Reviews

Animal: A Novel by Lisa Taddeo

kimberlyf's review against another edition

3.0

if this story were half the size, it might have been better

unhinged_female_protagonist's review against another edition

5.0

This book continues to haunt me, weeks after I put it down. The protagonist is someone unhinged, yet so relatable. If you are a woman with feelings, you cannot help but find a piece of yourself in this book. There are some dark moments in these pages, but they makes you feel something so primal - so ANIMAL - that I understand why this book is named as such. I am officially obsessed with this author!

llyan's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Loved!! But also kinda disliked reading this book! 

I pretty much blind brought this book after a recommendation from my local book guy, and I have to say this is right up my alley!

Joan was unhinged and so weird. This book was bleak and dreadful and weird but so funny and real, i have to say it was almost perfect

I was promised murder and a disturbing read and that's exactly what i got but

the first actual murder, i think, didn't happen until chapter 32/37, and it wasn't even done by her!! Thankfully, her murder happened shortly after.

this book has also been an incredibly slow read, and im not usually a fan of those but Joan (and of course Taddeo's writing) was so gripping i couldn't stop reading. I adored the way occasionally she talks to "us" very unsettling in the beginning but i will die for a good second pov book

Also?? Talk about being such a huge tease? I generally felt like cuck reading this from the way she kept teasing that she'll murder someone but doesn't actually so it. Tf. So relatable tho!!

Apart from the pregnancy and the whole motherhood thing, this book would've been a perfect and solid 5 star read 

Overall, I'm sorta but also really happy to have read this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Miscarriage, Rape, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Gore

Childbirth

cassidycapata's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

I thought that overall the book was enjoyable and by the end all the pieces fell into place. But as I was reading it I kept getting lost in the plot and missing key points the author seemingly just grazed over. She had a VERY fucked up story to tell and it just kept getting worse!

artthief's review against another edition

3.5

fascinating glimpse into the mind of an extremely heterosexual woman

beccanagy's review against another edition

3.0

I went in this blind, not reading anything but the description and not reading other reviews. It starts off strong when we meet Joan the night she sees an old lover die in front of her. She leaves New York to L.A in search of Alice. Alice is the only person who can help Joan make any sense of her past. As you read, you get glimpses into Joans past of a disoriented family and the many relationships she has had. It’s a book about lust, sex, affairs and many bad relationships.

It is gripping but you have to wait until the end to get the answers you are looking for. You finally learn important pieces in her past that has turned her into the women she is today. Not my favourite read but must admit I couldn’t put it down as I needed to know more about her past and reasons she became the person she was. At times you get frustrated with Joan and I’ll admit sometimes you just can’t sympathize with her but it is worth a read

brikrush's review against another edition

2.0

another work of literary fiction, another (many, so many) references to semen.

I genuinely cannot overstate how boring I found this book from start to finish.

cmagel's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

__rachk's review against another edition

dark medium-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

3.0

maps28's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5