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.

Thank you Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio 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!

I love road trip stories... an unhinged dying woman who named her tumor & picks up a radical environmentalist hitchhiker to drive across the country to get revenge/kill her dad was as good as it sounds! The audiobook narrator was the perfect voice for the protagonist. Thanks Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

CW: cancer, terminal illness, toxic relationship (recounted), domestic abuse, child abuse, suicide (mentioned, off-page), misogyny, substance abuse (recounted), animal death, school shooting (mentioned), violence, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, sexual harassment, sexism, self-harm, blood, murder

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a free audio e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Would you do if you have only months to live and nothing left to lose?

This is the question Bad Nature by Ariel Courage seeks to address as Hester, a workaholic lawyer living in New York City, gets diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and abandons her entire life to set out for a cross-country road trip in order to fulfill her life-long dream. What's Hester's dream, you might ask... to murder her father.

For the most part, I felt that Bad Nature met most of my expectations. I've been interested in reading books that deals with feminine rage for awhile and when I first discovered this book, I thought that it would be a cool book to check out. While the unhinge aspects of the book are a bit restrained due to Hester's overall nature and conditioning to remain professional yet aloof, I thought that the most interesting aspects of this book focused on Hester's own internal dialogue over her life. Interspersed with the road trip narrative, readers get glimpses directly into Hester's life and how various events in her life has resulted into who Hester is now and why she ultimately decides to go on this trip. She's not a likeable character by any means, but you do sympathize with her as you learn about the trauma that Hester has experienced in her life.

Also, from the book description, they made it sound like John would have a big part in this story, and while he does to some extent, it's not as big as one would believe to be. There's not much about John that readers to get to know about, but he does serve an important role as acting as the somewhat voice of reason throughout Hester's travels as well as providing Hester the opportunity to form a healthy relationship with someone in what seems to be a very long time. I just wished there could have been a little more insight or perspective from John's POV, or at the very least there's mention of what happens to John after the events of the book.

That being said, if you like revenge-filled road trips with a bit of feminine rage and a backdrop focused on the environmental crisis facing the United States, you might enjoy reading this book.

What would you do if you were given only six months to live? Travel? Spend time with family and friends? Hester 40, has just been diagnosed and told she is dying. She has the choice to live up to six months with no treatment or up to two years if given treatment. Hester takes the first option and decides to take a road trip for Philadelphia with one simple goal. She plans to kill her father and then herself. It has been a long-term plan since childhood that she can now put to rest. Pun intended. On her way she stops to visit friends from her past which gives readers a glimpse into Hester's genesis as we follow her travel log along the way. On the whole I found myself glued to the story as the flawed protagonist journeys across North America. I do have one caveat. Why does the character John have a seal skin backpack when it is clear he doesn't eat meat? Ariel Courage writes John as a character filled with convictions and morality for animals and the planet. There are of course, backpacks designed to look like a seal skin product made from coated vinyl or PVC for waterproofing. In this reader's humble opinion, John should make it clear what his backpack is made of or take out the seal skin coat reference all-together. To be honest, I cannot recommend this book to my friends particularly my fellow Naturalists for this reason, That aside, I found this story to be a page-turner up to the finish.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Ariel Courage, and Penguin Books for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I initially thought this would be more of a comedy, and maybe it is a dark comedy. However, there is a lot to unpack here, as this is not only a road trip set on revenge tale. The narrative delves into themes of climate change, trauma, politics, disease, and, ultimately, how we connect with each other and the world around us. With great characters full of fire, rage, and something more, it was hard to turn away from this one.

🎧 Cia Court did a great job with the narration, bringing the characters off the page for me.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you @henryholtbooks for the gifted book. Thank you @Macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley

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. Cia Court’s narration was spot on and really brought Hester to life. This is my first book narrated by Court and she is the one of the best and keeping your attention with fantastic diction and pace.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for a free alc of Bad Courage in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Delightfully disturbing and viciously macabre, this extreme tale of midlife crisis chronicles a woman’s desperate and torturous journey across the country to right the wrongs of her childhood and say goodbye to the people she sort of loved along the way. With an unlikely sidekick who gets her into eco trouble along the way, Hester reflects on the troubled life she’s created for herself born of the trauma she’s stubbornly refused to unpack. Strangely touching and perversely entertaining, you never know what is coming next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Bad Nature, I feel, divested too far from the main draw it intended to portray. The interspersed nature related coverage was out of context radio/podcast anecdotes or frankly annoying “fun facts” from her young man travel companion, and didn’t really feel cohesive with the rest of the content of the book, being the main characters road trip to attempt to murder her father, and subsequently kill herself. I didn’t really find the connection between this plot and the nature/environmental plot to be incredibly intertwined, which led to me questioning the theme trying to be explored here, and the novel overall felt, like this road trip, slightly off track.

Bad Nature is a super twisted road trip of a novel as a woman takes her fatal cancer diagnosis as the inspiration to ditch her high-powered law career and travel across the country to fulfill her revenge fantasy against her abusive father, who ruined her mother's and her life with his self-obsessed and violent nature in his pursuit of derivative abstract paintings of female nudes.
Along the way she meets visits people from her distant past and picks up an idealist environmental activist, and going along with his photographing superfund sites and monkeywrenching polluters becomes a welcome detour to her solitary wallowing.
They grow on each other over the course of their encounters with obstacles and honey pots, and the much-anticipated father-daughter reunion is both entertaining and totally in line with her situation.
The book revels in her awkwardness and distorted view of the world, and is very entertaining and enlightening about what people owe each other and the world.

This had me hooked immediately because i love the premise of wanting to kill your father after getting a terminal diagnosis. Cut to a cross-country road trip and a rag-tag group of characters as our protagonist, a lawyer with a new diagnosis goes to murder her father. I really enjoyed the characters as well as the fact that the protagonist is an absolute sociopath in the most honest kind of way. It was funny in ways, even if the ending is a little lackluster. it's hard to land this giant, loaded plane of a plot, but overall I think it did, if a little bumpy.