Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Animal

This is the perfection I needed -- what "The Guest," "Fruit of the Dead," "My Year of Rest and Relaxation," "Eileen" and "Boy Parts" couldn't deliver, what "Rouge" came close to.

The destructive pretty girl plot has been overdone and exhausted, insultingly predictable, but Lisa Taddeo shows that it can be thrilling, done with power, nuance and poignancy. The pacing of this book needs to be studied, it's art.

You start with the idea that this book is about a vile woman, and then you see it's really about vile men, and as you shakily come closer to the truth, you realize this has always been about mothers and daughters. This is a love story to women, to see our pain and our strength, to realize how much of our self-hatred is from women hatred, to understand that the minute we are born, we are bloody prey, we are subjugated and destroyed, and we are connected more than we know.

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yanaorwhatever's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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leonalikesliterature's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Deeply enjoyable read.

I found Joan’s perspective so complicated and though I loathed her sometimes, I also resonated with her. She was complicated and ridiculously flawed but relatable and endearing. I found every side character compelling too and truly believed every relationship depicted.

In a seemingly contradictory way, the story was so outlandish sometimes it felt satirical or dreamlike but it was also always strangely believable.
I never knew what was going to happen despite how simple the overall story was. This book was a surprisingly delightful mystery and engrossing thriller!

Ended up disappointed that there wasn’t more man-killing, not gonna lie, but I genuinely loved this book.

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chrishham's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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liltinylatke's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

This is one of the most phenomenal pieces of writing I’ve read in a while. I search endlessly for the perfect book, the perfect style of writing, and I found both in this novel. The story is deeply concerning and strange. Experiencing Joan’s life of pain and trauma alongside her felt arduous. I can see similarities between Lisa Taddeo and Ottessa Moshfegh — the way they write their flawed characters with such specific characteristics and thoughts that are absolutely bizarre to the reader but perfectly normal to the character. Their descriptions of people and the things around them are so specific and entirely unrelatable. This is a hard story to get through, and I can’t wait to read all of Taddeo’s work.

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jadiedaffodil's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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alisha106's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Joan, the main character is incredibly unlikable which makes the reader more curious to learn more about her past. Lots of dark sexual themes that stem from her trauma. I often felt conflicted between hating her and understanding why she became who she is. Not a lighthearted read but keeps you wanting answers.

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rebeccakoury's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This rating doesn't necessarily stem from the quality of the writing, but of my experience reading it. It was often hard to be slipping in and out of memories so often which connected but then also felt confusing. I understand what the author was trying to do but the book often felt so fragmented that I would question the intent of parts. I am not one to shy away from graphic scenes or writing, but at times certain scenes felt graphic just to be so. It's unfortunate because I was really excited for this book but it just didn't work for me.

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