Scan barcode
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
linnssoppa's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, and Sexism
alicemorrison1029's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Body horror
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
isabelh0410's review against another edition
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?"
"Was being free to do what you needed and be who you wanted—truly free—monstrous?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Blood
daja123's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Blood
ashareadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
very_mellifluous's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really intrigued by this book. The premise immediately grabbed me, and now that I've finished I'm glad to have read it. It feels like one of those books that will linger for a while.
Things about Nightbitch:
-I really, really resonated with the exploration of motherhood. That's the biggest takeaway from reading this. I myself am not a mother, but I still felt the resonance of my mother - both in how I see her, and the similarities between her mothering experience and Nightbitch's (the narrator). In many ways I think this is a brutal sharing of the reality of womanhood in our time and place. There is so much that is passed from mother to daughter, and even if the physical experiences don't match at certain points in time (i.e. a child vs their adult mother), the emotional echoes and cultural weights can feel remarkably similar. At many points, this was emotionally difficult to read because I felt Nightbitch's infuriation and frustration so viscerally. It's a book I want my mother to read, so that she can know I know how she might have felt, and might still feel. *generational motherhood* might be the theme here. v
-I liked the evolution of Jen's character. And Wanda White! It was not lost on me thatNightbitch's signature in her letters is MM, the inverse of WW. It's not exactly confirmed that they're one and the same, and in fact we know they can't be, but the reflection thing as a motif was cool .
-I was surprised at the resolution between Nightbitch and her family.I truly assumed that she would turn into a full-time beast and leave her husband, raising her son in a pack, but the adoption of the husband into the clan of knowing and supporting Nightbitch was actually so wholesome and nice. We love a calm empowered ending!
Things about Nightbitch:
-I really, really resonated with the exploration of motherhood. That's the biggest takeaway from reading this. I myself am not a mother, but I still felt the resonance of my mother - both in how I see her, and the similarities between her mothering experience and Nightbitch's (the narrator). In many ways I think this is a brutal sharing of the reality of womanhood in our time and place. There is so much that is passed from mother to daughter, and even if the physical experiences don't match at certain points in time (i.e. a child vs their adult mother), the emotional echoes and cultural weights can feel remarkably similar. At many points, this was emotionally difficult to read because I felt Nightbitch's infuriation and frustration so viscerally. It's a book I want my mother to read, so that she can know I know how she might have felt, and might still feel. *generational motherhood* might be the theme here. v
-I liked the evolution of Jen's character. And Wanda White! It was not lost on me that
-I was surprised at the resolution between Nightbitch and her family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Animal death
hubes's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death