“Don’t I know by now that folk see their sins in the way they choose? There’s always a reason as to why selfishness is not really selfish and crimes are honest and waiting safely by while some folk else is killed is really the more courageous choice.”
Megan Campisi, The Sin Eater
Do you ever pick up a book, read it, and then need to take a break to process what you just read? That’s what I had to do with The Sin Eater. After sitting on it for a while, I feel more capable of putting my thoughts together and writing a thorough review. This book was nothing like I’ve read before, perhaps that’s what made it such a great read.
The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi is another book I received for Christmas this past year. My brother and sister-in-law picked it our for me, although I’m guessing it was more my sister-in-law that did the picking. Nevertheless, they picked a book that sparked intrigue, anger, and curiosity that had me racing to the last page. This was yet another great book gift.
Synopsis
Campisi starts this novel by introducing the religious practice of sin eating. Sin eating comes from the idea that a woman can eat the sins of another person to spiritually take on their sins. Doing this allows the dying person to confess their wrongs, allowing them to die sin free. However, the sin eater then lives a life as an outcast. Shunned by the town, a sin eater must walk the rest of her life in silence.
May Owens watched as the sin eater consumed her mother’s sins. Later, a judge casts May to the same fate after stealing a loaf of bread. She becomes the town outcast. Others avoid her at all costs, until death is knocking at their doors. May quickly finds companionship in the same sin eater at her mother’s eating. This sin eater is quick to teach May all that comes with being a sin eater, through silence the two take on the town’s sins.
The companionship crumbles quickly when the duo attend an eating at the royal court. When the meal prepared does not match the sins read, the veteran sin eater refuses to eat. The guards arrest the veteran sin eater for treason. May must then take the lead, which results in eating the deer heart, not read to them. She thinks little of this until another deer heart is placed during the second royal court eating.
May must now decide how she will investigate, if she can investigate, and who will listen. She continues to show how her strong, resilient personality will persist through her sentence as a sin eater. The reader must watch as May faces scandals and secrets tucked behind the history of the royal court.
Review
Overall, this book caught my interest after the first chapter. Campisi takes a unique approach at telling this story. Her characters parallel the real life persons of Elizabethan England. Queen Bethany is the parallel to Queen Elizabeth. There are other parallels as well, The Maker being God and Angland being England. These connections highlight some themes as well.
Themes
There is a clear theme of religious corruption running through the whole book. The royal crown chooses the religion the kingdom must practice. The current queen enforces her beliefs, ostracizing and criminalizing the beliefs of the old royalties. This is not totally different from actual history where the throne was closely tied to religion, making each new royal in charge of the practices of the kingdom. Religious corruption is the root of sin eaters. The idea that one person will hold the sins of the dead, to carry them to their own grave, is horrendous. The sin eater is destined to die with sins they never committed, destining them to an eternity with Eve, the parallel of the devil.
Other themes are prevalent in the book, one that stood out to me was the theme of expectations. Expectations placate the lives of everyone in the book. The town expects sin eaters to submit. Other social outcasts are expected to live in the shadows. The royal are expected to not ask questions and obey every order they receive. This creates a great conflict. May breaks all expectations set on her.
Likes and Dislikes
I can’t find many things I dislike about this book. I found the characters written with depth and strength. Even with a silent narrator and protagonists, the story is driven forward firmly and quickly. There are not many slow parts to the book. It is impressive how easily Campisi makes our silent narrator relatable. One personal preference met was chapter length. I found the chapters to be short but action packed. Often I found myself finishing one chapter and quickly jumping to the next without second thought.
If there is one thing I dislike it would be the ending, which seems to be a common theme in my reviews. Once again this is a personal preference and I am able to see the point in the ending. I wished more for our protagonist, but I can also see where this is could play into a sequel should Campsis feel generous to us readers.
Recommendation
Overall, I would recommend this book to young women. I think this is a great coming of age story that teaches courage and perseverance. I would also recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. While this book is not exactly historical fiction, the parallels are amusing if you are familiar with Elizabethan England. Honestly, there isn’t anyone who wouldn’t benefit from reading this book. There are some adult themes, so parental guidance is advised.
Happy to introduce Umbra Ex Libris’ first 10/10. Absolutely fantastic. Will be reading it again in the future.
As always, happy reading!