Fourteen-year-old May is arrested for stealing bread. She receives a life sentence of becoming a Sin Eater, a person who eats ritual foods to symbolize the sins of those that are dying. May finds another Sin Eater who she learns from, but when they are called to a death in the castle, a deer heart sits on the coffin, although the deceased did not commit a murder. When the elder Sin Eater refuses to eat the heart, she is murdered. May eats the heart and vows to find out why it was placed on the coffin, who put it there, and to avenge the other Sin Eater’s death.

Let me start by saying that I had never heard of a Sin Eater before I read this book. It is such an interesting concept where one human must eat ritualistic foods that represent another person’s sins so they can go to heaven rather than hell. I liked May as a character and enjoyed her journey and growth throughout the book. She was forced to be something no one wants to be, but makes the best of it by trying to find out why people are being murdered and accused of crimes they did not commit. We have to remember that she is only 14-years-old and has to survive as an outcast while trying to learn the truth about what is going on in the castle.

There is an interesting cast of characters throughout this book, but at times, I found there were too many to keep track of. It was a bit confusing with so many characters including all of the royalty and past queens. I found myself struggling to remember who was who. The middle of the book moved slowly and although the pace picked up towards the end, I felt that the ending was rushed and things were left unanswered. I do not know if a sequel is planned, but maybe that is why not everything was figured out by the end. Overall, the story was interesting and it was definitely a cool concept, but I felt the book was a little long and confusing at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.