Lydia is a recent college graduate trying to figure out her next phase in life. An artist, she is interning at a gallery and following in the footsteps of her late father who’s sold works allow for her to rent (and secretly live in) a studio as well as pay for her deteriorating mother to be cared after in a lavish nursing home. Navigating through this quarter life crisis while watching who you know your mother to be fade away would emotionally drain any normal person but, it hits Lydia exceptionally hard. She’s starving in other ways, too. Her bloodlust is getting unbearable as she goes days without a proper meal. Lydia rides the line between morality and immortality; how can she take control of her life and deal with the truth of what she truly is?

Woman, Eating surprised me in many ways. This was a character driven read, focusing on Lyd and her internal struggles. These ranged from her adopted self-hatred instilled from her mother and her view of vampirism, the feeling of disassociation that stems from sexual harassment/assault, and the sadness of missing out on any form of relationship with her father. Kohda dug deeper than I anticipated. While most of Lyd’s battles were framed through the lens of her being a vampire, there were some very real and raw emotions exhibited throughout that are universally relatable. While the plot was fairly stagnant and the storyline very much falls under the “melancholy millennial with no life direction” umbrella, it packed a heartier punch than most of the reads in the same category. The sense of closure delivered felt on par with Lydia’s character and development throughout, a classic twenty-something vibe. Lit fic is a genre I don’t venture into too often and reads like this make me want to broaden my horizons more frequently. A quick, raw read.