This book was an odd mix of introspection and resignation. Hester's cynicism felt like a refreshing taste of my inner bitch—sharp, unapologetic, and deeply relatable. It offered a compelling peek into what choices might look like if you were truly free of life's usual constraints. Heavy on character and lighter on plot, it still moved along quickly, propelled by emotion rather than action. By the end, I was left with a quiet, almost shrugging sense of, "Well, there that is." Not every book needs to blow your mind—some just need to hold up a mirror.

Despite some of the rave reviews of this novel, I'm not particularly convinced of its originality. Literary fiction is already saturated with an upclose and personal account of sad, unlikable, and cynical characters who don't learn as much as we want them too. We have also seen the novels that show us vivid portraits of the crumbling world and toxic society we live in. I don't know how frequently I've seen those things together, but I also don't know if this book made anything greater out of putting those two things together.

What I can say for it is that it is very well written. The prose was memorable with very specific and interesting images and metaphors and the plot was very well paced with events unfolding that the right times and with the right unusualness to keep me engaged.

Some reviewers call this book funny but I must have missed the point there. I can absolutely see why some would think parts of this book are funny but I was probably too busy admiring how she put sentences together to let the humor sink in all the way.

I'd have liked to enjoy this book more, but at the end of the day, I'm left with this uncomfortable feeling of doom from it. I realize that's part of the point of the book, but why paint that picture and then end it? I don't mind if a book is SAD or a bit depressing. Those are important things to show about the human experience. But when the overall theme seems to be about society and human nature though, I really dislike when we end the conversation in such a negative space. "The world is dying and everyone's an asshole" and now I'm supposed to get out of bed and act like a productive member of society? Is the book supposed to incite me to change? Because when you have a somewhat irredeemable protagonist, the message that kind of goes with that is that trying for change is somewhat meaningless and/or impossible.

I may be reading into it too much, or not enough, and it's entirely possible that my not enjoying this book as much as I wanted to is a me problem, so take my rating and review with a grain of salt.

My observations and thoughts about BAD NATURE:
-wandering road trip novel with increasing time pressure
-pretty unlikeable main character plus very likeable secondary character
-unreliable narrator
-lots of metaphors invoking ecological crises
-grappling with terminal illness
-explorations of religion/spirituality/belief systems
-flashbacks and memories explain why Hester is the way she is
-dark humor abounds
-women's wrongs!!
-interesting resolution; not satisfying in the way you hope it will be but also not unsatisfying, ya know?
-ultimately a fun listen with good narration; good way to pass time

**Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this whacky title!**

I absolutely adored this no-holds-barred audiobook from Ariel Courage. The narrator, Cia Court, absolutely crushed this one and definitely captured the essence of the story.

While the cancer diagnosis of the MC was very sad, what she decided to do with the rest of her life was a fun ride to watch. Hester decides that with her remaining time on Earth - she will quit her job, road trip across the country, and kill her father.

I loved Hester's boldness and her ability to embrace her truth and that of human nature that we typically shy away from. This is one that I want to read a physical copy of now because there were sooo many good quotes I wasn't able to jot down in audio form.

While I would consider this partly literary fiction, the pacing was incredible and I definitely see this as humor/satire as well.

3.5★

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage is novel about a woman diagnosed with breast cancer who decides it's a perfect time to go on a road trip to kill her father.

The main character is unlikable and a little unhinged. You could say she has a bad nature, but so do the other people she meets along her way to her father, including a hitchhiking photographer who may be a little too obsessed with the planet.

This novel would be what I would describe as a good time, not a memorable time. It was fun to listen to while I worked but it's not something I'm going to be thinking about.  I was expecting the ending to have some epic finale but felt it was a little lackluster. It wasn't bad though.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an arc of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I listened to BAD NATURE in the car, a choice that seemed fitting given the meandering road trip that it follows. At age 40, Hester is diagnosed with breast cancer - but instead of treatment, she decides to drive across the country to kill her father…and picks up a hitchhiker named John along the way. (If that isn’t the best kind of premise, I don’t know what is.)

Hester is the kind of character you only meet once in a long while: difficult, electric, painfully honest. She’s all edges, the kind of woman fiction doesn’t always make room for. Her connection with John is improbable and perfect, an upside-down Thelma & Louise that aches with longing and strange grace. I would read this again, and again, and again. A rare and beautiful book that made me feel a whole lot of things, including cracked wide open.

The audiobook narration was perfection - and sort of felt like it was being read by Daria, which was oddly comforting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I LOVE a wronger woman who wants vengeance. This book did not disappoint.

This book surprised me with how much I liked it. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

We follow our protagonist, Hester, on a cross-country road trip to kill her father. Hester has just found out that she has terminal breast cancer and, instead of buying herself a couple years with treatment, decides that she's going to murder her absent father. Along the way she meets John, a hitchiker that takes pictures of ecological disasters, and the two of them form an unlikely bond. Hijinks ensue and we are pulled along for a wild ride.

This was such a fun read for a novel where the main character is dying. Hester has an interesting perspective and I enjoyed her dry humor as well as the flashbacks to her life pre-diagnosis. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, waiting for the inevitable showdown with her father, but thoroughly enjoying what she got up to before getting there. I am definitely interested in reading future books by this author!

I also absolutely loved the narrator. Her voice captures Hester's dryness so perfectly. It's exactly how I would have pictured her speaking.

Unhinged women, dark humor, LOVE that. I would have liked to see more of a revenge plot, but overall, a good read.

Thanks for the advanced audiobook copy.

Audio- The narrator was excellent. Had a pleasant voice to listen to.

Book- It was a decent read and overall good experience. The protagonist finds out she has cancer and sets on a cross country journey to kill her father. Along the way she meets a hitchhiker and it follows their journey.

My #SnarkySaturday edition is brought to you by an impromptu drive and 𝑩𝑨𝑫 𝑵𝑨𝑻𝑼𝑹𝑬 𝒃𝒚 𝑨𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆, a @macmillan.audio @netgalley choice that Published April 2nd!

Seriously though, I did listen to this road trip story while I was driving, and I am not sure it didn't add some cynical fuel to my frustration fire! (I am in a double negative mood, so...)

I don't know what I expected from this story, but I was mostly prepared for what it became. Hester is 40 and given a terminal diagnosis when she decides to drive across the country to kill her estranged father. She randomly picks up a hitchhiker named John who has an ecological mission of his own across the country. Together they examine life and meaning, responsibilities and excuses, all while inching closer to the climactic close of the trip.

What I loved was what I expected to love: the sarcastic wit and cynical nature of Hester had me chuckling often. I appreciated the journey that both of these characters went on, and really ended up loving John. What I didn't love was the crass and cheap way sex was viewed by Hester. It totally fit this character, but it got really old having her imagine detailed sex with every man she came across (probably an exaggeration, but that also fits). 3.5 Stars rounded up.

I thought Cia Court captured the essence of Hester so well in the narration. The snark came through, as well as the tenderness Hester was keeping deep down...way deep down. Audio was a great way to consume this story.

I read two books in a row about estranged adult children of deadbeat dads who abandoned them, on a cross-country road trip to confront their failed fathers. Odd how that happens sometimes. This is by far the darker of the two, but also much more moving. (The other book was Run For the Hills.)

Hester is dying, and we get a close-up picture of what it's like to have a breast tumor and not do anything about it, as it grows and causes more and more damage to surrounding tissue. That's upsetting and tough. She's also a very successful attorney who seems completely detached from her job, her success, and everything around her. She has no real friends or family and has regrets and nostalgia about people who were once important to her as she faces the end of her life. Mostly, she has a lifetime of simmering rage for her abusive father who abandoned the family and fled from all his responsibilities. So she's going to kill him. And thus we are taken on a chaotic, wild road trip across America, visiting people from her past and going on side quests with an unhoused, jobless young eco-warrior hitchhiking. Johh brings a lot of awareness of environmental challenges with superfund sites, causing Hester to have deep thoughts about the state of things. She goes with, trespassing on private land, risking arrest, and some of the situations are deeply upsetting. Hester takes everything in stride, still detached, saving her rage for her dad. Through the entire book there's dark humor that made me guffaw and then feel guilty for laughing, or the awkward giggles you have when someone flatly speaks about emotional things, like when she stoically and calmly says, "I'm going to kill my dad," making someone else very uncomfortable. Hester is so brilliant at that detached, dark humor.

I really liked this book, I liked the journey, I liked the characters, I liked Hester's flat affect despite her emotional goal, and I felt very bad for the horrible hand she was dealt. I liked the way everyone reacted to her oddness, how deeply contemplative she was, and how she reacted to the people around her. She was fascinating. But mostly, I liked how much this book touched me. It's one that will stay with me forever.

I made it almost to 50% of this book but could not muster up a reason to continue. I wasn't attached to either of the main characters and the plot hadn't really hooked me either. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read this one and thank you to the author and publisher but this was a dnf for me.

I loved this! I loved the writing style. It was fast paced, unique and dark but somehow it was still fun? I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, I literally could not put it down and finished it within 24 hours. I couldn’t wait to see if Hester followed through with her plans and where this road trip was going to take her.

Hester’s character was so unique and I know she’s actually unlikable, but I still couldn’t help but like her. Her relationship with John was interesting, I loved the dialogue between the two of them. While I enjoyed being in Hester’s head, it was nice to have it broken up by their conversation.

🎧The narration for this one was flawless! Cia Court matched Heaters personality and vibe perfectly!

Read if you like:
🔪Revenge driven stories
🚙Road trips
👹Unlikable characters
🤭Dark humor
🖤Unhinged FMC

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.

DNF @ 30% | Part of why I put this down is my fault – I didn't realize that John would end up being such a big part of the story. The beginning had me intrigued – I LOVE an unhinged/unreliable narrator (think Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky) and Hester was just that. I also really liked that she was 40 because so many of our main characters these days tend to be in their 20s or 30s. I loved her hijinks, her laissez faire attitude, and her need for vengeance. But soon I started wondering where this story was going and were we actually going to find anything out. And maybe you do, I just couldn't stick with it long enough to find out.

I saw this described as “sad weird girl fiction” and it seemed very fitting. Hester has a refreshing brand of honesty that is somewhat off-putting but also very enjoyable. This is very much a character driven novel where the plot is secondary. The climax of the book was strong and I enjoyed seeing how Hester’s journey ended at the conclusion of the book.

I am a sucker for a FMC with attitude and a score to settle and that’s exactly what we got in this book! Hester is terminally ill and with nothing left to lose she decides it’s finally time to get revenge against the dad who wronged her and her mother 20 years ago. On her cross country trip she picks up a hitch hiker, John, who I thought would just be a short side character and I ended up loving his story! The ending left a little to be desired, I still had a few unanswered questions but all in all this was a fun read and an even better listen!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC copy of this book! As always, all opinions are my own.

This was fun, the closer I get to forty the more I enjoy characters approaching middle age and life the humor and bit of cynicism that comes with.

This definitely has an ending that I think some people may not love but overall it’s a really excellent second act in life style story full of dark laughs and wisdom.

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for gifted access to this audiobook. All opinions below are my own.

Hester finds out she has terminal breast cancer. Her response is to quit her job and travel across the country to kill her estranged father. Along the way she gets into all sorts of strange situations that make her think about her life and her plan.

This is definitely a quirky read but a more irreverant one than an emotional one. It deals with the questions we all face about identity and memory. She has to decide what and who in her life mattered and how to spend the rest of her time. I enjoyed the listen and while I shook my head at a lot of the decisions Hester made, I feel like the process she went through separating herself a bit from reality and rationality totally made sense when facing the tenuousness of mortality.