Debut novel?! Whaaaaat? I’m always blown away when an author comes out of the gate with something this sharp, dark, and emotionally layered. Bad Nature by Ariel Courage hooked me with its premise,“Armed with a terminal diagnosis, a grudge, and a rental car…” and kept me reading because of its biting humor, raw vulnerability, and a main character who is deliciously unhinged in all the ways I love.

Hester is angry, bitter, funny, and heartbreakingly human. I’m drawn to characters like her—women who are messy and mean and not at all concerned with being likable. She’s on a mission to find (and kill?) her estranged father before she dies, and while I usually hesitate with road trip novels (they can drag), this one absolutely didn’t. The pacing was tight, the stops along the way were bizarre and vivid, and her roadtrip companion, John—a soft-spoken environmental activist—was such a great contrast to her rage. I didn’t expect to care so much about their dynamic, but it added a lot of heart to the chaos.

Beneath the humor and outrageous premise, this is a novel about legacy—the damage we inherit and the pain we carry until we either make peace with it or let it burn us alive. It’s about wanting to be seen, even at your worst, and how facing the truth (about yourself and your family) is sometimes more terrifying than death.

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage was a shockingly fun and deeply introspective story about grieving the life you never lived. With a deeply unlikeable main character on a journey of revenge, it surprised me in how endeering it could be. Courage did a phenomenal job crafting this story.

Let's get into it-

Characters- An unlikable MC is a difficult thing to balance. If they're written completely outside of the scope of reason, then they become intolerable. On the other hand, a half baked unlikable main can feel lazy and dishonest to the reader. Courage finds the sweet spot with Hester, making her entirely unpleasant as a person, and yet infinitely interesting as a character. It's almost impossible to grasp whether or not you're rooting for her throughout her journey, because she is so unpleasant from beginning to end ( and because her goal is so obviously wrong). And yet, its impossible to shake the sense of pity you feel for this character, and the sh*t hand she's been dealt. I felt that the many characters that Hester meets along her journey did a good job of balancing her strong personality, and bringing a different perspective into the story. This is especially true with John, a deeply complex character that serves as an interesting foil to many of Hester's flaws. Without the balance of these two, I don't think the story would have worked nearly as well. 5/5

Concept- The concept behind the story here is fairly simple- woman has terminal cancer, decides to take her father out in a murder/suicide as her final act of life. It speaks to the most basic, vengeful parts of us in a way that is both understandable and yet clearly unethical. This creates a lovely little conflict for the readers to grapple with from beginning to end, and really invites to reader to explore their own sense of morals. On top of that, the story clearly plays with the concept of hope, having Hester, who is entirely hopeless, interacting with John, who sits on the opposite side of the spectrum. I was really moved by the environmental elements at play, as it was a surprisingly well-done tie in to the main story. Environmental hopelessness is a theme that I am always captured by in fiction, but i wasn't expecting to find that in a murder-revenge-roadtrip story. It was a pleasant surprise! 4.5/5

Ending- As I raced towards the end of this book, I truly had no idea which way things would go- would Hester go through with murdering her father, or would she decide against it after her experiences along the way. I could see it going either way, and even up until the climax, I wasn't sure which direction the author would take. Being able to believe in the possibility of both of these endings made the conclusion so much more thrilling, and Courage kept me locked in place until the very end. And when it was time for me to close the book, I found that I was more then satisfied with the way things pulled together. 5/5

This book is difficult to categorize into a simple genre, theme, or message. Its left me thinking for weeks after finishing it, and even now I can't completely put my thoughts to words. It's the kind of story that begs for discussion and dissection, and its one that I know I will be recommending again and again to any readers looking for a unique and emotionally-complex adventure.

Hester embarks on an unusual road trip after learning she has terminal cancer. While this sounds sad (it is) Hester has quite the adventure from New York to California. She is typically a loner but meets a hitch hiker along the way who joins her in her travels and directs her to several pit stops. They are unlikely companions but it does make the story much more interesting.

While Hester's disease is always there in the background of the story it does not bog it down. There is a lot of reflection, new experiences and moving forward. The characters were well developed and the dialogue showed the humor in every day life. I enjoyed the book and it kept my interest. I would recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of humor and dark satire. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

An unhinged middle-aged woman going on a quest for revenge? Say less. Dark humor, sharp and biting commentary, and a protagonist who's fairly self-aware in all her faults and shortcomings. This novel has so much heart to it, regardless of the unhinged revenge plot. An excellent exploration of society's expectations and just how far we let our pasts drive our futures.

Dark, weird, sharply funny, and surprisingly emotional.

On the day Hester turns forty and is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she walks away from her high-powered New York life and sets out for California with one mission in mind: find her estranged father. Along the way, she picks up a hitchhiking environmentalist and the two end up traveling through superfund sites, luxury hotels, and cultish compounds. What starts as a revenge trip slowly becomes something messier involving grief, connection, and a lot of unexpected detours.

I wasn’t sure where this one was going (in the best way), but the writing hooked me, and the ride made it even better.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the ARC

I love this book! Bad Nature is a fantastic character-driven book with a recent cancer diagnosis and a revenge plot. With the writing, I was able to fly through this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the unreliable narrator genre, and I love a tale of vengeance. This scratched both those itches. I found the social and environmental commentary on the US to be particularly timely and apt, however I found the sexual aspects a little heteronormative and superfluous. I enjoyed Hester's introspective passages, a lot to unpack there. The ending missed the landing for me but the rest of the book was worth the read. All in all, I would recommend to anyone who enjoys dry humor and thrillers, this was a fun book to blast through. I would definitely read this author again.

Early reviews of Ariel Courage’s debut Bad Nature painted a portrait of a deeply flawed character, who, shortly after a terminal cancer diagnosis, embarks on a cross-country drive to kill her estranged father.

The picture I had in my head of this story was much funnier than the book turned out to be. There are laughs, to be sure, but the story of 40-year-old Hester’s road trip is gripping and dark. It swerves into a weird buddy-film comedy when she picks up a young hitchhiker and environmental activist named John. He too, is on a quest – to document environmental depredations created by big energy companies. The two connect in a way that Hester has never really been able to do before. They are an odd couple; a younger, disheveled environmental activist and an uber-wealthy, polished New York attorney who has defended some of the very businesses that are scarring the land.

Along the way Hester also confronts a few other people she attempted to connect with in her younger years, including an ex and her best friend. Hester’s wry observances made me wince upon occasion, but even when some of her behaviors were so troubling I had to put the book down, you can bet I picked it right back up.

Little details resound; when she first receives the diagnosis from her oncologist, she is understandably unmoored. When most would call a loved one for support, Hester has no deep connections and instead goes on an aimless drive through Manhattan (which is a small foreshadowing of her cross-country trip). Here, she’s stuck at a traffic light, unable to continue through the intersection, though the light has gone through several cycles:
“A car drove in front of me across the grid, a sedan with a family inside, mother and father and girl about seven. I had a brief disorienting moment of imagining the family reconfigured and jumbled like some impossible puzzle, the girl in the driver’s seat and the mother in the back and the father strapped to the roof like a Christmas tree.”

Although not really likeable, Hester is compelling in her honesty and her desperation. Perhaps the most cynical character I've read in a long time, her moments of vulnerability and optimism are lovely, and Courage manages to make this rather unlikeable person so compelling, it’s a feat. The description of the ravages on our earth are like the emotional wounds that Hester carries and metes out wherever she goes. Readers who enjoyed Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce will find themselves in good company with Hester.

Loved this, and absolutely loved Hester. Nasty, bitter women antiheroes are few and far between, particularly so brilliantly done. The tone and the prose are both spectacular and hilarious. The only element that fell flat for me is the very last paragraph, otherwise perfect.

When Hester is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she quits her corporate law job and sets off on a road trip to do what she’s always wanted to do… kill her father. Along the way; she picks up an environmental activist, John.

I loved this one because when I think of road trip books, I usually think of upbeat and happy stories. This one is definitely not that. The main character is a major grumpy. Yes, she’s been diagnosed with a terminal illness but it’s also her personality and I just loved it. She had major IDGAF attitude. Her friendship, if you could call it that (probably not) with John is perfect and I couldn’t get enough of their conversations. I loved the ending as well.

“I knew I was going to kill him the same way you know that sooner or later it’s going to rain. It was a natural fact.”

Bad Nature comes out 4/1.

Wow. This is definitely a dark and heavy read. Hester is simultaneously hateable and relatable. I found her journey with John my favorite part of the book, and wish they remained close at the end, and that Hester could have been more open with him even though it's not in her "nature". After receiving life altering news she decides she must kill her father. She wanted to do it when he left her family as a child, and now is the time. She starts a journey from NYC to CA and meets old and new "friends" along the way. I would definitely check trigger warnings and know this is not a happy ending for anyone. That being said, I loved Ariel's writing. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC.

Wow! This was truly unhinged in the best way possible. Honestly, I feel for the fmc cause uh same bestie. 😂😂 can’t wait to see what this author has next for us!

Based on the synopsis, I expected Bad Nature to have a bit more substance in terms of plot. Instead, it felt more like a character study, one that prioritized the journey over the destination. While I can appreciate a slow-burn approach, the environmental themes ended up detracting from what was otherwise a revenge story, making it feel somewhat unfocused. The ending, in particular, fell flat for me—leaving me more perplexed than satisfied. Overall, it’s a book that just made me go “hmm” rather than leaving a lasting impression.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didnt love this. The premise was perfect: a woman hellbent on killing her father after a road trip. But she was wealthy so it turns out she just needs two types of therapy: psycho and chemo. Also, I couldn't help but imagine her hitchhiker as Timothée Chalamet's character from dont look up.

And God, yes, I could go into all the subtext. I got it. It still didn't inspire action and my shitty dad still isn't dead despite how much I might want him to be..

Thank you Henry Holt for my free ARC of Bad Nature by Ariel Courage — available Apr 1!

» READ IF YOU «
🚗 love a road trip story with quirky characters
🔪 can get behind revenge and moral ambiguity
🛣️ are here for thoughts, not plots

» SYNOPSIS «
Hester’s 40th birthday gift is a terminal cancer diagnosis — big bummer. So she figures, why not? and embarks on a cross-country drive with a singular, sinister objective: to murder her estranged father. She picks up an environmental activist hitchhiker, and their opposing lifestyles and silly banter carries much of the story. Eventually, Hester will have to confront her past, her choices, and the true nature of her mission.

» REVIEW «
This is a dark comedy with a good bit of introspective exploration — is vengeance really worth what it does to the seeker? The bulk of this book is stream-of-consciousness rambling, which ends up making this story mostly thoughts and very few plots. The road trip and banter with John are amusing, but weren’t enough to save this story for me — it just wasn’t compelling enough for what I wanted in the moment. I did resonate with much of what was being said, especially the environmental components, but the pacing was a liiiiittle too plodding for my personal taste.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A roadtrip revenge story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the mix of dark comedy and thrilling storyline. Definitely will be keeping an eye out for anything else from this author!

Like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles but with less humor and more environmental destruction and murderous intent.

Totally riveting, mildly nauseating, and wholly entertaining, I really enjoyed Bad Nature by Ariel Courage. I'm a sucker for a morally gray character, and a terminally ill woman seeking to kill her father kind of take the cake on that, no?? We follow Hester post terminal breast cancer diagnosis, where she seeks to complete her ultimate bucket list goal and finally murder her father. She meets a host of strangers, friends, and lovers on the way.

I found Hester to be a compelling character. I do feel like she fell a little flat for me, or at times I found myself wondering Hester WYD??

Thanks so much to @netgalley , Henry Holt and Co, and Ariel Courage for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was a pleasant surprise. I went in somewhat blind and this literary fiction story had a great mix of road trip vibes, self discovery, and redemption, with a side of humor (sometimes dark, if I’m honest, but perfect for the story nonetheless).

Hester, our FMC, is incredibly relatable and you find out quickly she is laced with bad luck and a witty, dry sense of humor. The speed bumps and road blocks she encounters on her journey of revenge just make you want to shake your head. Like how could her luck get any worse?

This really read like a memoir. I enjoyed that type of writing style for a work of fiction, especially because the story isn’t so far fetched that it couldn’t happen. Feeling like I’m reading Hester’s journey or sitting in the car beside her kept me into wide start to finish.

The drawback for me was the slow pace of some of the chapters. In some cases, I honestly didn’t know if some of the points being made were necessary or fluff. The nonlinear timeline helped quicken the pace in some parts and overall I enjoyed the book. It had an abrupt ending, but that fit with the tone of the story. Overall, a good story and a moving message of self-redemption with a taste of revenge.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

The Premise: Hester is a 40-year-old lawyer who works at a big New York City law firm. She is transactional in her relationships and has a biting, dry sense of humor. When she gets a terminal diagnosis, she quits her job and leaves her carefully curated life for a cross-country road trip. She’s headed to California to kill her father and take revenge for her childhood. Of course, there are a lot of detours on the way there.

My Thoughts: Do you like books that are a bit unusual? They are my sweet spot so when I read this premise, I knew I had to read it. Hester is a phenomenal character and Ariel Courage writes smart banter like no one else. I loved going on this journey with Hester even when it veered off into unexpected territory.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.