/choices were pretty much bang on watching my kid and his friends get on at their age, so it was authentic), which ended up making Lori really stick out like a sore thumb - matching perfectly to how she felt (aka sore thumb). her maturity matched well to someone who was both pretending to be a lot older for her job and because she was raising her brother alone. That combination between Lori and the new group (purposely being vague) really stood out.
I liked how this was about accepting yourself. It's a simple, almost quiet message in the midst of the action adventure, but it's there, it's realized, and it's acknowledged that it's easier with people to support you.
I highly recommend the book. It was a fabulous read. -
Feeder
Patrick Weekes
Rating: 1/5 DNF
Note: Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a digital copy for review.
What. A. Hot. Mess. This was sadly a DNF for me because I just couldn’t bring myself to care about what happens in the end, and the thing is, I tried very very hard to finish this because I was already so far into the book. I think that says a lot about how frustrated I was with Feeder.
Let’s discuss the good because this book wasn’t all bad. Feeder is a fast-paced YA Science Fiction featuring a group of ethnically/physically diverse and superpowered teenagers; think rogue X-Men characters. If there was one positive thing about this novel, it would be the inclusion of LGBTQ2+ characters and how they were depicted as strong, confident and capable human beings, rather than being plagued with trivial issues. These traits are rarely seen in YA fiction and it’s nice to see some different representation. While the cast of characters is intriguing, I was also surprised to notice that the multiple points of views weren’t confusing. Each character had their own distinct voice and personality so it was easy to differentiate them from one another; they were truly unique individuals and that made the story a little easier to get through (up until the point where I gave up because I had issues with the plot and lack of explanations).
Another positive thing about Feeder is the action sequences. There’s never a dull moment and it is most certainly extremely fast-paced. If you thought you could take a breather to absorb information and details about this interesting world, think again. I felt like there was never a pause button for the plot, and for some readers that may be a great thing. I didn’t find a section of the book where nothing was happening.
However, the lack of world building and the constant barrage of action and dialogue just wasn’t for me. I had so many questions that were left unanswered for way too long. There wasn’t a gradual explanation for the whys, hows, whens, and whats.
Readers are presented with the good guys who are supposed to save the world and the bad guys hell-bent on destroying it, and not much else for context. I did begin to see some explanations 3/4 into the book, but I had lost interest already by then. I also wanted to learn about the backstory behind all these interesting and diverse characters, but sadly, was left wondering about that throughout the book. Reading Feeder was like watching a Michael Bay film: explosions, action-action-action, more explosions, hot girls, weird alien things, and additional explosions just in case there wasn’t enough at the start.
Feeder attempts to do too much in too little pages and word count. It is an extraordinarily short book for such an immense concept. This one just wasn't for me. -
The water rose and the cities we once knew are under water. "Feeders" are preying on mankind. Lori Fisher's parents are gone and she's raising her seven year old brother Ben on her own. To support her family she hunts the feeders with someone called Handler. During a job she frees a group of teenagers that have developed unique abilities. Have I piqued your interest? The world created by Patrick Weekes is amazing and you'll definitely want to check this one out!
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4.5 stars
I really liked this one!
I've been trying to read more YA sci-fi, since I feel it is an area I lack in a bit, and Feeder is also a new release, so reading it helped fill both of the categories I try filling. Of course, knowing it was a new release and sci-fi wasn't inspiring me to read it, so I picked it up hesitantly. I also saw some lack luster reviews, so I picked this book up with lukewarm feelings, yet 5 pages in I was totally hooked.
This is one of those books though where not everything is explained, but most is, as long as you give it time. In fact there are also items explained which I hadn't even thought of previously. So, I will say I was confused by the setting and the sci-fi aspects at first -- who is Handler? What are feeders? Why do people all reply to some questions the same? -- trust me, run with it. I think it does help that the book focuses on these things, but not to the point or intensity which brings them to the forefront all the time or make them seem integral to understanding the plot. I would go "huh?" yet not feel confused completely about what was going on. So, if you are worried about not knowing what is going on or getting answers, don't worry things will make sense.
Okay, what else.... Characters? Great cast. Lori does feel a little bland at times, but I feel like the reason is explained and she grows... a bit. The rest of the characters are so vibrant. There is LGBT+ rep, there is a character in a wheelchair, I think one character has ADHD, and all of these characters have superpowers. Everyone has powers!!!
Also, there is conversation about how people see people in wheelchairs and how they feel about the way people talk to them. I think it is done really respectfully and I learned something. I love books which I can personally grow from reading. Go educational fiction!
Now, the plot. if I look hard, I might find some holes or wondering why the characters didn't just do [insert action] first or before. Just don't think about it-- wow, did I not learn anything from this book?? Okay, this is a fun, light-hearted book. Give the potential "why are you doing this?" moments a break and roll with the fun. The overall plot though, I found it to be interesting and exciting. I picked up this book and didn't put it down until it was done!
Do I recommend it? Yes! I've already recommended it to some people :) If you aren't looking for a serious book, want something with some LGBT rep that doesn't focus on coming out too much, and/or want some crazy doesn't-really-make-sense sci-fi, then this is the book for you! -
This was a little like Miss Peregrine meets Maze Runner meets X-Men meets Beowulf. Unique enough to keep my interest, but sometimes jumpy and a tad bit confusing with some jumping back and forth. Early on it was hard to keep track of all the characters that were rapidly introduced, but once I got them all sorted out it wasn't as hard to keep up.
The story includes some telepathy, some cool "special powers", a dystopian-esque setting, a little bit of romance, a touch of LGBTQ, some action, some suspense, and of course strong family and friendship bonds. An easy and relatively fast read for most ages. -
Feeder is about a girl questioning her humanity, both internally and externally. In this version of our world, the sea levels have risen, and anything that might speak to how this happened is responded to with a robotic, "Guess it's just one of those things."
Lori, our main protagonist, though there are plenty others, is someone who hunts 'feeders,' which seem to be twists on the horrors we known from deep oceans, that can hollow out humans, or latch parasites into their bodies to control them.
During a job, she comes across a shipping container that, after deciding she was curious enough to open it, contained five teenager with special abilities.
tl;dr: 3.25 stars. This is a fun, action packed sci-fi adventure with a lot of really good representation, if a little... hamfisted sometimes. If you've read Patrick's other work, it's much the same. Good humor, fantastic action, well-meaning representation that fumbles from time to time. It's definitely a recommendation, though.
What kept me reading?:
A lot of my desire to keep reading was wrapped up in Lori, and wanting to understand her more. She's troubled, confused, and desperately trying to keep her little brother taken care of with no parents to rely on. She struggles to do this, to remember to give him his medication for his ADHD, to keep track of time, no matter how much she wants to.
The world itself is interesting. It's ours, but not. The feeders, what they are, and where they come from are enthralling in their way. Utterly alien in the way all things from deep, deep ocean seem to be - Patrick got that otherworldliness perfectly. They were terrifying, oddly beautiful, and in a lot of cases utterly incomprehensible.
Definitely a lot of what made me pre-order and read this book was the representation as well, though I will get into more detail on this further down. Lori his half Chinese, Maya is a transgender girl, Hawk is Filipino, Iara is Brazilian and paraplegic, Tapper is black, autistic, and gay. Not all of these were handled perfectly, but none of them were handled *poorly*, and it made my heart happy to see them all slowly admit to these things about themselves.
What made me lose interest?:
I say 'lose interest' because I didn't put the book down much. I wanted to get it done, but there were a lot of places that bothered me.
Firstly, everyone's powers, and everyone's names. It took me awhile to know who Hawk and Tapper were. Maya and Iara were easier, but Hawk and Tapper were never really lined up well with their powers until later on, so that was confusing. As for the group's powers, I, honestly, was never really clear what everyone could do, because it seemed like every time I got a handle on it, something else was added to the mix.
Oh, god, the romances. Okay, this book happens over the course of a Monday through Friday. Five days. Yet we get two romances out of it, and people declaring deep friendships, and no one just going 'hey, we barely know each other'. Everyone who isn't Lori was captured and interrogated at some point, they met in a shipping container, as far as I could tell. None of it was believable. Granted, no one declared undying love or anything.
Representation:
Okay, so. I'm not sure the amount of sensitivity readers he had on this. I know he had one for Iara, and that she was incredibly happy with what happened with her in the book, and seeing as I am not wheelchair bound, I don't feel like I have any say here, other than I liked the character, though I did feel like she expected people to understand what she was thinking without explaining herself. Which is human, so, not really an issue. Overall, she was a strong girl who was never defined by her chair or what she could and couldn't do - I liked that.
I'm white, but, I don't know, Tapper felt kind of off for me. Tapper has autism. He had difficulty understanding people and expressions, had a few special interests, and got upset very easily when things didn't go just as he wanted, or when people didn't say what he wanted him to say. This led to a lot of people calling him a jerk for various reasons, which, yeah, he was saying very blunt things, but... it just made me uncomfortable. Tapper was one of the most sympathetic characters, and he was constantly doing things to save the team despite some of the things he said, yet no one really comments on it. It felt like he was the only one who wasn't treated tenderly when The Moment came and everyone's secrets started spilling.
Hawk is Filipino,
Lori is half Chinese, there's no stereotypes there; she was just a half-white, half-Chinese girl, which has its merits. I saw no issues, but I am white.
Then, there's Maya. -
I don’t even know what to say. This book is sensitive, real, and sincere. The characters are not just believable, they are US. Iara was everything to me. I cried several times seeing my own feelings on paper coming from her. Thank you Patrick Weekes. I needed this book.
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Loved the diversity in characters represented. Didn't love the message that if you are a minority, disabled, LGBTQ or had mental health challenges that you were somehow MORE broken than the rest of humanity.
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I loved how weird and interesting it was. I loved the characters and how much they struggled to find their place. How Lori thought she was a monster was heartbreaking and how her parents passed away. How close Lora and Ben were was adorable and heartwarming. I loved how they didn’t immediately trust Lora and how they knew she was a Feeder. I loved how they learned to trust her and love her as their own. They became a huge family to one another and this completely reminded me of X-Men. I loved how they made an. institute for kids with special powers. I loved how they said sad stuff makes people stronger. How everyone wanted to forget made the world more realistic. I loved the book a lot than I expected.
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I had a lot of fun reading this - great story, great cast.
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An interesting premise that fell apart under plot holes and poor world building.
The idea of the feeders and Handler was a good one as well as the other teens and their mysterious abilities. However the details of the world are so poorly explained until the end that it was a struggle to finish at all. "Its just one of those things" isn't a good basis for why the world is the way it is. Explanations that I felt should be basic world building come far too late after story elements have been revealed to hold my interest or even arouse curiosity. By the time its finally explained how the water rose so much time had passed by in the book that I didn't really even care to know why anymore.
There is also little transition between ideas and decisions at times. One time is when Lori goes from working for the Lake Foundation to, finding the mutant teens to, being determined to take the entire operation down in the space of a few short pages or so. There's no room to breathe or for the characters to stop and think about whats going on much less me as a reader.
The characters also felt as thin and hollow as the world around them. By the time the book started explaining what they were I was past the point of caring about them and just wanted to finish the story.
The world building felt almost nonexistent many times to me and the character development was the same. This was a great idea but one that was badly executed and poorly developed. -
I actually don't have any idea how I feel about this book! It's vastly different from what I usually read.
I picked it up because I ADORE Patrick Weekes's Rogue's of the Republic series - and boy was this ever a different book. It's Animorphs meets X-Men meets a little bit of The Host by Stephanie Meyer and Stargate.
The plot was probably the weakest point? It was (intentionally, I think), very vague on the world building. It's our world, now, but something happened 2 years ago that no one can talk about. The vagueness was intriguing at first, but it went on so long that the payoff didn't feel as impactful as it should have.
The aliens (?) were trippy and weird and creepy and gross. Again left largely vague which I felt pretty frustrated by. I think they were lightly described because they were supposed to be ~too much~ for the human mind to comprehend, but I don't think it came off right.
The characters were the real strong point of the book though. I loved each and every one of them! I loved the whole found family thing, and I would like to read another chapter or two on them reconnecting with their families, and how they all are in a few years.
All in all, a good but super weird read. -
The ending changed EVERYTHING.
Before the last three chapters of
Feeder I disliked this book almost into casting it into eternal abandonment. I hated the writing structure, hated how the special powers were obviously and shamelessly pulled from Marvel's X-Men, and I hated how I had no idea what was going on at any given moment.
BUT
That ending really was so wholesome and satisfying that giving it any less than three stars would have betrayed the little bit of serotonin it managed to wring from my depressed brain. :) -
Things I loved about this book: Lori, Handler, the hints of world building we get, the horror-esque influences, the diverse cast, the thematic messages by the end of the book
Things I didn’t love as much: the lack of depth in the other five characters, insta-love romantic relationships with no chemistry, the pacing, jarring transitions, and sometimes jumbled plot points
I liked Feeder for what it was: a quick sci-fi YA read equal parts teen drama and spooky stuff. The premise in this case was unfortunately better than the execution, but I still enjoyed reading it nonetheless. -
Creative
A good book with fun surprises, I would definitely recommend the read. I wish there was a bit more exposition at the start because I struggled to get a sense for what was going on for the first few chapters, but the characters were interesting and the plot pretty cool. Also to be fair, the sense of 'what is going on, exactly?' sort of plays into a layered reveal that I thought was particularly well executed. -
All books have their ups and downs, as all authors have their strengths and weaknesses, but the baseline quality of a book is usually fairly steady across all aspects. It's how things typically work: when you're at a certain skill level, that level influences the quality of the end product. That said, I've never read something so completely all over the goddamn place as Feeder.
Feeder is part started-as-an-attempt-to-apply-logic-to-a-weird-dream-and-went-too-far, part middle-grade-vibe diverse ensemble cast, part terrifying inter-dimensional monster conflicts, part lampshade on world building I can't decide is lazy or brilliant or both, part ridiculous superpower antics, part very specific monster-related gore and part heavy questioning of one's humanity. And it's all wrapped up in writing which is somehow both stupidly good execution of showing over telling and some of the worst prose I've ever encountered.
I almost dropped Feeder in the first quarter. The author hit every negative influence to the prose I can think of. Weak verbs, filter words, excess adverbs, passive voice. Yes, the prose is that bad. I honestly can't tell if it got a little better as the book went on or if I was simply numb to it by the end. I've pushed through with a lot of books I wanted to drop, and nearly every time it was not worth it. There was no pay-off. Feeder, despite containing some of the (seriously) worst prose I've ever read, was worth the pay-off.
Between the prose and opening sequence, Feeder doesn't make a good first impression. Lori sends her brother, Ben, off to daycare, then heads out to Lake Foundation to tackle a strange issue they've had recently: some of their workers disappeared, and when they sent security over, their security workers refused to leave. Lori investigates and discovers a feeder, an inter-dimensional monster Lori hunts using herself as a lure for her own inter-dimensional monster, Handler. But Lori also discovers a group of mutant teenagers Lake Foundation kidnapped. Now Tia Lake and Lake Foundation are after them all, and Handler estimates three days before Tia Lake discovers Lori's brother Ben and uses him to get to her.
While efficient and effective at setting up the novel (a huge plus) it also carries the unshakably feeling of beginning as a dream sequence someone tried to apply logic to. It's cool, in concept, and the author manages to bring to a clear picture to mind despite the prose, but I can't shake the feeling like this might work best in a visual medium. Also: there's no skirting around how utterly ridiculous some of action bits where the mutants fight Lake Foundation's sound. For instance:
But first the efficient plotting kept me hooked -- Feeder never stagnates -- and then Lori's relationship to the mutant teens and her relationship to Handler. Handler's connection gives her similar abilities to the group, but she is distinctly different, and as they close in on Tia Lake and the truth, she wonders how much of her is human and how much is simply human-shaped lure for Handler.
Most of the physical plotting is hamfisted, if sensible. Lots of stating what they'll do the next day, followed by executing the plan with unforeseen complications. But the sections tied to Lori's humanity, Handler and the themes of family and choices and what it means to be human were executed incredibly well. I got emotional, man.
I'm of multiple minds on the setting. When it comes to individual scenes, the author did a solid, if sometimes confusing job. But when it comes to the setting at large, both Santa Dymphna and the world,the same solid descriptions are present, but I hit a wall at world building. It's confusing, at first, because the characters are talking about somewhat contemporary stuff stuff -- Pokemon cards, Lego, and whether anime is better subbed or dubbed -- there's also raised water levels and miracoral, so I was waiting for the dystopian part to kick in. But it's not, and the eventual explanation is more of a non-explanation, and I can't tell if that non-explanation is lazy or brilliant or both.
In all honesty, I am not fully equipped to unravel these characters, and I'll explain why in a second. Firstly, although Lori feels a little cookie cutter at times, there's a bit of an explanation for it, and her physical motivations are always clear. Plus, her overall arc relating to her humanity and Handler was amazing. As an antagonist, Tia Lake seemed a little like your typical chortling overlord at first, but the two confrontations fleshed her out surprisingly well, and revealed a sympathetic character while still condemning her.
When it comes to the mutant teens, I will say that their individual arcs were executed, in technical terms, with competence, although they and the relationships between them were on the shallow side. (And I'm not sure how I feel about their powers tie into what they've felt ashamed of.)
Here's the thing: the author has earnestly tried to represent a diverse range of people with the group, but the end result isn't ideal. There is a lot to dig into, and I am not qualified to tackle all of it as in-depth as it needs to be. If you are someone closer to these issues, I will gladly link your review here, but I will try to tackle as much as I am able. Okay, so I didn't really like the suggestion how the character with (possibly) autism (or another condition with stimulation struggles) needed pills, or how the trans character's transition was used as big reveal, or how Iara's arc, who has partial paraplegia and requires and wheelchair, revolved so much around that wheelchair. I did like how Lori struggled to keep a regular schedule for Ben, who has ADHD, and that there was an honest effort in the first place, since a lot of authors wouldn't bother, but effort and result and two different things.
tl;dr
If you can get over the prose, Feeder's a weirdly wonderful story one's humanity, the choices we make, and an amazing relationship between a girl and an inter-dimensional monster. -
I really wanted to like this one but it was a complete DNF for me. The story sounded so cool but the execution was so poor for me. They throw you into the story and you feel like you're in a sequel or something because you have no clue what is going on. It's never really explained very well or very much. I like action as much as the next person but that is all this book was. It is told from several different POV's right off the bat, which makes it ever more confusing. The writing itself was fairly clunky and redundant. It just wasn't for me at all. I'm not rating this because I only got halfway and decided not to push any further. This will be an unhaul for me.
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A comic book in novel form in the best way. Such strong and consistent worldbuilding and imagery. Great characters, like summer blockbuster superheroes with interdimensional ocean powers. And I hate to throw around the buzzword “representation,” but great representation that didn’t feel forced or weird. Lori (and Handler) is my favorite of all time, and I wish we’d gotten more Tapper. If only there was a sequel!
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Oh man, I LOVED this. Creepy, atmospheric near-future SF with incredibly compelling LGBTQ+ characters. Yes, characterS, as in, there are multiple queer characters in this book and NONE OF THEM DIED, it was great, I loved it, more like this please.
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Highly inventive, and short on details in all the right ways as pertaining to its core speculative fictional conceit, but it becomes more and more a transparently lightweight teen novel the closer one gets to the end.
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Very unique!! Full of great fighting action and fun characters. Kids with “superpowers” fighting weird monsters called feeders...okay sign me up! I do wish it was written from one characters point of view instead of all of them but I do understand why the author did it. Great read!
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Great idea, horrible characters, and hate how it uses abbreviations like TL:DR, ect.
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teen sci-fi/fantasy (creatures/monsters from another dimension invading a dystopian Earth with diversity/LGBTQA+ interest).
Fast-paced page turner! The main character happens to be lesbian and there are other LGBT+ characters too (they are also ethnically diverse--there is even one paraplegic teen), but the layered storylines and action/suspense kept me hooked. More, more, more! -
This book was weird. I think I liked it, but I’m still not sure. I think it reminded me of The Marburg Lens or The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith. The description is fairly accurate, but I spent a lot of time it’s trying to follow the reasoning about what was happening. I know it sounds like i didn’t like it, but somehow- I still cared about the characters and wanted to know what would happen.
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The main thing I'm feeling about this book is one of confusion. I don't think I understood 20% of what was being said, or trying to be said, or trying to be done.... I just don't know. After finishing the book, I got the main gist of it, but I'm still somewhat baffled when I try to think about the "why's" of the plot's detail. It almost felt like I was reading the second book of a series as we are plunked down with the main character Lori, who is already hunting feeders, in a world where the waters have risen but it's not the distant future (that bit is pretty much, sorta-kinda, explained by the end), but boy was I floundering for most of the book to make sense of a lot of it. Also the dialogue got kinda run-on-ish. They're all teens and I think the author was doing his best to make the dialogue sound young and "hip"? Maybe?
So, if you're looking for a sci-fi book with a good dash of horror, and mutant teens, and dimensional travel and lots of fish knowledge, have I got a book for you!
Maybe.
Edit: Oh! Oh! I do want to give this book a big kudos for it's diverse characters! It did a great job! -
Really enjoyed this YA book - a quick read for adults but a fun one! While I guess you'd call it fantasy, it's definitely not a typical fantasy setting (nor in the slightest like the author's other fantasy books). Set in a slightly future world where the water level has inexplicably risen but where almost everyone is unable to really notice or think about this fact, it follows a teen called Lori who is now the sole guardian and supporter of her younger brother Ben. Lori makes a living in an unusual way - she works with an interdimensional being known only as "Handler", hunting down "Feeders", powerful alien beings who for some reason seem to want to influence Earth and the people on it for their various usually nefarious purposes.
When Lori goes to the Lake Foundation for what she thinks is a standard alien-eliminating job, she discovers a group of teenagers being held captive. Like her, they can actually think about the water levels rising and have unusual abilities --and Lori's interference in releasing them angers the Lake Foundation. Now she and her new friends have just a few days to either eliminate the Lake Foundation before the Bad Guys track them down and destroy all their families and loved ones, including Lori's brother Ben. But the more she gets to know the other kids, the more Lori begins to realize their abilities are not the same as hers at all.
Although the story centers around Lori, the other teens and their abilities get a fair amount of "screen time" also and they're a great, diverse cast of misfits incorporating very positive representations of disabled, gay, and racial minority characters as they handle circumstances that rapidly escalate beyond their control. Overall it's a very readable book with an extremely creative setting and likeable (albeit occasionally disturbingly bubbly) characters. -
There are books that have interesting plots, books that have awesome characters, books with lots of inclusivity, books with some unexpected twists.
And there are books that have something important to say
"Feeder" is all of the above, but especially the latter.
It's hard to say what I liked most about it without jumping into spoilers, but it was one of the most diverse novels I've read in a while (and I've read very diverse ones!). You will definitely find one-two characters to fall in love with (and maybe all of them!), you will be mindblown by some concepts (I mean, it's Patrick Weekes, this is the least you can expect from him) and you will be touched by some moments and heartbroken over others.
"We are all in different places on our shared journey, and we might get there late.
But we'll get there together." -
I’m not usually much for sci-fi and superpowers and fight scenes in my books, but I really enjoyed this one. Weekes really excels at banter and complex character building. And diversity! So much diversity was refreshing. And not just token characters, but ones that were interesting had had their own struggles and strengths. I didn’t care about the lack of world building because... I didn’t care how the world got that way? I guess it’s just one of those things.
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While this book is definitely a young adult novel (especially when compared to Mr. Weekes' previous series) it's still an excellent read. I love the diversity of the cast and the relatability of everyone (even inter-dimensional evil dragon eel gods). This was a fun, fast read and I look forward to the next in the series!
