A review by astoriareader
Animal by Lisa Taddeo

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

SYNOPSIS:
  • On the first page, we are told a man killed himself in front of Joan. This sends Joan to flee across the country to LA. She is in search of a yoga instructor named Alice, but we have no idea why. We do know that her parents are no longer alive, and nothing seems to be keeping her in New York City.
  • She moves into a compound, where several other people live. Her landlord is a strange older man.
  • Joan vaguely refers to some trauma that happened when she was a child.
  • There are lots of questions. Who is Alice? What happened to her parents? What trauma did Joan experience? Who is Joan narrating the story to? What is up with the landlord? Why did the man kill himself in front of her?

MY THOUGHTS
  • This book is very dark & uses vulgar language in different parts. If you have any triggers, it is worth it to check out content warnings.
  • The execution of this novel is impressive. It’s like a train wreck that you can’t look away from. Taddeo gives vivid, unsparing descriptions, and I can see this being divisive among readers. This will be either a book you love or a book you hate. I don’t see it falling in the middle.
  • Although some parts are hard to read, I found myself unable to put down.
  • Joan tells us the story, and despite being unlikable, she’s actually a fascinating character. Taddeo deftly makes it so you understand the character, even when you don’t like her. I found myself rooting for her, which I can’t say I have ever done for a main character that I didn’t like. Joan is complex & layered. She’s both a victim and a villain.
  • We get a lot of flashbacks & insight into Joan’s past. Taddeo skillfully plots the book & intertwines stories from the past. There are deep wounds in her childhood. The family dynamics are extremely interesting. With the flashbacks, I felt for Joan, and I saw at her core that she was a little girl that only even wanted love (particularly her mother’s). The book looks at how our childhoods shape us & intergenerational trauma as well.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️not for everyone, but for those who connect with it, it’s an impressively executed novel. be sure to look into trigger warnings.
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