A review by rballenger
Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor

3.0

Type of read: Commuter read.

What made me pick it up: I found 'Filthy Animals' on one of my suggested lists from my library (based on previous books/authors).

Overall rating: Wow, honestly, not totally sure what I just read. 'Filthy Animals' is an interesting dive into human behavior and relationships. There are multiple storylines and characters, yet by the end of the book, none fully come together or have a gift-wrapped ending. But that's kind of what life is like, you don't get that pretty, clean, ending...and I think that's what 'Filthy Animals' is all about. Life isn't pretty. It's not predictable. What you think is actually going to happen doesn't. And through it all, you find out why you're really here or at the very least, why you're still living. I'm not sure if I could fully recommend 'Filthy Animals' because like I said, I honestly don't really know what I read. There was a lot of jumping, a lot of characters, a lot of sex. But underneath all of that, there is a really good message, and the book itself is almost poetic when you get past the crudeness and explicitness. I think what 'Filthy Animals' does really well is show that even if you're brought up a certain way or go through specific life experiences, we all have something inside ourselves that hasn't been fully realized or worked out. And sometimes we find the answer to that, or if not the answer a bandaid, in the least expected places.

Reader's Note: 'Filthy Animals' includes themes of suicide, eating disorders, self-harm, sex, drugs, and physical abuse. Additionally, 'Filthy Animals' contains sexual content.