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lovefromhannah's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fleabag but on steroids and vampirism
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Animal death, and Outing
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
thefatspicegirl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fragile Animals is a stunningly written, evocative novel about a young woman coming to terms with her past and own self destruction. This story is made up of so many elements: Catholic trauma, mommy issues, queer themes, and a vampire.
The first thing that stands out about this book is the hauntingly moving prose. The writing is superb and so beautiful. I found myself stopping, taking in the carefully chosen words that weave together this Gothic novel. I look forward to reading more novels by Genevieve Jagger in the future.
I loved the fleshed out characters that felt so real, and the protagonist's (Noelle) character development. She is a fascinating character, and I felt drawn to her, which I am happy about since it is a character-based story. I appreciated her flaws, vulnerability, and introspection.
Excellent novel. I highly recommend this one to people who like character-based novels with dark themes and Gothic elements.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Animal death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, and Self harm
porshainielsen's review
dark
emotional
slow-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
3.25
The topics covered in this book range from trauma, religion, and mommy issues, all entangled in a vampire tale. Noelle was not my favorite fmc, like girl please wash your hair. My favorite character was actually the bed and breakfast owner, who was an eclectic lady with traditional values housing a vampire and a poet.
Overall, this is a great debut novel and I can definitely see Genevieve Jagger entering the disturbing girly book sector with Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, and Melissa Broder.
**Trigger warning for two brief animal deaths. The deaths are easy to skip.
Overall, this is a great debut novel and I can definitely see Genevieve Jagger entering the disturbing girly book sector with Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, and Melissa Broder.
**Trigger warning for two brief animal deaths. The deaths are easy to skip.
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Animal death
courtenaywrites's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I was given an ARC by NetGalley*
Jagger’s ‘Fragile Animals’ is a dense cake of a book in the best possible way. It is an extraordinary feat of literary prowess.
Noelle, our protagonist, is a deeply enriched character with many flaws. She holds a lot of childhood trauma, trauma that carries her through the rest of her life. When she happens upon Moses, her life is inextricably changed. He acts as a window into scenes from her past, similar to in Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. All characters in this novel are well-developed.
‘Fragile Animals’ is a powerful tour-de-force exploring religion, shame, trauma, homophobia, and what it means to be consumed. I am keenly awaiting for this to be adapted for the screen.
Jagger is an author to watch out for!
Jagger’s ‘Fragile Animals’ is a dense cake of a book in the best possible way. It is an extraordinary feat of literary prowess.
Noelle, our protagonist, is a deeply enriched character with many flaws. She holds a lot of childhood trauma, trauma that carries her through the rest of her life. When she happens upon Moses, her life is inextricably changed. He acts as a window into scenes from her past, similar to in Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. All characters in this novel are well-developed.
‘Fragile Animals’ is a powerful tour-de-force exploring religion, shame, trauma, homophobia, and what it means to be consumed. I am keenly awaiting for this to be adapted for the screen.
Jagger is an author to watch out for!
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Homophobia
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