Arlee Gold has always lived in the shadow of her mom; and now she's been enrolled as a legacy at Camp Rockaway, an elite college prep summer camp. But, all the campers seems to have a lack of ease in Arlee's presence. She quickly finds herself caught up in a secret society that expects its sisterhood to protect each other from any and all who would harm them—by any means necessary. "Protect the girls." Finally Arlee feels like she's apart of something bigger than herself. Unfortunately, nothing is what it seems.

I don't even know where to begin with this one. While the premise sounded thrilling, it didn't live up to my expectations. Arlee, the main character, is extremely unlikable and most of the story felt unnecessary. I read this for the queer romance, but even that was disappointing and insta-lovey. There was no character development, the timespan is awkward and the narrative felt off track. In addition, the reader is left hanging at the end without purpose. I finished this book wondering what the point of it was. I wish I loved it as much as I love the cover.

I was hooked from the beginning. The author immediately introduced the MC's weakness, set a dark and eerie atmosphere, and gave subtle hints of something nefarious about the summer camp.

At about the halfway point I had said something along the lines of "If this book has a decent ending, it's going to be a great book. But if all this set up has nothing to do with the conclusion, I'm going to be disappointed." Boy, was I disappointed.

The ending felt like the author was hours from deadline and had to slap something together. It left so many things unexplained and makes you go *why*? What was the point?

Not only was the big bad reveal weak, but Arlees character arc was... strange, and not in a good way.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't what I was expecting. I went to summer camp and can appreciate what was happening as the story was developing. I found it disturbing but realize this was the whole point of the story. Some people may appreciate the thriller piece of that plot. I am a middle school LMS so it's not appropriate for our audience.

Like the hazy days of Summer itself, this book will pull you in and keep you there in a daydream style stupor. The heavy weight and humidity of the warm forest air will bear down on you, trapping you forever in liminal spaces. You’ll find yourself reading for hours on end, even though you try your best to close it and put it down, but you won’t be able to tear yourself away. Much like Arlee Gold, you’ll be caught in its trance of mystery, thrills, tension, and romance until it’s too late and the horror has been unleashed. By then, you’ll gallop full speed, nonstop no matter the cost until you reach the end. It hardly feels real, that I’ve read any of this, and yet I have. It’s brutal; it’s gross; it’s horrific; it’s terribly bittersweet and romantic. And if there isn’t a follow up novel, or perhaps several and a series adaptation or a movie, i might set something on fire. Just kidding on that last bit but I really would be delighted to explore more of this universe. I’m very committed to this creepy folk horror/cultish atmosphere and I’m enthralled and engrossed with the world building here. I need more. I crave it. Sign me up and I pledge my allegiance! Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance to indulge in some of my fave genre fare. I do agree with the comparisons of Lord of the Flies meets Midsommar meets the Wicker Man and dare I also throw in a reference to The Skulls and even a touch of Equus vibes? It’s deliciously demented in the best of ways. I couldn’t put it down!

Generally a good book, kept my attention. The story was great, characters well thought out, and the pacing was good. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read more by this author!! Thank you so much for the ARC!

Primal Animals was a huge letdown.

I liked the concept but honestly the blurb is just? The whole sisterhood isn't that big of a plot point and the feminism isn't there at all.

the plot would've worked better with a longer timeline to actually explore the characters more in depth. the pace was horrible and it also made the characters bland and underdeveloped. also the main character was so annoying it was actually causing me to pause reading. the romance was fine i guess but there wasn't much chemistry or anything special.

i actually didn't realize this was by the same author as Trouble Girls— another book I very much disliked so that's on me.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was difficult for me to fully rate, because on the one hand, I finished it quickly, but I don't think I liked it very much. The premise is sort of like Yellowjackets meets The A List (Netflix series that is not very good) and I actually enjoyed where the dark parts of the story went, though I think the author tried to go too far in some points while managing to not go far enough in others. What I didn't enjoy, was the forced feeling of the moral that it left off with.

Some other things that irked me throughout: repetitive writing ("her face turned blueberry blue"), the writing itself felt a bit choppy and rigid, and inconsistencies within the plot and characters that I found it hard to ignore. Some examples (***spoilers from here on, though mild***) include the insta-love aspect of Arlee falling for Winnie, yet having no real interest in her whatsoever (Winnie is telling a story and Arlee isn't even paying attention, she is absorbed in her own thoughts, she doesn't actually know anything about Winnie and barely learns much about her even after the insta-love moment), the introduction of her mom having a bottle of wine every night when Arlee's dad leaves yet the one night Arlee needs her mom to pick her up she "got lucky" and hadn't "downed any wine", seeing someone's eyes and recognizing them behind a mask at a pitch black ritual in the woods at night. It was just enough to make me feel like it wasn't edited/executed very well, but I would have forgiven it if the main bones of the story weren't so difficult for me to swallow, which leads me to...

The main parts of the book that you're waiting for, the "thing that Arlee did in the woods." You wait probably about 60-70% of the book to get there and it's barely anything at all. Meanwhile, the descriptions of what her mother did at camp, and some of the other parts of the sisterhood are very graphic and disturbing (which I was fine with! But commit to it!). It was like she committed to these disturbing images and moments, and then second-guessed herself and pulled back way too far in others like ((Major spoilers****)) Winnie committing to killing a boy over...insults/threats to her dad's business? Like we have Arlee's mom who skinned a boy alive for assaulting a girl, and Winnie's doesn't feel as vindicated. I truly appreciated the sisterhood's MO and I felt like the author was trying to force us to not sympathize with what these women throughout the history of the camp had gone through, which was a weird flex imo. So, pulling back and making some of the stories have less of a disturbing factor felt intentional for us to side with Arlee, which just wasn't my take on this story. For that reason I felt it was too messy and inconsistent to add to my library's collection.

After I read Trouble Girls, I thought that story was a dark but compelling read. I felt this book was a bit darker, but equally compelling.

Arlene Gold, 16, was afraid of moths, fleas, insects, and flies. She suffered from extreme anxiety about this especially after what happened to her in the woods by her house. She retreated into herself and lost friends she once had. So her mother, Sam, decided to send her to a camp for the summer; the same camp she herself attended twenty years prior. Sam kept telling Arlene the camp will change her, she’ll fit in, and she’ll come away a new person. Well, it certainly did that, but not the way anyone expected it to be.

This was a hauntingly dark story that took place in the perfect setting. The camp had a diverse group of people and personalities to match. The teenagers enjoyed their freedom away from home. As usual, some campers got along, others did not. Arlene wanted to be liked, especially by her bunkmates. When she received a special invitation to join a secret society, she agreed. Arlene more than anything wanted to fit in and not be the weird girl afraid of flies. She embraced this sisterly love the secret society offered and swore to always protect the girls. After this point, the paced increased and the tension heightened.

This was one of those stories where I wanted to keep reading until the end, but at the same time didn’t want to read anymore because of some disturbing events. But it was the pull of Arlene, who was very likable, that kept me reading. She was at times emotionally wrecked, confused, and her anxiety seemed to override conscious thoughts. Other times she was a happy camper who dreamed of kissing her bunk mate and camp best friend. But then the author suddenly pushed those scenes aside and once again took her reader into Arlene’s world of anxiety ridden fear.

This was a very well written and fast paced story. My only complaint was the ending. After everything that took place, I felt more closure was needed. I think those that enjoy the horror/ thriller genre will enjoy this one.

A teenaged girl joins a secret society at camp and ends up with more than she bargained for. This book was not what I was expecting. The writing is compelling, it has all the hallmarks of a classic young adult horror novel, but it does border on a little too intense for the classroom, I think. The themes were interesting, but felt somewhat unexplored. This is a spoiler-free review so I hesitate to go into too much detail. However, I can say that I think the rapid pacing made it difficult to go all in with the characters--in this case, I kept wishing for a Midsommar-like slow burn, and a bit more character exploration. Fans might also enjoy The Project by Courtney Summers. All in all I enjoyed it but was left wanting a bit more.

Primal Animals is one of those books that really is not afraid to go there. This is a blood-drenched, gut-wrenching type of YA horror book that holds no prisoners and offers no easy answers.

I discovered Julia Lynn Rubin last year, when I read and loved Trouble Girls. That dark and unrelenting exploration of issues is something that appears characteristic of Rubin’s work, with Primal Animals going even further. This is a book that I would recommend going into pretty blind, in order to fully appreciate the unhinged mayhem that ensues. That being said, please be aware of the trigger warnings, as this is a book that gets pretty mucky at times. Rubin throws some gruesome and graphic descriptions at times, showing the messy reality of these situations. It gets elbow-deep in all the mire and darkness encircling.

Yet again, I found Rubin’s writing style so addictive. I did not put this book down, racing through the pages. The tension was so immaculately pushing down on you at all times. Arlee’s headspace can be pretty suffocating at times, with her vivid anxiety and the way she really puts every fibre of her being into everything. Right from the start, you get a sense of the fragility of the veneer of this idyllic setting. There’s something there that sends a shiver down your spine, something unspeakably sinister and unsettling. I love the type of horror that sinks into your bones and this is one of those types of books. The dread and suspense just gets woven around you, building to a crescendo of absolute chaos.

Primal Animals is a book that does not pull its punches. It surrounds you with its creeping dread, pulling you into the grotesque and dubious world it inhabits.

3.5-3.75

I really liked the premise of this book, but I don’t think the execution lived up to that. There were definitely some really interesting elements, but nothing was really explained/had enough lasting impact. The characters were fine, but nothing special for the most part. However, I really did not like Arlee. Not enough to stop reading, but she just felt very whiny and stock ya protagonist to me. Also her fear of bugs really had no impact on the plot or her character at all except for one small moment. I feel like everything was just sort of forced to wrap up to a happy ending, even though it didn’t feel deserved.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an arc.

Mother of God, I despised this book's overall messaging and ideology. The writing was fine, and the character building seemed fine enough too, but Christ above, that ending...big old nope for me. If you want to read legit feminist takes on boarding school/elite teens and fucking up the patriarchy, read a Hannah Capin book instead.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was honored to be invited to read the title.
Let me start with the beautiful cover. I wish the inside matched the cover. The description of thr hook was appealing to me as a summer camp girl for 8+ summers. Unfortunately I felt remover from the main characters in this book including the main character Arlee. Maybe it's my age- but I enjoyed Maureen Johnson's The Box in the Woods thoroughly. everything felt flat and pointless to me. Maybe the intended audience is late teens, but I cannot reccomend this book to anyone over 30.

2 5/5☆

A secret society at an elite college prepish summer camp? Sounds great! The reality, not so much. This novel DRAGGED for the first half (or more) until finally the action starts. I found the main character to be unlikeable and boring, And the ending did not save this.

So this was…trippy, and I mean that mostly in a good way. The book builds up this sense of dread from the very beginning in Arlee’s narration style—I can see why other people may not have liked it or thought of it as infodump-y, but as someone with pretty nasty anxiety the almost word vomit style of the narration gives us a very clear picture of the character from the get go, and I liked that! It added to the sense of dread that ramped up over the course of the book. Everything felt Wrong in a very distinct way and it made me want to keep reading with every new development and twist.

I’m not gonna say it fumbled it in the last quarter because it wrapped up far better than I was expecting it too when I saw how much of the story was left, but there was some stuff in the last chunk that made me drop a star—gonna get into spoilers here so don’t read on if that’s not your cup of tea!
One is a little thing: let’s not throw the word psychopath around like that. Yeah everyone in this book is goddamn bonkers and yeah, most people, especially teenagers would use psychopath to mean violent, dangerous, unhinged, but that’s not actually what it means so I was a little uncomfortable with that.
And lastly, I’m calling shenanigans that teenage girls, no matter how athletic and fueled by rage or what have you, could decapitate someone/skin somebody alive. Like yes we’ve been told they have access to copious large knives but cmon.

So yeah, overall a weird trippy bloody book that kept me very much enthralled, and if you can suspend disbelief about the decapitation and that sounds like something you’d like, go forth and enjoy

I received an arc from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday books for my honest review.
I am not sure where to begin. I wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. I found myself putting this book down quite a bit. It just didn’t keep my attention. That is not to say the book was boring, just not for me. I did not like the main character Arlee, I found some scenes unnecessary and added nothing but shock value. I can see where some may like this book, it did give a creepy feel.

Primal Animals by Julia Lynn Rubin follows Arlee Gold. Arlee is going to spend the summer at the college prep camp Camp Rockaway. Her mother attended this camp when she was younger, and she insists this camp will change Arlee’s life. When Arlee arrives at camp, she likes her roommates and even develops a crush on one of the girls. Arlee is puzzled by the other campers because they seem uneasy around her. Soon Arlee gets an invitation to join a secret society and she hopes this is a sign she is beginning to fit in with the others. But the secret society wants Arlee to do something dangerous that puts both herself and her crush in harm’s way.

This is a dark, disturbing read. Perfect for people who love to read about secret societies!

Bravo!!! This was such a COOL read. I love the cover. And I felt very *blessed* that the publisher reached out to me and offered a copy of the book.

I felt like Arlee was an interesting mc. I need more queer teen books!!

Very dark, very twisty, very addicting!!!

I am not sure what the point of this book was. It had elements that could have made it interesting, mystery of what her mother did, mystery of what she did, a secret society, a blossoming love affair, but it didn't work. Yes there was some character development, but we were left hanging and for what point

Primal Animals has all of the elements of a good horror novel: rich kids at an elite camp, secret societies, family legacies, creepy rituals, and murder. I really loved the atmosphere that the author created in this novel. But it ultimately never came together for me. The events of the novel take place over a very short timespan and the book is, in my opinion, poorly paced. The character development and narrative suffers as a result. The queer romance is sweet, but ultimately feels like an afterthought.

I do think some people will really enjoy this book. But it ultimately wasn’t for me.