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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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Animal death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, and Self harm
mpurdy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher 404ink for this arc copy.
I had to sit with this for a bit. This spoke to me in so many ways. You know, when a book leaves you staring at a wall after finishing the last page, that it is something that will stick with you for life. This is one of those times, and this is one of those books. In starting Fragile Animals, I really enjoyed the writing of this quirky main character and the setting, but by reading the last page, I didn't realize how cathartic it was.
I went into this book knowing that it was about a girl dealing with leaving catholicism behind and a potential relationship with a vampire. For me, I was intrigued instantly and with my own relationship with catholicism being strained after a childhood in a Catholic private school. I couldn't help myself. My life wasn't like this but it still helped me heal a bit. And to me that is what makes an amazing book and I will probably think about this for years to come.
In this story, we are jumping back in fourth from the present and past as our MC Noelle grapples with traumatic childhood experiences and the fallout of internalizing it. Noelle finds herself in a small seaside town in Scotland as she essentially forces herself to shake up her current routine. She has isolated and alienated herself from others and has reached a breaking point. On this journey, she stays at a bread and breakfast where we are Introduced to some interesting charachters.
Through this experience, Noelle embraces her demons as she comes to grips with her own identity and tries to forgive herself and others from past decisions. Lastly, yes, there is a "vampire" named Moses, who is a taxidermist, but was he really or was he just what she needed to face herself in the mirror.
This story is full of beautiful imagery and lyrical writing. There are also quite a few dark scenes. These scenes were uncomfortable but in my opinion necessary to push Noelle forward in healing and self discovery.
I think this author is amazingly talented and am blown away by this debut novel. I will definitely pick up more.
I had to sit with this for a bit. This spoke to me in so many ways. You know, when a book leaves you staring at a wall after finishing the last page, that it is something that will stick with you for life. This is one of those times, and this is one of those books. In starting Fragile Animals, I really enjoyed the writing of this quirky main character and the setting, but by reading the last page, I didn't realize how cathartic it was.
I went into this book knowing that it was about a girl dealing with leaving catholicism behind and a potential relationship with a vampire. For me, I was intrigued instantly and with my own relationship with catholicism being strained after a childhood in a Catholic private school. I couldn't help myself. My life wasn't like this but it still helped me heal a bit. And to me that is what makes an amazing book and I will probably think about this for years to come.
In this story, we are jumping back in fourth from the present and past as our MC Noelle grapples with traumatic childhood experiences and the fallout of internalizing it. Noelle finds herself in a small seaside town in Scotland as she essentially forces herself to shake up her current routine. She has isolated and alienated herself from others and has reached a breaking point. On this journey, she stays at a bread and breakfast where we are Introduced to some interesting charachters.
Through this experience, Noelle embraces her demons as she comes to grips with her own identity and tries to forgive herself and others from past decisions. Lastly, yes, there is a "vampire" named Moses, who is a taxidermist, but was he really or was he just what she needed to face herself in the mirror.
This story is full of beautiful imagery and lyrical writing. There are also quite a few dark scenes. These scenes were uncomfortable but in my opinion necessary to push Noelle forward in healing and self discovery.
I think this author is amazingly talented and am blown away by this debut novel. I will definitely pick up more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Animal death, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
jamieleepilk's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Self harm, Animal death, Infidelity, and Blood
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