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thepetitepunk's review
If I’ve learned anything this month, it’s that it’s totally okay to have absolutely no idea what you think about a book—or at least, it better be okay, because We the Animals is just one of quite a few books I’ve read this month that left my brain puzzled.
Did I enjoy it? No idea. Did I hate it? Also no idea. Did I fully understand it? You guessed it—no idea.
There were some compelling images within this short story, but not enough to completely pique my interest. After finishing it though, I felt like I was missing something so I read a summary and analysis online (thanks LitCharts). And yep, turns out I missed a lot! I’m not sure how I missed so many details in so few pages. It felt unfair to not like a book because my brain was clearly turned off, so immediately after finishing the audiobook, I hit rewind and listened to it again (it’s cool, it’s a short book). And well, I still don’t entirely know what I think. Upon my second listen, I’ll give myself some credit because the details and themes were quite subtle.
But yeah, I’m not sure. I think I might have enjoyed reading an analysis of the book more than actually reading the book, but who knows. *screams*
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of january≫
╰┈➤ 1. all that's left in the world by erik j. brown
╰┈➤ 2. the female of the species by mindy mcginnis
╰┈➤ 3. the battle of the labyrinth by rick riordan
╰┈➤ 4. exit west by mohsin hamid
╰┈➤ 5. don't call us dead by danez smith
╰┈➤ 6. warm bodies by isaac marion
╰┈➤ 7. the other side of perfect by mariko turk
╰┈➤ 8. the last olympian by rick riordan
╰┈➤ 9. counting down with you by tashie bhuiyan
╰┈➤ 10. a matter of death and life by irvin d. yalom and marilyn yalom
╰┈➤ 11. the new hunger by isaac marion
╰┈➤ 12. dorothy must die by danielle paige
╰┈➤ 13. starfish by lisa fipps
╰┈➤ 14. one true loves by elise bryant
╰┈➤ 15. chlorine sky by mahogany l. browne
╰┈➤ 16. for every one by jason reynolds
╰┈➤ 17. fight night by miriam toews
╰┈➤ 18. shooter by walter dean myers
╰┈➤ 19. wade in the water by tracy k. smith
╰┈➤ 20. we the animals by justin torres
Did I enjoy it? No idea. Did I hate it? Also no idea. Did I fully understand it? You guessed it—no idea.
There were some compelling images within this short story, but not enough to completely pique my interest. After finishing it though, I felt like I was missing something so I read a summary and analysis online (thanks LitCharts). And yep, turns out I missed a lot! I’m not sure how I missed so many details in so few pages. It felt unfair to not like a book because my brain was clearly turned off, so immediately after finishing the audiobook, I hit rewind and listened to it again (it’s cool, it’s a short book). And well, I still don’t entirely know what I think. Upon my second listen, I’ll give myself some credit because the details and themes were quite subtle.
But yeah, I’m not sure. I think I might have enjoyed reading an analysis of the book more than actually reading the book, but who knows. *screams*
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of january≫
╰┈➤ 1. all that's left in the world by erik j. brown
╰┈➤ 2. the female of the species by mindy mcginnis
╰┈➤ 3. the battle of the labyrinth by rick riordan
╰┈➤ 4. exit west by mohsin hamid
╰┈➤ 5. don't call us dead by danez smith
╰┈➤ 6. warm bodies by isaac marion
╰┈➤ 7. the other side of perfect by mariko turk
╰┈➤ 8. the last olympian by rick riordan
╰┈➤ 9. counting down with you by tashie bhuiyan
╰┈➤ 10. a matter of death and life by irvin d. yalom and marilyn yalom
╰┈➤ 11. the new hunger by isaac marion
╰┈➤ 12. dorothy must die by danielle paige
╰┈➤ 13. starfish by lisa fipps
╰┈➤ 14. one true loves by elise bryant
╰┈➤ 15. chlorine sky by mahogany l. browne
╰┈➤ 16. for every one by jason reynolds
╰┈➤ 17. fight night by miriam toews
╰┈➤ 18. shooter by walter dean myers
╰┈➤ 19. wade in the water by tracy k. smith
╰┈➤ 20. we the animals by justin torres
mparish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ghastgirll's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
carriepond's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
We the Animals is a novella whose story of three brothers in a mixed-race family is told through a series of vignettes. The result is a lovely reflection on childhood, the bonds of siblings (in this case, brothers), and the narrator's evolving understanding of his sexuality. This short book had a lot of lovely moments.
dcllins's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cjcook987's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
colinreedmoon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
inthebooknook's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely gorgeous writing. Captured the wildness is children so adeptly, but lost me at the end of the story. I usually agree with Roxanne Gay’s reviews, and she put into words exactly what I was thinking about this novel. Still certainly worth the read for the beautiful writing and family dynamic.