Reviews

Banal Nightmare: A Novel by Halle Butler

punkweed's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

every friend group got the
dumb bitch (kimberly)
selfish coward (pam)
social flake with a shitty boyfriend (nina)
psychopathic young professional (bethany)
endearingly unstable clown (moddie)

halle butler is a national treasure. this book is as hilarious as it is miserable. found myself thinking “she’s just like me fr” every three pages, for better or worse. love love love these horrible people!!! 

icanfixhim's review against another edition

so sorry net galley but I just couldnt

naomivilla's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Halle Butler is one of my absolute favorite authors, and when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I needed to get my stupid little hands on it. Banal Nightmare completely holds up to the Halle Butler standard. I laughed out loud innumerable times! I found her characters disgustingly relatable and familiar! We get many POVs in this book and I couldn't get enough of each. Butler grossly and intimately understands the millennial experience and today's political climate. As always, I don't care where the author takes me, I trust her writing implicitly. 

"...she spent roughly half of every waking moment praying to become more stupid so that she could bear the crushing tedium and confounding horrors of her life."

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC. Banal Nightmare comes out 7/16!

isabella_acacia's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emmrosa's review against another edition

funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

readinglibraesq's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity

Minor: Cancer

dogsbooksandpizza's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I enjoyed this book from start to finish: the people were simultaneously awful and lovable based on their vacillating behavior and dubious opinions of themselves and others. Laugh-out-loud satire, and often embarrassingly relatable (as a millenial). I will read anything Butler writes.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

emilychau's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

coffeedrool's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ARC