msradiosilence's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, and Gore
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Minor: Body shaming
lycheejelly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body horror, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Drug use, Sexism, and Vomit
emptychurches's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There were so many parts of this that I laid in bed going “YES, exactly this” to. Rumination on gender and parenting and suffering, on modern society and pyramid schemes and how isolating things can be. I love stories of a descent into madness (A Journey Round My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy, things by Leonora Carrington, etc). But there’s parts that felt so disjointed or poorly cobbled onto one another, a too quick sweeping of a scene, a plot device that was transparent from the start only to be wedged in later on. That all of the very raw and real suffering still ends up in this grand performance art glorification of motherhood just left me feeling locked on the outside, I guess. I couldn’t cut through that to enjoy the feral messiness of it by the end. And I say that as someone who is nonbinary with their tubes tied. I just could not vibe with the “my uterus and my procreation is what is perfect and gives me power” schtick. Like, we just spent how many pages getting into how lopsided the rearing of children can be, how exhausting, how maddening...and yet?? My perfect little boy! Miss me with it. Made me feel like the house just had a carbon monoxide leak more than anything else.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Excrement, Pregnancy, and Vomit
Minor: Cursing
sarahholliday's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I will readily admit that this book, fantastic though it is, is not for everyone.
If you like straightforward storylines and clearcut resolutions, this is probably not the story for you. I would also avoid it if you're at all squeamish, or if motherhood can be an overwhelming or sensitive topic for you.
But if you love digging into the odd & surreal, especially as a means of examining the most mundane elements of day-to-day life, Nightbitch has a lot to offer.
Yoder does an amazing job balancing between fantasy and reality. Is Nightbitch actually turning into a dog? Is her art just a cover for a more fantastic transformation? Where does the physical self end and the spiritual self begin?
In the midst of all these fascinating questions about the real & the uncanny, there are sharp, powerful insights into motherhood and womanhood. What begins as a relatively bleak story of an exhausted mother who is, quite possibly, becoming unhinged, becomes a hopeful and inspiring look at what's possible when we stop hiding and demand something of the world around us.
If you like straightforward storylines and clearcut resolutions, this is probably not the story for you. I would also avoid it if you're at all squeamish, or if motherhood can be an overwhelming or sensitive topic for you.
But if you love digging into the odd & surreal, especially as a means of examining the most mundane elements of day-to-day life, Nightbitch has a lot to offer.
Yoder does an amazing job balancing between fantasy and reality. Is Nightbitch actually turning into a dog? Is her art just a cover for a more fantastic transformation? Where does the physical self end and the spiritual self begin?
In the midst of all these fascinating questions about the real & the uncanny, there are sharp, powerful insights into motherhood and womanhood. What begins as a relatively bleak story of an exhausted mother who is, quite possibly, becoming unhinged, becomes a hopeful and inspiring look at what's possible when we stop hiding and demand something of the world around us.
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Gore
Moderate: Excrement and Vomit
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