Reading this felt like watching something get murdered on animal planet: wet, grotesque, and in HD. I could not look away. There was a matter-of-factness to Taddeo's language and syntax that made the book feel elegant and freeing. There was so little self-doubt or self-criticism. Joan is real with herself, even if she isn't always real with others. Her history unfolded in a very organic way; associations to objects or phrases brought up memories of the past, which were told in fluid paragraphs, before returning to what seems to be the story's "present." It helped us learn about Joan in a cloying, piecemeal way.

There is a lot of sexual assault content and the use of a character with Down's syndrome as a plot device felt a little off to me, but overall, this novel was so frank and gripping, it was hard to put down. It is the kind of novel you feel in your gut.

P.S. If I remember correctly, there is mention of a racial slur for Black folks, by an old man/problematic grandfather figure, which did not feel necessary to include.