Reviews

Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor

Only show reviews with written explanations

domcarino's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

As I started the book the melancholic narration reminded of the book A Little Life (my all time favorite). Each chapter of the book reads like a short story. Although you only see a snippet of each characters life, the way the narration carries you through feels like you’re catching up with an old friend who’s giving you an update on your other friends’ lives. This book also provides representation for anyone who has felt as though they are voiceless. Every main character of the stories are LGBTQIA+ or associates with that community. Brandon Taylor shows the harsh realities of living, dying, autonomy, and everything between.
The setting of the book was Wisconsin, which is my home state so the familiarity of setting was comforting.
In short: beautiful story, I wish I got to see more of the characters in who were featured in 1 chapter.

markagrbesa's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

lilystinylibrary's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

pancakebatfish's review against another edition

Go to review page

miserable

travis_fili's review

Go to review page

2.0

Brandon Taylor continues the themes of Real Life but with less developed characters. Another reviewer said that the characters are rich with emotion, and that's true. But their stories are interupted by sex or violence before we can reflect on those emotions.

readnicoleread's review

Go to review page

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

an_aesthetic's review

Go to review page

4.0

Brilliantly written, as I’ve come to expect of Brandon Taylor. This book is a series of interconnected short stories that deals with trauma, violence, vulnerability, and belonging. It actually read like one cohesive novel to me—rather than individual short stories, they felt more like chapters. This book was melancholic without being over-the-top depressing and was a brutally honest look at modern people and relationships.