Animal: The first novel from the author of Three Women | 
so-soOkay, picked this one back up after abandoning it twice! As the story got more interesting, you figure out why Joan is as unlikable as she is. I don‘t know if the reader is supposed to be sympathetic, but I did not feel anything along those lines. Also, this novel is classified as a thriller, but I did not feel like it was at all. This was just a story of a little girl that was traumatized at an early age that should have seeked therapy/treatment.
bailedI tried reading this book TWICE. I made it to page 76 this time, but the writing is messy and sidetracks every other page. Nothing really interesting has happened, and all the characters are weird and not in an appealing way. Couldn‘t connect to anything.
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🍁 Still thinking the tagged book
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🍂 Simply put - fiction. More specifically, I'm currently in a historical fiction phase
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pickWow. Raw and disturbing; yet engaging and sympathetic. A stick with you kind of read.
54/62
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"I drove myself out of New York City where a man shot himself in front of me."
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pickWow. This is one of the most uncomfortable books I‘ve ever read. Extremely graphic, and unrelenting. I wouldn‘t exactly say I ‘enjoyed‘ it, but it is definitely worth reading. This is my book club pick for the month, and I am excited / anxious / awkward about discussing it with the group!
#scarathlon #mischiefandmayhem
so-soI really love Lisa Taddeo's writing style and the raw way she describes the societal burden of women. But this felt forced in a way I can't really put my finger on. I think it's that a character like Joan is understandably damaged, but the narration is too perceptive. If Joan was this self-aware, it's unlikely that she would make many of the choices she does.
bailedI couldn‘t for the life of me get into this book. Something about the writing was so unrealistic and cringey for me. I don‘t think I was the target audience for this 😓
Attempting to read this one. I say attempt because I picked up two other books prior to this one, but couldn‘t get through the first chapters… maybe I‘ve hit a reading slump 😓
panI really disliked this book. There were times I wanted to throw it across the room. But I didn‘t. Nor did I stop reading it. I guess it was supposed to shock and make the reader uncomfortable but I just thought it was disappointing drivel.
pickPropulsive and unsubtle. I couldn‘t put it down, but it didn‘t always sit well with me. Somewhere between a pick and a so so perhaps?
Anyone for thoughts on this one?
pickTaddeo has such an interesting read on scopophilia, and I‘m enjoying her fiction much more than NF. I needed a dark, gritty read this week, and Animal delivered!
Joan‘s married lover shoots himself in front of her while she‘s eating in a restaurant with another man, so she packs up and heads to LA to find a woman named Alice. Meanwhile, her lover‘s young adult daughter has followed her and may be capable of anything. Lots of trauma to unpack!
panThis was very negative, dark, confusing and brutal. And somehow I didn‘t like it.
Rating: ⭐️,5 /5
#animal #novel #lisataddeo
pickTot i que em va agradar més Tres dones, Animal també està molt bé. Cru, violent, desesperançat.
pickGritty, unsettling, TW galore but oh so good. It‘s a compelling story of Joan, a damaged young woman taking back some kind of power, with a California-noir vibe, and full of rage. At times a victim, at times she is cruel and almost always making terrible decisions. I love Lisa Taddeo‘s writing, it creeps under my skin. I love how my every sense felt assaulted, every aroma she describes, every gruesome event, so real. Dark, dirty and brilliant.
pickI finished this book several days ago and I still can‘t stop thinking about it. It is raw and visceral and uncomfortable and a little bit strange. This is female rage laid bare and I absolutely loved it.
pickI loved it! It was so thrilling and psychologically complex! The imagery and perspective of Joan was oftentimes disturbing and unlike anything I have read before. I did not like Lisa Taddeo‘s first Book Three Women too much; I liked this one so much more. It was unpredictable and gripping. It‘s a hard, emotional read at times. I love psychologically complex stories and characters and this book satisfied this love exquisitely!
pickUnflinching, brutal, at times just awful. This is a very dark story but I couldn‘t look away.
Amazon has some decent books on the discount list for 4.99 today. @Mynameisacolour Animal sounds so good.
8-26-21: My 87th finished book of 2021! Joan has spent a lifetime enduring the cruelties of men. When one of them commits a shocking act of violence in front of her, she flees NYC. In the sweltering hills of LA, Joan unravels a horrific event from her childhood, while finding the power to finally strike back. Lots of trigger warnings and sexually explicit but a really great read. I couldn‘t put it down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 👍🏼📖#️⃣8️⃣7️⃣
Sitting outside on my deck in hundred degree plus heat with a fan pointed directly at me. Beginning this book while I watch the hummingbirds dive bomb each other.
pickThis was a really visceral read. Filled with trauma, anger and emotion. It‘s the sort of book I need to sit with and process - a bit hard to review.
Luckily this gets me to a bingo for #bookspinbingo
Book 132
pickWow. Loved this book even though it is hard to read. There is a lot of hurt and pain and lies and abuse in this one. It starts out with a woman and a man having a meal together at a restaurant. Another man walks in with a gun that he then turns on himself. The rest of the book is a journey…can‘t say too much or I‘ll give it away. And yes, it made me cry at the end.
5⭐️
pickWow! I loved this ALOT. Gritty, unsettling, TW galore but oh so good. This compelling story of Joan, a damaged young woman taking back some kind of power, had an LA-noir vibe, and is FULL of rage. At times a victim, at times shes so cruel, and always making terrible decisions. I love Taddeo‘s writing, it creeps under my skin. I love how every sense feels assaulted, every aroma she describes, every gruesome event, so real. Dark, dirty & brilliant.
pickI didn‘t enjoy Taddeo‘s NF book; parts of it felt fictional and I felt that she was pushing her agenda onto the three women‘s stories. In this book, though, Taddeo has free rein to set her own agenda, and the fictional writing is stunning.
It‘s utterly sordid, with some very graphic descriptions and every TW you can think of (and some you couldn‘t even imagine), which isn‘t my kind of book at all, but I just couldn‘t put it down.
pickI loved her other book Three Women. This is her first novel and I couldn‘t put it down. If you like stories about strong women, you must read her two books. Even though one book features three real women and one is about a fictional character, they both hit home with their stories. I finished this book, and thought wow, that was really something. It‘s a journey well worth taking.
My commute today was definitely darker than usual! Cindy you were soooooo right! This is totally my vibe. I am besotted with this already! 😍🎧
pickThis book is BRUTAL! One particular scene left me gutted; I may never be able to get it out of my mind. The writing is impressive, but the story is painful. Joan is flailing through life due to unspeakable past traumas. Alice finally gives her some sense of meaning in life, after leaving NY for LA. Full of painful memories, violence, graphic sex, and horrible men. All of Joan‘s horrors are revealed at the end.
pickA hard one to review... incredible writing, provocative, visceral, raw. I think it's worth reading, I think her writing is stunning, and I'm glad I read it, but don't think I'd necessarily 'recommend' it for fear you'd blame me for sending you on such a dark dark ride.TW for pretty much everything. One particular scene I've never seen described so graphically - pretty shocking. Caveat emptor. Enjoy!
Only read outside if you have a sentry dog to guard you, like I do. Safest way.
Who wore it best?
My housework is almost done for today.. I‘m opening this book up. 😉
Bit apprehensive about this one - sounds like it's going to be a bit brutal. But I'll blame past me for that, because this was a pre-order from at least 6 months ago.
pick3.5🌟A beast of a book. Sad, dark, violent, and absolutely dripping with trauma, if I tried to tell you all the content warnings it would be a long list. I'm still not sure if I liked it honestly but since I finished it I find myself thinking about it. The story is well done it's just very very dark and disturbing. Taddeo isn't shying away from showing us womens pain and rage and also our strength and courage. #bookreview #bookstagram
Totaly forgot about this last night so I watched it this morning.
pickThis book won‘t be for everyone. It‘s dark, gritty,messy. Joan, the MC is both hunter and hunted. She‘s wild, feral, brimming with rage and despair. This book is violent in both quiet and loud ways. The traumas & tragedies are slowly revealed and there are MANY. Emma Roberts is a fantastic narrator. Writing is visceral/ haunting and the story long lasting. Lots of trigger warnings which I‘ll post in comments with a spoiler tag #Scribd
OOF, this one is ROUGH🥺#Scribd #NewRelease 🎧 I‘m impressed with Lisa Taddeo‘s prose. I didn‘t love her NF Three Women but this one is razor sharp.
Photo credit: The Fall of Icarus by Peter Paul Rubens.
pickSo this book has been handed around the store like the most clandestine of book clubs. It needs every content warning, just all of them… but I‘ve somehow ended up on team “and yet it‘s strangely compelling even though every character is abhorrent.” Which brings us to four people who enjoyed it - and one who wanted to throw it *through* a wall. 😅 Taking it back in for the next reader!
pickAnimal is a gritty, graphic novel which explores the insidious nature of rape culture, violence against women, and generational as well as lived trauma. It‘s a nuanced exploration of human nature and interaction at the worst of times. This is Taddeo at her swearing, observational best. An immersive reading experience which I loved.
