(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Feedback is based on the full novel.)

"Animal" by Lisa Taddeo presents readers with a raw and unflinching exploration of desire, power, and the complexities of human relationships. Taddeo's writing style is visceral and evocative, drawing readers into a world where passion and obsession collide with devastating consequences.

The novel's atmosphere is dark and brooding, with a sense of tension and unease pervading every page. Set against the backdrop of a small town in New England, Taddeo expertly captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of a community haunted by its secrets and desires. Character development in "Animal" is a mixed bag. While some protagonists are deeply nuanced and compelling, others feel underdeveloped or stereotypical. Taddeo delves into the psyche of her characters with unflinching honesty, but not all of them receive the same level of depth and complexity. The plot unfolds at a brisk pace, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. However, the pacing can feel uneven at times, with certain plot points feeling rushed while others drag on unnecessarily. Relationship dynamics play a central role in the narrative, with themes of love, lust, and betrayal explored with nuance and sensitivity. Taddeo's exploration of power dynamics and consent adds an additional layer of complexity to the story, challenging readers to confront their own assumptions and beliefs.

Overall, "Animal" is a provocative and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of literary fiction. While it may not be without its flaws, its evocative atmosphere, compelling plot, and nuanced exploration of human relationships make it a worthwhile addition to Taddeo's body of work.

“May you not go around the world looking to fill what you fear you lack with the flesh of another human being.”

I'm torn. There were so many great lines in this one. So many profound statements. I can't say I loved, or even liked the main character, but I didn't hate her. The books seems like her soul searching. She tries to name what she feels, what she's been through, and why she made the choices along the way that she did.

But somewhere around midway, it got a bit confusing. There were so many characters - the current timeframe, the previous ones, the ones from her stories. Maybe this was a downfall of doing the audiobook, but I started to mix-up which was who.

I did like the sharp, short sentences. I think it made the lines more potent. I liked the other women in the the story - Alice, the wife, the daughter. They each played off the mc and made point more defined.

I might read this one again, as a physical or ebook. I'll definitely read more from this author.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Glad this was a sample because I wouldn’t have made it through the whole book. The writing was soooo underwhelming after living Three Women.

If you are a woman who has ever had a moment, or an episode or a lifetime of diminishing yourself for a man; or if you are a man who has ever demanded of a woman something that diminished her, or yourself, you will relate to some, or a lot of this book.

Joan is, in some ways, what Black folks refer to as "that girl". The one around whom rumors and sexual innuendo swirl, who doesn't always have a lot of girlfriends, or any female friends at all, but who always seems to be embroiled in something messy with a man. Except Joan knows full well that she is a mess, and she even knows why. Her story unfolds after she witnesses something horrific which takes her back emotionally to another horrific occurrence, and the most difficult day of her life. That day, she refers to throughout her story as "the day I died." Traveling across country to find another young woman with whom she shares a bond, she tells us, bit by bit, what happened way back then, and how it stained her entire life.

'Animal produced difficult, visceral emotions. Whenever Joan did debasing or despicable things, to herself or others, it was hard to hate or even blame her for them. You know she is damaged; she has told us so herself. And what's more, we see some of the damage occur-men she wants to love her who do not. Men who want to use her, and she lets them. Men who want to own parts or all of her, even if it means sharing her.

The unflinching portrayal here, of the harm that some men do to women, and the dissection of sexual politics and sexual violence are consistent with the theme of the author's prior book, 'Three Women'. I'm excited to consider that this will be a recurring theme of hers, since she handles it so brilliantly.

Recommended for lovers of literary and issue-driven fiction; and for those readers who can handle books that portray problems with grit and realism, and that don't turn away from the ugliness in people, or discreetly close the curtain when something violent is happening.

Audiobook note: I listened to, as well as read this one. It's read by Emma Roberts who does a brilliant job conveying the dispassion and disconnectedness Joan has from even the worst things that happen to her. Her laconic style did justice to the mood of the book, and for some readers might even help them understand Joan better. I can't imagine the author was anything other than ecstatic at this performance.

It was hard to get a grasp of what this book was about from the teaser. However, I will say that I did not read enough to intrigue me to read more. Clearly this is a book about men treating women badly and revenge, but I wasn't sure where this was going. Again, the full book would have more detail, but the teaser didn't tease enough.

Read her last book in my book club, which we all enjoyed, so thought this would be another hit and it was! Loved the new approach from the author!

Animal explores a woman's journey through violence, memory, and PTSD. The novel starts off with a heart-stopping first line and only goes up from there. Lisa Taddeo deftly navigates internal thoughts, tension, and female rage to create a gripping and current novel.

Drawbacks of the novel include a long list of trigger warnings and the internal monologue sometimes getting monotomous. As such, I would not be able to recommend this book to a wide range of people, as it is best targeted toward a smaller subset of readers.

Thank you to Netgalley.

Loved this teaser/extract of Lisa Taddeo’s most recent release ‘Animal’! I definitely need to go and read the full book now.

I read this teaser, it was a little bit too dark for me at the time I read it. Taddeo is an outstanding author, and the teaser was well written, but I was not ready to dive into something quite this dark, then.

I did not enjoy this character or plot. We read it for my book club and talked about the various themes present in the book. This helped me appreciate it a little more but it definitely was not one of my favorites of the year.

This is just a teaser, but what a teaser. Our heroine is completely over the top, but don't we all love charming, amoral, and personable sociopaths? I don't know if the narrative style will wear out its welcome, or if the tale will careen into self-parody, but this sample sure makes me want to find out.

This read was very dark. Honestly, too dark for me. I am familiar with Lisa Taddeo and loved her book Three Women. In both books she clearly exhibits wonderful, skilled writing, but I never found myself itching to pick up Animal. The content wasn't my cup of tea. In contrast, I gravitated towards the journalistic writing and shifting POVs of Three Women. I think I prefer that type of writing and subject matter much more.

I’m judging the L.A. Times 2020 and 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

I read this novel all the way through, what an exciting book… I loved every bit of it. Sharp and tough, and funny. Here’s an example. “He was picking a pimple on his chin and staring at me. There are a hundred such small rapes a day.” (11)

I loved this teaser and I have added this book to my tbr. Can't wait to get stuck in and learn more about the characters.

This book was a lot. It was intense from the start. I was captivated and also appalled of Joan's story. She was a difficult character that had been through so much trauma and always found herself in unfortunate circumstances.

While this book is really good, I'm not sure I'd recommend it to just anyone. You need to know going in to this book that you have to be tough to read it.

TW (and possible spoiler alert):
miscarriage/pregnancy loss (and many others, you can DM me for more)

If you are part of the worst club in the world, the one nobody wants to be apart of like I am, please consider the TW before reading. I didn't know of this and even if I did, I still probably would have read it because I've had almost two years of healing from my miscarriage (not that it ever gets easier, it doesn't). But the description of the pregnancy loss in this book as well as the discardment of the fetus was repulsive and Joan was so insensitive to the entire situation. I cried and cried over that scene, unfortunately that will probably be a scene that always sticks with me.

Overall, the writing was well done and I was very engaged in this heartbreaking story. Read at your own risk 🤍

Couldn't get into this one. It was just a teaser, but probably won't finish the full book either. Though, the audiobook has Emma Roberts as the narrators, so I might check that out before I really decide!

I was so excited for this one! It was dark, edgy, and extraordinarily readable.

I consumed Animal within one day! It was that good. If you lean more heavily towards dark novels, I would highly recommend this one. Also, I would try to go into Animal as blind as possible. With this title, the less you know, the definite better!

Sadly, I didn't find this teaser engaging enough to want to continue reading. I had no problem with the fact that the main character was unsympathetic, as I enjoy reading books with complex female characters. It was more a question of the narrative style, which didn't grab me. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and give honest feedback.

Imagine a lifetime of suppression. A lifetime of slights both real and imagined by men who go on with their day after ruining yours. That’s how I see this heroine. Who has the power but waits and sees and seeks council for just the right moment to extract a just end. To misery and heartbreak.

I really didn't care for this book. I understood what the author was trying to do, but didn't feel that she accomplished it.