Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Animal: A Novel

I don't know how to feel about this book. I resonated with a lot of its themes and assertions about the ceaseless violence men commit against women and the ways our entire inner lives are shaped by the men we're exposed to, and I appreciated Joan's unabashed commitment to voicing the darkest parts of herself. But I found the plot kind of tiring, definitely disturbing, and vaguely performative; it felt a little redundant of other books I've read like it before, like The Girls and Bright Young Women, and it was not an enjoyable read.

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bratatouille's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

I adore the way that Taddeo sinks her claws into a reader and drags them along for the ride. Her storytelling is raw and violent in a way that is grotesquely, uncomfortably, human. The topics touched in this range from mildly uncomfortable debauchery to nausea-inducing evils. I can’t say that she handles them with grace, but there is a surprising air of dignity latched into ever sentence in this novel. Joan, our protagonist, goes on a journey that flashes between past and present. This back and forth is occasionally confusing, but is paced in a way that is infuriatingly good. When you become attached to the outcome of one timeline, Taddeo throws you back into the other. Although a large part of the story, sex is never depicted in a titillating fashion. Instead, it reads more like a means to an end or a necessary evil. This is immensely a feminine rage book. It’s not quite on the Gone Girl level, but maybe more unhinged instead of calculated. I can’t deny the surprising moments of clarity where I would see myself reflected in Joan despite how little I cared for her. I would rate it higher for prose alone, but often times I felt that the story would drag or that some sections were strictly unnecessary. After loving Three Women as much as I did, I am in no way disappointed by this follow up work of hers.

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grunbean's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have never read female rage like this before. If you have ever experienced what it is like to present as female in this world, you will relate to. It’s womanhood’s revenge fantasy.

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