Man's Best Friend does the unlikable main character trope right - I'm relieved I'm not friends with this girl, but her POV was engaging and reasonably understandable even in her most brutal moments. El has what feels like a terminal case of Millennial Drifting Through Life With No Purpose Disease with a side of Are The Straights Okay?! but I also don't NOT relate to her whole vibe as I've also given up careerist dreams without replacing them with anything else in particular.

The mystery/thriller aspect of this book is really what shines as El goes down the rabbit hole to find out exactly what the hell is wrong with her new boyfriend even as she entwines herself further and further into his life. It was refreshing to read a book in this genre without the typical domestic thriller protagonist (woman, married to some guy, has a couple kids, somehow younger than me despite acting like what I think "middle-aged" is supposed to mean), and I appreciated that El got to just kind of suck at life even as you root for her to somehow win this one. I'll pop a couple spoilers in my Goodreads review since I can't tag them here, but overall I found this a satisfying read and I was happy to see something like this done differently than usual.

My thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to like this, on the premise alone. Unfortunately, the execution fell a little flat. The story begins with a snippet from the perspective of a dog, running away. Though that did end up coming full circle, every time this cropped up, I felt a little removed from the story being told. Ultimately, the narrator, as well as the surrounding characters, weren't ones I could enjoy spending time with. Everyone felt like a less fleshed out version of someone from Gossip Girl.
I really appreciate the opportunity and hope this book finds its readers!

I didn't think this book was for me. I couldn't connect and didn't like the writing style. El ignored too many red flags for me.

I enjoyed this book but thought at times the author was really stretching to make the title of Man's Best Friend relevant to the story at all. The entire plot about dogs running away was silly, didn't fit in and should have been scraped. If that piece had been gone, it would have been what it was, a just fine thriller.
Honestly, I was hoping it was going to go really dark and have someone being kept as a dog but I am a horror reader so that would have made this book stand out.

I was initially confused when I started to read Man's Best Friend, the start of the book starts in the midwest and the perspective is from a dogs point of view. The story is about a fail actress and her desire to go from rags to riches. Throughout the story dogs are loosely tied in and towards the end of the story it comes full circle, but it was very loose.

I really struggled with this book. We follow El, who went to NYU to study acting but now that she's hit 30 she has given up, as she isn't landing any roles. She seems to spend most of her time being jealous of her friends for being more wealthy and successful than she is. Then, at her friend Julia's party, she meets Bryce and her life takes a turn.

A large part of why I didn't like this book is because El is so unlikeable as a character, so if you're fine with unlikeable narrators you may enjoy this book more than I did. El is just kind of floating through life, defining herself entirely based on the people she's around. She's a terrible friend, and doesn't take accountability for it. When it came to the more thriller-ey aspects of the book I really should have been more concerned for her welfare, but I didn't care enough about her as a character to be concerned.

Like I said, if you're a fan of an unlikeable protagonist you'll probably enjoy this book a lot more than I did, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

This was such a great, suspenseful thriller! I couldn't put this book down and I would love to read more by this author. You'll never guess the twist at the end!

I really thought I was going to enjoy this when I started. However, as the story continued, I stopped. The story line was just a little confusing and wasn’t at all what I thought going into it from the description. The MC was not at all relatable and I found her to be a little whiny. And they way it ended kinda left me with a bad feeling, like I needed to shower.

book review • Man's Best Friend by Alana Biden Lytle • ☆☆☆☆☆ • Pub Date: May 14th, 2024

This review has been a long time coming. I finished this egalley a while ago, but I have been turning it over and over in my head ever since...

This book is about a young failed actress working in a bakery in New York City who decides to attend the birthday party of an old private school friend. It is there that she becomes increasingly enamored with the wealth and lifestyle of her friends. When a wealthy man finds her driver's license at the party and shows interest in her, she goes out with him, despite his glaring red flags and the fact that she has absolutely no interest in him. The book gets darker and darker, challenging the reader's stomach as it challenges the narrator's morals.

Alana B. Lytle's writing expertly satirizes the problematic aspects of the contemporary dating scene. This book eloquently attends to and challenges gendered power dynamics, the problem of codependency, vulnerability (especially the lack thereof), and underdevelopment of self—an enthralling exploration of love and it's intersections with power and ethics. It genuinely felt as though I was reading an overdramatized characterization of attachment styles, the narrator's being avoidant, and her love interest's being anxious. This book will keep you utterly enthralled while making you feel vaguely sick, and you'll love every second of it. I especially loved the complete power shift towards the end, it was surpsing in a sickeningly exciting way.

Thank you to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced readers' copy of this title!

This novel had great potential and an intriguing premise. Unfortunately it was poorly executed and lacked cohesion.. It felt like a first draft.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Man's Best Friend.

I liked the title more than I did the book.

El is a failed actress looking for something...but what that is she's not sure.

When she meets a mysterious man named Bryce, she's quickly drawn into his privileged world, but when she discovers his secrets, she has to make a choice about her future and what she really wants in life.

El is not a likable character; she's not witty or charming, smart or clever.

But she's honest about her complacency, about her desire to do less, sacrificing her morals and values for a life of leisure.

The narrative was boring, tedious, filled with bratty privileged people hooking up, boozing, doing drugs, trying to sound smarter than they really are by debating whatever hashtag is trending on social media.

The story is neither suspenseful or compelling; this is not a mystery or thriller so much as whiny people whining about how hard life is while they dash off to the Hamptons or Paris and guzzle thousands in booze and snort thousands in drugs up their nose.

Bryce is pathetic, a loser, and not surprisingly, a good match for El.

I accept El's reason for accepting Bryce's marriage proposal though the ending wouldn't work if Bryce wasn't a loser.

But then, people have gotten married for less.

Thank you NetGalley, Alana B. Lytle, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It has a gorgeous cover, but sadly wasn’t for me. However, I still recommend picking it up, because fans of the genre may like it more.

I really enjoyed the unique writing style of this book. It started out slow but I’m glad I stuck it out because it was an overall entertaining and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

I love an unlikable protagonist done well, which I feel is a rarity in the thriller genre. El is an unlikable protagonist done well. I winced at her inner thoughts, bitchy and jealous and scheming, but I still wanted her to come out on top.

Man’s Best Friend follows El, an unsuccessful actress, as she infiltrates the world of her ultra-rich childhood friends via a relationship with Bryce, a middling, boorish stalker who seems to worship her. How far would you go to give yourself security? It’s a question many women have asked themselves in one uncomfortable relationship or another, and El’s answer is - far.

This novel is a slow build but worth it. Unlike other thrillers I’ve read this year, the ending felt earned. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC.

A book full of unlikeable people and a somewhat predictable plot keep this at a 3 stars for me. If I think about it too much longer, this might drop to 2 stars though. So I'll leave it at what I felt by the very end.

Also, the dog thing??

Man’s Best Friend, despite showcasing incredibly unlikeable characters and a narrative that sometimes felt rushed and disjointed, manages to be a captivating thriller deserving of praise.

From page one, I did not want to put this book down. The main characters, El and Bryce, (and pretty much every other character in the book) were about as self-centered and toxic as they could possibly be. But that somehow only seemed to make them more realistic and fun to read. El’s inability form a true, intimate relationship as a friend, daughter, or partner resonates with insecurities of not being good enough and adds a unique layer to the tension throughout the novel. Bryce, managing to be both charming and horribly icky, adds a feeling of discomfort that keeps the reader rooting for El even when they’d rather not.

There are also several plot points centered around dogs in this book. I found that some of these moments were distracting to the central story, but I absolutely loved the scene at the very start of the novel. I wish that the others would have been more similar to that. I really liked the dog/owner relationship parallel; I just wish some of it had been done a little differently.

Overall, I felt that the story progressed in a very predictable way. However, the author’s writing style is very lovely to read and I enjoyed every page of this book. I will definitely be recommending this to friends when it officially releases.

*Huge thanks to Alana B. Lytle, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in e-book format*

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

the story follows El, a misguided, bitchy, and lonely 29-year. after her father left and she and her mother moved to new york, she was introduced to how lower and high class people live different lives at a young age. an emotionally absent mom, self absorbed and toxic friends, El has a warped view on the world to the point that she falls for people too quickly and stays with them even if she's aware of how horrible of people they are while ridding herself of friends who actually wanted to stay with her.

El is deeply unlikeable, but in a way that made me want to continue reading. she doesn't try to make meaningful friendships or relationships, which many of her friends realized towards the end of the story. she's almost good enough. there were times i thought she was going to be a "good person" instead of this hurtful "bad person."

overall, the plot and writing was great. i didn't enjoy the dog references. i understood what Lytle was trying to do, but wasn't a fan as if felt too on the nose and like she was telling me instead of showing.

thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group and PUTNUM, and Alana B. Lytle for allowing me to read an ARC of 'Man's Best Friend'.

El is befriended by wealthy Anna and Julia when the girls are in eighth grade and El, enamored with their lives, works to keep the friendships going as the women move on to separate high schools, colleges and into adult life. At a birthday party for Julia in the Hamptons as the woman reach their late twenties El meets Bryce through a chance encounter. He contacts her when they return to the city and as El has recently given up her dreams of making it as an actor she is at loose ends; she immediately becomes deeply involved with Bryce. But is this relationship good for her?

Overall decent book but I have to admit that I don’t get the thing about the dogs. Maybe I’m just slow.

After being blown away by the subtle strangeness and complex morality of Absolute Best, Alana B. Lytle’s fabulous short story published in Guernica, and the explosive weirdness of Tadpole Smoothie, her contribution to the Netflix mini-series Brand New Cherry Flavor, Man’s Best Friend left this fan pretty disappointed. It’s not tense or suspenseful enough to be thrilling. The prose isn’t poetic or engaging enough to be considered literary. There are hints towards the surreal, towards a present that not quite like our own, but it never goes far enough to be categorized as speculative. While it might find its place on your shelf as an exercise in breezy escapism, it doesn’t have the stakes of a good thriller or the ambition of a literary work.