Scan barcode
A review by sarahdm
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
reflective
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
3.0
The inspiration for Nightbitch is plainly stated on page four as the main character reads "The Yellow Wallpaper" on her phone while trying to Google answers to her problems. But I'm not really entirely sure if Nightbitch lives up to its inspiration.
There were times when it felt like the book was too long but other times when it wasn't long enough. And the book is very on the nose, going so far as to just say its thesis verbatim in the last pages instead of leaving the reader to come to their own conclusion. Nightbitch feels like it wants to be smart feminist literature and its almost but not quite reaching its goal.
In a way, it reminds me a lot of "Tender is The Flesh". Its themes are interesting and the writing is there but it doesn't quite push hard enough. I'm honestly laughing at the one stars saying that this book was "too brutal." It was not brutal enough! I was waiting for her to eat her baby, or her husband, or (staying with the on the nose themes) ripping out her own uterus and eating it like a wild animal as she bled out on the floor, finally claiming her femininity in feral sharp fangs.
Its alright. Good even. But its still no Yellow Wallpaper.
There were times when it felt like the book was too long but other times when it wasn't long enough. And the book is very on the nose, going so far as to just say its thesis verbatim in the last pages instead of leaving the reader to come to their own conclusion. Nightbitch feels like it wants to be smart feminist literature and its almost but not quite reaching its goal.
In a way, it reminds me a lot of "Tender is The Flesh". Its themes are interesting and the writing is there but it doesn't quite push hard enough. I'm honestly laughing at the one stars saying that this book was "too brutal." It was not brutal enough! I was waiting for her to eat her baby, or her husband, or (staying with the on the nose themes) ripping out her own uterus and eating it like a wild animal as she bled out on the floor, finally claiming her femininity in feral sharp fangs.
Its alright. Good even. But its still no Yellow Wallpaper.