This is honestly one of the worst books I have ever read. Replete with lazy stereotypes of librarians and nausea-inducing characters. Read of you like books that make your queasy. The last book I forced myself through in a similar manner was Eileen, but at least that had weirdness going for it.

I wanted to like this one, as the description seemed promising, but I don't think this will be a book for me. The writing wasn't working for me and the characters weren't hooking me into the book. I could try and read this once the book is released and give it a second chance, but it is a DNF for now.

Thank you so much for sharing this title!

OMG I loved this. Admittedly it took me a bit to get into it, but then, it flew by. I am so into stories about women in their 50s and 60s that are fun and wild. We need more of this! What a fever-dream, truly.

Love!

Maeve Cosgrove is 45, lives in Maine with her loving husband, has a dream job at the library, and their daughter is a success. But one by one each piece of perfection comes misaligned, and even the granting of her greatest wish doesn't bring about the joy she'd expected. When Maeve's highly organized life seems to come unhinged, the crisis she's ensconced in is actually only the tip of the iceberg; so many underlying currents, unspoken issues, and buried secrets. A multitude of fascinating plot points converge: from Lost Boy child soldier Willie's life story, to wildly popular author Harrison Riddles' arrival, to shameful family relations. I love the realistic way in which Maeve's consequences and outcomes are alluded to, but not tied up neatly in a bow. I look forward to reading more by author Sarah Braunstein.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. Bad Animals comes out March 19, 2024.