The 52 Book Club's 2025 Challenge - hosted by the52bookclub

Non-human antagonist
An antagonist is the opposing force in a story. It may be a character, group, force, idea, etc. It is an opposer working against the protagonist's (leading character's) goals. This is what creates the main conflict in the story. Traditionally, we think of an antagonist as "the bad guy" or the villain of the story.

A non-human antagonist doesn't necessarily need to be a physical character. It could also be nature, technology, disease, the protagonist's own emotions, a hostile environment, society, etc. 
All books added
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House

Shirley Jackson

213 pages • digital • 1959

fiction classics horror literary dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains by Bethany Brookshire

Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains

Bethany Brookshire

348 pages • hardcover

nonfiction science funny informative reflective medium-paced
Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune

Dune #1

Frank Herbert

624 pages • hardcover • 1965

fiction classics science fiction adventurous challenging slow-paced
The Good House by Tananarive Due

The Good House

Tananarive Due

21 hours, 54 minutes • audio • 2003

fiction fantasy horror dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

Wave

Sonali Deraniyagala

240 pages • hardcover • 2013

nonfiction memoir emotional reflective sad slow-paced
God of War by Rina Kent

God of War

Legacy of Gods #6

Rina Kent

488 pages • digital • 2024

fiction contemporary romance dark emotional tense medium-paced
The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

The Warsaw Orphan

Kelly Rimmer

395 pages • paperback • 2021

fiction historical emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
Hole in the Sky: A Novel by Daniel H. Wilson

Hole in the Sky: A Novel

Daniel H. Wilson

288 pages • hardcover • 2025

fiction science fiction
Defiance of the Fall 3 by J.F. Brink, TheFirstDefier

Defiance of the Fall 3

Defiance of the Fall #3

J.F. Brink, TheFirstDefier

734 pages • digital • 2021

fiction fantasy adventurous challenging slow-paced
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Melissa Bashardoust

409 pages • digital • 2020

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ young adult adventurous dark medium-paced