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mcrespo's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
3.0
i love and appreciate nightbitch's descent into madness and the power of female rage displayed in this novel. yoder's language is visceral, and the way that she links birth and motherhood to depictions of gore and brutality is very purposeful and powerful. at this novel's core, it is one mother's descent into madness, desire for community and support, the embrace of female rage, and reverting to a feral state as nightbitch evolves from a depressed and frenzied housewife to an animal or monster who defends her child with her teeth and demands more from the world. one of the highlights of this novel is the way yoder critiques capitalism, and displays the way that capitalism disrupts the natural order by isolating mothers and preying on their need for support, self-reliance, and financial stability. unfortunately, this book falls short in the end for me. the relationship between nightbitch and white, the author of the field guide, is one big question mark, and it doesn't seem to conclude neatly or in a way that made a significant impression on me as a reader. overall, this nature of the novel felt repetitive, and if there were less descriptions of the mother's animal-like care taking of her child and more emphasis on this motif of the field guide and nightbitch's relationship to the author of the field guide, this may have made more of an impact on readers overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Animal cruelty
sourcherryyy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
took me a bit to get into but i ended up really enjoying this book! made me feel very sympathetic towards her and i love reading about angry women
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Gore
mlovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
Moderate: Body horror
morenowagain's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
poisonlizzie's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
dreamingpages's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-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
This book starts off strong and doesn't let up the entire time. I actually wish there had been more of a build up instead of diving in head-first. It made me feel like the book wasn't heading towards a climax.
I'm not a mother, so I felt I couldn't fully relate to this book. Maybe that's why I couldn't give it a higher rating.
But I am a woman who has felt the injustices of sexism and devalued gendered work. I liked the exploration of womens' incubated primal rage not only being a handicap, but also a source of power and identity. I liked the idea of letting that rage out, throwing the idea of being a proper woman out the damn window. I was pleasantly surprised withthe husband's reaction to her transformation. That being said, I actually do think certain instances in this book can be considered child abuse, even though the book seems to be arguing that they're not. .
I'm not a mother, so I felt I couldn't fully relate to this book. Maybe that's why I couldn't give it a higher rating.
But I am a woman who has felt the injustices of sexism and devalued gendered work. I liked the exploration of womens' incubated primal rage not only being a handicap, but also a source of power and identity. I liked the idea of letting that rage out, throwing the idea of being a proper woman out the damn window. I was pleasantly surprised with
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Animal death, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse
evaaaarrrgghhh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Loved - but hated the ending even though I KNOW IT WAS A HAPPY ENDING. Like, the absolutely beautiful breakdown of patriarchal hierarchies becoming 'default' even when consciously fought against. This story felt so deeply painful for me - the horror is that even when we fight it, the heteronormative patriarchal dynamic will settle over us like a blanket and suffocate us and we will have nobody to blame but ourselves for becoming tired of fighting (I'll cry Y WE GOTTA JUST KEEP FIGHTING ALL THE TIME AND THE MOMENT WE R TIRED IT ALL HAPPENS ANYWAY UGHHHHHHH)
Like fr just eat the man and the child I've had ENOUGH why is the happy ending that she just had to ask for help and he was fine with helping I HATE IT HERE EAT HIM EAT THEM ALL
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gaslighting, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Gore
the_fret_bandit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The addition of Africa by Toto was not something I expected to read in any book but it was deeply appreciated. This book has given me a lot to think about and I'm still not sure if recommending it to a friend may cause the implosion of her marriage during the first half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Gore
rlfrick's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Animal death
rachjy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Gore