Sorry I had to DNF this it just was not my cup of tea. I read a quarter and just couldn’t continue. Well written book but not for me. Thanks for the opportunity

Well that was definitely different! Dark and sinister in places and lots of very twisted psychology but an interesting and intriguing read. The book deals with the strange and warped relationships between families, affairs, parents, abuse and partners all in a tangled, messed up perspective and the obvious effects that this has had on the main character during her life. At times you start to question yourself as you feel sorry for Joan and empathise to the point where you (almost) aren’t shocked by the murders. Strangely compelling but also deeply unsettling!

First off, Thank you so much for letting me review this wonderful book! I absolutely adored this book. I found the narrative of Joan utterly engrossing and spellbindingly compelling. Victim, instigator, purpertrator, exploiter; she manifests and embodies a range of facades through her unadulterated rage, brought upon by a relentless cycle of continued abuse. A complex protagonist (to say the least) her provocative nature made this book addictive. In particular, the representation of fragmented cohesion to reflect Joan’s often conflicted and wandering mind, I found to be bone-chillingly brilliant. A most definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this. I thought Three Women was excellent so I was anticipating this release and what a fiction book from the same author may be like. I would love to tell you what it's like but even a couple of days after finishing it, I still have no idea. I'm not sure I've ever read a book that's as disturbing and bold as this.

Quick plot recap: Joan heads out to LA after a brutal confrontation in New York. Her goal is to find Alice, a woman she's never met, but who may be just what Joan needs. Joan says towards the end of the book that her life has been about her past, and this past is slowly revealed to us throughout the book. In the present, Joan, with help from her new neighbours, creates more chaos for herself in LA.

I read that this book and it's plot were inspired by women Taddeo interviewed but were not included in Three Women. At its core, I think it's about the rage of women built from the carelessness and cruelty of men - something that Three Women touched upon. But I still can't really explain this book. It's graphic and riddled with tragic, horrific imagery so if you're sensitive to... pretty much anything, it might not be the book for you. If you like a challenging read though - this one will likely hit the spot.
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It's hard to describe this book and it won't be for everyone. Although the beginning starts off with a punch, I then found it hard to get into, perhaps because it was sometimes confusing. Although the storyline does end up grabbing you, it does jump around alot. It was an interesting, thought provoking read, but it won't appeal to everyone.

This book is truly unlike anything I have read & this review may read differently to how I usually write them - however I jotted the following down immediately after finishing the book, whilst I sat with a tea & found myself to be in a total Taddeo trance realising just how magnificent an author she truly is.

The story unfolds as we are introduced to our narrator, Joan. It’s clear from the onset that Joan isn’t a particularly warm person, she’s detached & cold, something is off yet she has a particular charm luring you in making you want to know more. She’s on the road to LA after something has happened in NYC, she’s searching for a woman named Alice, it’s clear she’s obsessed with her.

The story slowing starts to unravel, providing the reader glimpses into Joan’s life - from a dysfunctional family life & childhood to an array of affairs with older men, all with one common theme, Joan’s desired to be wanted & accepted. At times I felt this to be a similar reading experience to “Boy Parts” by Eliza Clark, not with regards to the story line, yet how we are provided scraps/glimpses, never quite fully knowing why this memory has been recalled, never feeling quite sated only then to witness each part of the story tie together, painting a clear as day picture as to why Joan has fallen into the depths of depravity….mind blown!

Taddeo has this phenomenal ability to shine a light on so many of us women who have not had the easiest of rides handed to us in this life, women who have faced many a struggle, who are now walking through their days with unresolved trauma bubbling away beneath the surface. Yet her gift is that she portrays these women with a touch of darkness, leaving the reader feeling somewhat uneasy & on edge. Her writing is emotive, visceral & razor sharp.

By the last 50 pages I left as if I had just weathered a storm & was now experiencing that blissful calm, watching Joan finally come to terms with varying things & finding that connection & acceptance she so strongly desired.

There were so many moments in this novel that I couldn’t believe what I was reading, yet I couldn’t stop- Taddeo had me enthralled. Animal will without a doubt go on my “holy shit what did I just just read but I’m in absolute awe” shelf. This book will have a home on my shelf forevermore as I feel as if I will want to be plunged into Joan’s dark world yet again. Dare I say I would kill to see this one made into a movie!

If you enjoy a novel that may seem a slow burner yet once all the dots are connected results in your mind being blown, add a splash of darkness - then this one is for you friends. I absolutely LOVED this novel & needless to say, can’t wait to see what Taddeo does next. All that being said, it comes with many TW’s: pedophilia, suicide, gore, miscarriage, murder, racism, sexual assault, ableism.

Massive thank you to the publisher for the arc!

I’ve seen a lot about this book (and sometimes that can mean a book is a disappointment, just because it is so built up), but this is not. I can’t wait for it to be released so all the people I’ve told about it can buy it and we can discuss- no doubt one for many a shortlist! (Not sure I’d choose this book based on the cover but it’s reputation precedes it).

This story is told at what feels like breakneck speed. The main character is so damaged by her life experiences, which are gradually revealed throughout the book, that you begin to feel sympathetic towards her odd behaviour. I found it a compelling read

I have thought long and hard before writing this because I really wasn't sure what I felt about this book but here goes.

Firstly I am not a big advocate of content warnings on books because I mostly think that the blurb should be enough to give you some idea of whether the story is for you or not but this book really really needs content warning because not only does it deal with some fairly distressing themes it does so in an incredibly graphic manner.

It needs CW for Child Sexual Assault, Rape, Suicide, Murder, Miscarriage, Dementia, Abortion, Adultery.

And I am not exaggerating when I say that these are written about in very graphic terms in particular the miscarriage and the suicide, the miscarriage in particular I found really challenging to read. I can't warn you enough, if you have experienced a miscarriage particularly one that was later then I would say don't read this book.

Moving on from that. The opening chapter absolutely hooked me in. It really does grab your attention but very quickly I found that waning and at about 40% of the way through I found myself fairly bored and even considered giving up on it. Parts of it up until that point ramble and at times I found myself loosing track of what was happening. To be honest most of those early chapters could be cut out and you wouldn't really miss anything. Things start to get interesting again when we makes contact with Alice and the second half of the book held me to the end.

There are lots of reviews on this book from other big named authors saying it is powerful and raw etc. Or this
"'Like a series of grenades exploding' Marian Keyes"

But a bit like fireworks it started to all feel a bit like it was just for shock value. We almost seem to lurch at one point from one bloody graphic scene to another and whilst they are grim and shocking I found it all started to just leave me cold. I just wanted to get to the end to find out what happened and even that felt unsatisfactory.

I am actually a big fan of books with unlikable characters and grim story lines but this took that premise and started to feel like it was punching me in the face with it. And now this awful thing, and now this. And now for some animal on animal violence, and now for some drugs, and now for some forced abortion, and now for a miscarriage, and now for a hostage situation, and now for more rape. And Joan just feels like a vessel to deliver that rather than a full character.

It absolutely confronts the violence and rape culture that women experience every day and it does that in no uncertain terms but it also takes it to such an extreme that I found myself just wanted to get to the end to find out if there is any peace or redemption for Joan. Sadly the ending is not particularly satisfying either and I was mostly glad the book was done.

I was so looking forward to this book as I loved Three Women. I thought it was honest and raw and very thought-provoking but this book is just grim and a hard read and the idea that it is some literally masterpiece is lost on me. It sets out to shock right from the beginning and never really gets over that, delivering one after another in a relentless barrage of graphic scenes that ultimately became tedious.

I received an ARC of this title following an opportunity to read a 2 chapter sampler.

My original comments noted it contained one of the best openings of all times and that it was a story that hit the ground running.

The book is rather different to what I expected. I thought the title and opening chapters lent themselves to a thriller. Instead, with the use of a small cast, we experience a disjointed retelling of Joan's history and how she became to be the woman, the animal, she is today.

The book remains clipped and punchy throughout which is a reflection of Joan's character.

This book is best suited to lovers of fiction that leans more towards the literary type, although they must appreciate graphic sexual content. As a result, this book is not really suitable for the under 18s. Themes of suicide, murder, promiscuity, abuse, and death are just a few themes that are examined as we look at specific relationships between the characters and how they came to be formed in that way.

I personally didn't get on well with the book as I read beyond the original excerpt I had received. I think that was partly due to my expectations and partly due to the complex look inside the lives of the main females in the story. It's not an easy read, but it is an interesting one in the right headspace.

Taddeo has a style of writing likened to none other. I stand by my original opinion regarding her work being hard-hitting, gutsy and it's certainly full of life (for the most part).

I rate this book 4/5. It's well written and edited, it has a style that suits the protagonist, and loose ends are tied up. It's highly original but not necessarily entertaining for all audiences.

As I was reading Animal I couldnt help feeling that it was a retread of the author's first nonfiction work. Taddeo mentioned her own Italian background, specifically her mother and the lingering effects of their relationship. Here in fiction many of the themes are revisted- voyeurism, cuckolding, cold parents. Everyone smokes American Spirit cigarettes. People of colour only exist as set dressing.

I understand that Three Women will be adapted for Showtime and there is the inevitable lure of planned projects with Netflix. Maybe the author is America's answer to Phoebe Waller Bridge, writing about broken women who seek validation in sexual encounters. I guess I just expect more than I'm getting when I finish these books, an endless parade of women as vessels. We are maybe supposed to cheer for a woman who strangles some old pervert with Alzheimer's so that she can steal his watch and fund her expensive tastes but it didn't read as empowerment or feminism. Just another sad chapter in another sad book that will be sold to a cable channel because men like watching women get raped on tv.

Maybe it just isn't my cup of tea.

“Animal” is the debut novel by the author of the best seller ’Three Women” - Lisa Taddeo. Jojo Moyes has said ‘I don't think there is a writer alive who writes about the interior lives of women with the raw truth and intensity Taddeo does. Fearless, sexy, brutal and just forensically observed. She is extraordinary’ . I have to say I agree with that opinion and thoroughly enjoyed this book even if it was a challenging read at times.
The book opens with Joan, the mesmerising narrator ,recounting the circumstances that led her to leave New York and head west to Los Angeles. Her married lover has committed suicide in front of her in a crowded restaurant, and this is the catalyst that sets Joan off on a trail of self-discovery.
She heads to Los Angeles and finds herself a job, somewhere to live and sets out to meet someone who inadvertently had a profound effect on her past. Along the way she meets a varied cast of LA misfits and finds her life and outlook changed forever.
At times it was difficult to empathise with Joan, she seemed harsh and unforgiving and cynical beyond belief. But as the book progressed and Joan’s dysfunctional childhood is finally fully revealed you realise that she’s a product of her upbringing and had little chance to experience familial love. I found all the characters Joan encounters believable the only false note that didn’t ring true involved a coyote but to say anymore would involve a plot spoiler.
What I love about this book is the observations, from a person’s personality to a restaurant or home. In just a few words Lisa Taddeo is capable of painting an accurate picture and I as the reader could clearly see what she described. This is no mean feat. Her use of language is wonderful and at times this book is cruelly funny. I was heavily invested in Joan’s future, despite not always liking her and finding her decision making irrational at best. Some of the subject matter may be triggering to some readers. §§
Its fair to say this book will divide opinion and some may see Joan as an anti-heroine. But I think its modern fiction at its best and its depiction of the expectations put on women by society certainly rings true. Read it, you won’t be disappointed.
The hardback is due for publication on: 24/06/2021
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the e-arc in return for an honest review.

Perhaps my most anticipated book of the year, it is going to take the book world by storm. I was simultaneously gripped, disgusted, moved and entertained by this searing study of a woman on the brink of collapse. Comparable only to A Little Life in the sheer suffering of it's narrator, this is a powerful story of the many manifestations of sexual exploitation in the modern world.

Maybe I'm too much of a traditional reader but I just didn't get on with this book.

I struggled through pages and pages of a woman who I could not relate to in the slightest. I understand her terrible experiences led to who she had become, but I did not enjoy the meandering wander through her crass, bleak musings which as a reader you just don't understand for too much of the book making her journey separate from the reader's. It felt disjointed and confusing.

I also find books that mess with punctuation irk me. It seems to be trendy at the moment to lose punctuation marks. I just find it affected and pretentious.

Overall I found Joan, the protagonist, too unreachable, the prose well-crafted, but too opaque for too long, and the plot-line just too twisted for me.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this honest review in exchange for this digital ARC.

I’m depraved. I hope you like me.

I’m not going to say anything about the premise as there really isn’t much else to write after the blurb without giving away spoilers.

This is a raw and uncomfortable read, definitely not for the faint-hearted, however, if you enjoy a disturbing story then you will certainly enjoy this one as it will keep you in a continual feeling of trepidation.

I initially struggled to commit myself to this book as I found it hard to connect with Joan, she has this brick wall built up around her which isn’t surprising as she is broken, corrupt, hurt, completely damaged. I also think my initial struggles with the book was partly due to nerves and anxiety, with every page you just don’t know what you are going to learn and some admissions are utterly shocking. Once I committed myself to her story and had the time to sit down and absorb everything that she has been through and goes through, I began to sympathise with her. Her story is not an easy read in the slightest and it left me stunned, it will certainly stay with me for years to come.

Joan’s story is a type of confessional, one which she has to tell, but whom was it written for? This is what I kept asking myself throughout and you will have to read it to find out too.

A powerful story of one woman’s collision course with sex, violence and redemption. She has a history of rejection and casual sex, which leads to inevitable feelings of self destruction and a downward spiral of encounters with her past. This book has a very similar tone to three women, and it becomes clear that her feelings towards men are coloured by their lies and deceit. She is no stranger to using people either. It is a gripping read and keeps you guessing, except about her relationship with the woman she tracks down, which becomes clear through the narrative.

Animal is vivid and unforgettable. It captures the violence that men do to women every day. It is not for the faint hearted. When something unspeakable happens to Joan, she feels compelled to leave town in search of the mysterious Alice. A series of flashbacks explain how Joan has become the person she has. It's strong stuff, even if you have read Taddeo's Three Women. Personally, I would read anything Taddeo wrote as she shines a light in dark places.

From the blurb of the book, I was expecting more. In the era of #metoo, how a past of abuse and heartache can turn a woman into manipulative predator. The story is well written but never really takes off. The narrative is confusing and makes it hard to retain your interest. A good attempt but just not up to what it promises.

This is a LOT of book. It was a journey for the protagonist and for the reader. Initially, I felt uncomfortable with the tone but it really does the most fantastic job of drawing you in, making you feel proud and strong, scared and empathetic. Thoroughly recommended.

This book is shocking from the get go. Joan’s former lover blows his brains out in front of her whilst she is sitting in a restaurant. Traumatised by this and broken by past events she leaves NYC heading to California in search of a woman who she believes will be able to make sense of her dysfunctional and traumatic childhood.
Amongst the brutality, violence, degradation and suffering Joan emerges as a survivor telling her story honestly and unashamedly.
Having read some disparaging reviews I can understand how some readers may be offended by the controversial topics covered by the author but personally I devoured and loved every word.
Joan, I’m gonna miss you