The Better to Eat You with -- Tehlor Mejia, Hardcover

From award-winning author Tehlor Kay Mejia comes a spine-tingling tale of transformation, mystery, and the monsters we face--inside and out.

What big teeth...

For twelve-year-old Evan, summertime has always meant carefree days with her family and unlimited time with her best friend, Billie. This year, with her parents on the brink of divorce, she's staying at Billie's summer cabin. But Billie only seems to care about crushes these days, and to make matters worse, Evan's mom's health obsession has climbed to new heights. The more Evan tries to appease her mom and control her hunger, the sharper it seems to get, until it threatens to drag her under.

As Evan tries to cling to the good things in her life, a sinister presence in the woods begins to stir. Kids are scared, and adults think everyone should go home. Determined to stay, Evan starts hunting for the creature and begins to wonder--is it just her imagination, or is the monster inside her?

"Absolutely haunting!"--New York Times bestselling author Delilah S. Dawson on It Happened to Anna

Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Published: 09/23/2025
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
ISBN: 9780593647073
Age Range: 10-UP

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/09/2025

About the Author
TEHLOR KAY MEJIA is the bestselling and award-winning author of middle grade and young adult fiction, including It Happened to Anna and Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, which is in development at Disney as a television series to be produced by Eva Longoria. Tehlor strives to create stories which showcase the importance of community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values. He lives with his child, wife, and two small dogs in Oregon.