e-ALC, 09:51:34
Narrated by: Sara Malia Hatfield
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: April 29-May 4, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received this e-ALC free from the publisher and PSH Audio. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Colonization, Violence, Gore, Grief, Cultural Appropriation, Slavery, Animal Death, Genocide, Cannibalism
For Readers of: 2sLGBTQ, ARC, Audio, Contemporary, DEAR, Family Diversity (Foster Care, Twin Siblings), Horror, Gothic, Sparkly Cover, Most Anticipated, Own, Own Voices, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Native Hawaiian), ToB 2026, YAA native Hawaiian teen travels to a luxury island resort in search of her missing twin and uncovers the dark side of paradise, in this YA supernatural thriller that’s Mexican Gothic meets She is a Haunting.
For the world’s wealthiest, Kōpaʻa Island Resort is more than a destination. It’s the ultimate escape. With no cell service or Wi-Fi, the Hawaiian island is a coveted wellness retreat renowned for its persimmon orchard and promises of rejuvenation.
But their dream vacation is Lehua’s nightmare. When her twin sister, Ohia, goes missing, Lehua follows her trail to Kōpaʻa to find her. Instead, Lehua is cut off from civilization—and help—after the island’s boat leaves without her, stranding her with the resort’s lavish guests and enigmatic staff.
As Lehua investigates Ohia’s disappearance, she discovers her missing sister isn’t the island’s only mystery. Kōpaʻa’s rich exterior and sweet persimmons hide its dark plantation past. And Lehua can’t ignore the dreams haunting her each night—nor the warning telling her to leave the island at once. To uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island’s bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields—or risk being consumed by them.
Sharply observed and gorgeously written, That Which Feeds Us explores the true cost of paradise as Lehua must fight to reclaim the land, the stories, and the very souls of her people.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This is arguably one of my favorite books of the year already. It’s a slow burn, but it doesn’t skimp on the creepy vibes and that made it so good! I know it’s horror, but give it a chance. The gothic nature gives it the creepiest vibes!
This opens up with Lehua on her way to Hawaii to find her missing sister. She ends up at a resort that seems to be a weird and creepy. Even on the way there she finds a weird looking dead bird. So if you’re really into horror but don’t like gothic because it’s not creepy enough, just know that this one does indeed not skimp on the creepy and things might lag a bit in the middle plot wise, but when things start to come together, you start to realize that everything was done because it was going to be creepily somewhere down the road.
The other thing I loved about this was the way it was so entrenched in Hawaii’s history. I learned a lot reading this book. It gives you information on how they overtook Hawaii’s Queen and then the rest of the islands as well. It shows how they turned the natives into slaves and how they’re STILL messing with the Native lands. A lot of this made me so upset. It’s been a long time since a horror book made me mad and sad and scared all at once. This is how I immediately knew that this book was good and I loved it. Gives a real example as to why people should respect the land and not use it just as a vacation spot. Real people are getting priced out of their homes, so respect the land and tell others to do the same.
I will say tho, my kid is on a tangerine kick right now and can eat 4+ a day or more if I let him. And every single time he asks me to peel him one I have to bite back a gag LOL It’s going to be a cold day in Texas before I eat another one LOL Just finding out what they were being used for and how they were being grown? Yeah I’m good on that. I don’t think I even want anything else orange flavored LOL It was a mess.
If you’re looking for a book that will teach you something as well as creep you out, this is it. I know that it might take a minute to get there, but it will take you by surprise when everything starts happening. I hope that y’all love this as much as me!
Overall, I give this
