"Animal" by Lisa Taddeo follows a young woman, Joan, in her late thirties with a complicated past. At the onset, Joan reveals that a man has just committed suicide in front of her, spurring her to leave New York and head to California.
The narrative alternates between the past and present, using the past to unveil parts of her New York life and the real reasons why she left it behind and flows in a manner that closely resembles a personal memoir rather than a work of fiction.
Throughout the book, Joan contemplates her relationship with men, her parents, and her existence. Joan, herself, is an interesting character. I was honestly really put off by Joan and her story. She’s an unlikeable and deeply disturbed protagonist. Her past haunts her every move. She sexualizes every encounter, but somehow also makes herself the victim. She doesn’t have depth and seems to care about nothing but herself.
I listened to this one on audiobook entirely becuase it was narrated by Emma Roberts. And, becuase it was narrated by her, I couldn’t help but picture her as the main character the entire time—which I kind of liked becuase it helped me paint a more vivid picture.
I think the fact that I listened to this one on audio impacted my reader experience, so I say all of this with a grain of salt and with emphasizing that I listened to this book.
You can read more about Lisa Taddeo on her website here.
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