Cia Court's narration is well done in this story described as "part road-trip novel, part revenge tale, part lament for our ongoing ecological crisis." When Hester receives her terminal cancer diagnosis, she doesn't grieve or go into denial or turn to hope and prayers. Instead she decides to settle the score with her estranged father, a man she decided years ago to kill. On her drive across the country, she runs into an environmental activist named John, reconnects briefly with an old flame and an old friend, has a string of bad luck, and moves with startling nonchalance through various interactions. I liked Hester's unhinged and no-nonsense approach to her life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book.

“I’d promised mom to pursue happiness, but technically killing dad would make me happy.”

When self-destructive Hester finds out she’s dying, she sets off on a journey to exact vengeance on her father. On the way, she picks up the last hitcher in America whose latest project is to visit and document the nation’s superfund sites.

Hester is very unlikeable, and John is way too likeable, but together they kind of work. The story is at once sad and funny, and makes a reader think about the important things in life and the terrible things humans do to the environment.

I really didn’t want to put this one down. I received an advance listening copy via NetGalley. The audiobook narrator was excellent and I enjoyed listening.

DNF @ 2%

I was put on edge by the "third world" comment/description of the office and it just went downhill from there. The accents put on by the narrator & the way the main character was thinking about these people was very off-putting. Not sure who I would recommend this to.

The me that originally requested this is not the me that tried to actually read this. Unfortunately I just never connected with the story.

Bad Nature was a super interesting read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I'd read more from the author.

The narrator did an amazing job bringing this original novel to life. The listening experience really elevated the story. The first-person narrative was brilliant, casual, and snappy. I thoroughly enjoyed the edgy plot as well. The book was darkly humorous, bleak, introspective, heartfelt, and provides the listener with much to think about. I recommend this audiobook for all collections.

There’s a place for books like this, but it is most definitely not under the auspice of “bleakly funny revenge novel.”

The truest part of that is the last of it, though I don’t think there’s much satisfaction in what happens here. This is essentially a portrait of a woman struggling with the horrific news of a terminal diagnosis and how she chooses to spend her remaining time.

Part of my lack of enjoyment of this was that I simply cannot imagine spending my precious few remaining moments exacting revenge on a family member. That’s a preference issue, and if that premise appeals to you, you’ll likely enjoy this more than I did.

But mostly I take issue with seeing this billed as any sort of comedy, which it is most definitely not, even if you couch it in a qualifying “bleakly.”

It’s not that there aren’t moments of humor, but mostly this is a deeply sad story of a very unhappy woman who wasn’t exactly satisfied with her life even before she receives life altering news.

This didn’t need to be a comedy, but it also shouldn’t have been sold as such. It’s misleading and sets the reader up for disappointment whether they might have otherwise enjoyed the book or not had the publisher been more forthright about the tone of the book. It also doesn’t help that in the end, none of it feels especially satisfying or cathartic.

Courage is a capable writer and the story is perhaps one worth telling, but it’s one with a much narrower audience than the one the summary invites in.

What started off as a strong book became rather slow and boring. I was drawn into this story because the main character is close to my current age and obviously an unhinged character would be more fun to read about. I feel like this story never really built up or had a tension at all before it just ended. It was more of a steady read with a mild incline before just abruptly ending.

I’m sure this book has its audience but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I would like to thank the publisher for a chance to listen to this book and for respect for the author and to not damage her ratings I will not be publishing on my socials or Goodreads/storygraph.

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage; I liked this a lot! It falls into the "unhinged-youngish-woman-working-through-shit" genre that I have particularly loved in the last few years. Moving and relatable at times, and shocking or unexpected in others. Great!

Narration: 2.5/5
Physical Book/Overall: 2/5

felt like I was DNFing a lot of books recently and I really wanted to see this one through. I had the audiobook from Netgalley and a physical ARC from Henry Holt! So I’m really thankful for that, but I’m pissed I finished this.

I usually wouldn’t write a review like this. I have a process to make sure all my thoughts are expressed. Unfortunately, I have very few thoughts on this read because it wasn’t good.

I don’t care that Hester is unlikeable. I understand exploring the stock of her life with her recent terminal diagnosis. What I can’t stand is how this book is marketed as a revenge story, and yet, this book has very little of it. Truthfully there isn’t any. Which is the only reason I was interested in it to begin with. The characters play out like tropes that have no character progression. If I was in the car with these two, I probably would’ve thrown myself out of it.

In addition, the narrator did very little to add to the reading experience. The narration felt as flat as the story. I will say that the author has potential. The writing is interesting and leaves room to see the potential. Hopefully their next work offers something deeper with a stronger plot.

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.