Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Nightbitch

Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

411 reviews

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.

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linnssoppa's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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alicemorrison1029's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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

5.0

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isabelh0410's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense 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

4.0

I greatly enjoyed this novel and all of its descriptions. Perhaps it is because it reinforced my hesitancy towards having children, or the narrator's inability to turn away from that which calls to her. This novel is about a mother finding herself in the most unlikely of places, in the form of a dog. What does it mean to succumb, to revert to animality? This book reminds people that they are animals, and that the line separating humans from animals is imagined. Often violent, absurd, yet incredibly reflective on women's roles, Nightbitch is for all to consume.

"Was being free to do what you needed and be who you wanted—truly free—monstrous?"

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daja123's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

1.25

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hubes's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.5

Utterly bizarre

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morenowagain's review

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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

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mothie_girlie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

1.5

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dreamingpages's review against another edition

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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 with

the 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.

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arisney's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

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