Oh, my. This novel. It's so unexpected. It's impossible to describe how it works. You just need to read it. Keep your expectations at bay. Push away your critical judgments away. Let this story tell itself to you. This is alchemic storytelling. It's about the trauma of everyday life, about being human, about how difficult it is to feel loved, to feel worthy. About how we scratch together semblances of an identity and cling to these long after they are of any use to us because without these fragile shells that we've constructed for ourselves we're just bags of water walking around. I'm completely bowled over by it. Read forward, with trust.202499 s12 comments Jill1,220 1,862

Bad Animals is my favorite kind of book – a book that dives deep into its characters and reveals truths about them even as they cling to the lies they continually tell themselves. The fact that it’s also a story about storytelling and the purpose of literature is an added bonus.

I was engrossed right from the opening page. Maeve Cosgrove, a meek, married Maine librarian, adores her job at a neighborhood public library. Yet immediately, we learn that a troubled teenage girl named Libby has accused her of spying in the next bathroom stall while she and a boy engaged in salacious acts.

Oh, my! To complicate things, her favorite author, Harrison Riddles, whom she has worshipped for years, has just agreed to speak at the library at her bequest. He also intends to begin writing his new book, which will be about a Sudanese refugee – the fiancée of a younger woman she works with – whom Maeve mentioned in one of her letters.

The characters are all marvelous – Maeve, her husband Jack, Libby, Harrison and his wife Dora, the Sudanese man, Willie and her colleague Katrina, and even the therapist she connects with on the phone.

Each of them is a bad animal, capable of being artfully and artistically cruel (to borrow a phrase from Dostoyevsky). They present themselves in a certain way, but often, they are not in tune with who they really are (or maybe they are and don’t want to admit it). It is fascinating to see them disguise the truth, not only to others but also to themselves.

Almost to a person, Sarah Braunstein’s characters relay stories that have served them well in the past and believe that a little bit of vulnerability can take the place of authentic human empathy. I couldn’t turn pages fast enough. Thanks to W.W. Norton for enabling me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review. This one gets a big thumbs-up!
27 s5 comments Dave G54 1 follower

Thanks to the author and publisher for the giveaway. This book had its ups and downs but mostly downs. In truth, it is a lot of nothing. Maeve, the central character, is almost unbearable. The other characters were of little to no use. I need a book where I love or love to hate a character or segment of the story. This book provided neither. Maeve is almost creep in her actions. I odd figures but not whining Maeve. I was hoping the book would improve as I progressed but it fell short on so many opportunities to become something more.

Not worth the time or effort unless you get it for free. Sorry. The writing was extremely generic as if a high schooler was writing it. Except for an affair, very little drama worth writing about. Another character, Libby, who I thought was going to emerge into something never did. Speaking of that, I hated the ending. arc give-away7 s1 comment Mary Lins927 139

“Bad Animals”, by Sarah Braunstein, is immediately arresting! Librarian Maeve Cosgrove has been accused by sixteen-year-old Libby of watching her have sex with a boy in the library bathroom. Although she is cleared of that charge, she is laid off from the library job that she loves due to budget cuts.

Maeve starts to unravel, and the plot thickens!

Maeve’s favorite author Harrison Riddles, with whom she’s been corresponding, comes to town to write book about Willie, the husband of one of Maeve’s coworkers who escaped the Sudanese genocide as a boy.

Maeve forges a relationship with Harrison and Willie, in part to get her job back at the library.

And then there are Maeve’s daughter’s very very strange plants!

The plot is absolutely engrossing. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and I had no idea how it was going to end. All the characters are interesting and skillfully drawn so that the reader is intrigued at every turn and surprised by every secret revealed.

What I loved about “Bad Animals” was how unreliable and egotistical Maeve’s view of her world is. While not a first-person narrative, Braunstein writes a “close third person” from Maeve’s point of view, and it becomes deliciously skewed.

“Bad Animals” is about writing and appropriation and it’s a bit “meta” as we find ourselves wondering who should be telling what stories and who actually IS telling it?

In the end I was dazzled and impressed by Sarah Braunstein’s audacity and skill as a storyteller. I can’t wait to read her next one!

Thank you W.W. Norton for this unique novel.
complete5 s1 comment Caitlin Martin16 23

Thank you so much for sharing this title!

OMG I loved this. Admittedly it took me a bit to get into it, but then, it flew by. I am so into stories about women in their 50s and 60s that are fun and wild. We need more of this! What a fever-dream, truly.

Love!5 s Alejandro Lugo47

My first 5-star read of the year goes to Bad Animals, a gem I received through a Goodreads giveaway. This novel delves into the life of Maeve, a librarian navigating emotions, mistakes, and the universal quest for worthiness after losing her job. The narrative skillfully explores the intricacies of human nature, surprising me with its depth and well-crafted storytelling.

Braunstein's ability to intertwine mystery, intrigue, lust, and betrayal into the narrative kept me eagerly turning pages. Maeve's journey is relatable and compelling, making the book difficult to put down. Even the open-ended conclusion didn't hinder my appreciation; instead, it added layer of contemplation that lingered after the final page. Highly recommended for those seeking a thought-provoking and engaging read.giveaways3 s ???*????Just Amy????*???29 2

I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway!

I didn't love it. I struggled so much to finish. It's hard reading a book when you hate the main character, and I hate Maeve she's odd in a dreadful way. I didn't the relationships between characters. Their conversations were boring and unbelievable. The vagina dream and affair are the sellers, and they're not much.

I appreciate the giveaway and will be donating this book in one of our many local free mini libraries!!giveaway-wins2 s M828 159

Well, I managed to finish it, so there’s that.
Immature and unredeemable protagonist. Clumsy and juvenile writing. Zero point that I can discern. 1 TrishTalksBooks103 6

Bad Animals is a slightly off-beat take on a surprisingly complex small-town librarian who finds her life upended after an accusation of impropriety, this novel resonated with me.

“Her thoughts were a knot she set out to untie, a fine-gauge necklace chain, knotted and knotted, knots in the knots. She wanted only to be alone with her mind, to work that chain as with a needle.”

There’s not much better in my reading life than sitting down to a book with no preconceptions and finding a little treasure of a story inside. It’s as if you unwrap the story slowly, dust it off and feel happy that it reveals something valuable. An unexpected gem.

This is the experience I had while reading Bad Animals, a new novel (and the first I’ve read) by Sarah Braunstein. Middle-aged Maeve has had a lot of changes, with her daughter leaving home to study and her much-valued role as mother irrevocably changed. But her job at the library means the world to her, connects her. She feels valued. Then an accusation by a young patron brings her world tumbling down around her in fragmented pieces.

Let’s watch Maeve as she tries to maintain her equilibrium on such horrible, shifting ground. At first I found her a bit of a mystery. Is she unable? Is she intrusive, a bit creepy? Is it her frisson of paranoia that has me on edge as I read? Or is she just a person who’s a bit abnormal in the ways that we all are, to some individual degree? It seems it’s not just me who’s worried about Maeve: her husband also drops clues to her potential for instability, for breakdown.

This novel is a textbook case of “show, don’t tell.” Maeve’s character is built slowly through the story, and instead of feeling alienated I grew to her very much, and sympathise. The writing was sharp and concise, and I raced through it. In the end it was a great character study of a woman navigating in new and uncertain waters, that got better as I read. I came away marvelling at how we are all just doing our level best with our own quirks and instabilities.

Thanks to W.W. Norton and Netgalley for an advanced copy! Becky469 2

BAD ANIMALS by Sarah Braunstein
I have given BAD ANIMALS a couple days to "sit with me" before writing this review. I'm still not sure how I feel about the book. It was well written, the story was mostly engaging; but I didn't any of the main characters. I can't decide if Maeve was just a total innocent caught up in circumstances beyond her control or she was a jaded and cynical psychopath who attempted to destroy a child. Or maybe the child was the psychopath who attempted to destroy the adult Maeve. I am certain Harrison was a cynical "user" of people for his own enjoyment and financial gain. Poor Jack was caught in the middle of Harrison and Maeve's shenanigan's and the ultimate loser. The other librarians were simply there for the author's ability to tell the story.
So, would I recommend this book to another reader? Maybe? Maybe not? Would I have finished the book if I wasn't writing a review? NO, I would have given it maybe 100 pages instead of my usual 50 before dropping it, but I wouldn't have finished it. But maybe would I have, if only to find out what ultimately happened to Libby, the only character I cared about.
SO…. 4 stars for writing . 2 stars for story.
3 stars for the total book.
Megan134 1 follower

3.5 rounded up
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book about Maeve, who is let go from her job at the library for an odd incident and then falls under the spell of her favorite author as he prepares a new book and a visit to her library.
This book took a minute for me to get into. I don't finish books I don't and I did consider abandoning this one. Then at maybe 40 percent I suddenly found myself getting more hooked. I am not sure if the author was trying to write Maeve as someone with BPD? If so, I don't that for reasons I won't fully get into here. Maeve has odd relationship patterns at times and I see the author trying to highlight that, but it didn't fully pan out for me there. I did end up enjoying this book, something about following Maeve and her grief at losing her job and this self discovery she goes on. Yes maeve is not always able, as I see other reviewers noting, and that's okay.
There were a few bits of the story I wish I had seen flesh out more, but I'm not an author so what do I know. I do know there were a lot of not fleshed out bits that left me feeling unsatisfied, but maybe that is reflective of life.
Overall an interesting read.arc Grace52

Following Maeve, a librarian* in Maine, one can squint and call this a weird girl book. As with many weird girl books, we get to see a raw Maeve, who leans into her desires and anxieties a. Not only do we get to see Maeve's actions, but we get to see how she decides to take and understand her actions - making it hard to fault her for the strange things she does or see her as the true hero of the story. As with Maeve, the other characters are treated with attention to their quirks (while there are many characters it never felt overwhelming to me, probably because the narrative is always grounded in Maeve). life, the book takes the reader places that are sometimes exciting and compulsively readable and other times were spiraling, repeating, and anxiety inducing. I loved the author's dedication to nuance and the reality that the world is very complicated. Also worth noting that the summary of the book calls it "sexy", but I never once would have called this book sexy. Maybe sexually charged, but not sexy. Overall, people who love a weird (aka raw, conflicted, complex) girl book will want to add this to their collection

Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton Company for the ARC! Tess643

BAD ANIMALS is an odd book, I have to say. I enjoyed the plot, and it certainly kept my attention. But at the end of the story, I wasn't sure what point the author was trying to get across and why we focused on the characters we did. Maeve is an empty nester, finding meaning in her library job in Maine until a scandal at work forces the library to lay her off (or is it just budget cuts? It's unclear to her, and us).

She then finds herself entangled in a famous author's new project. With her husband out of town, her daughter in college in California, and without much purpose, she makes some questionable decisions. It sometimes comes off as a coming of age story for a woman in her 50s, and other times it feels a flat story of adultery and middle age boredom that isn't very groundbreaking. I really wanted to be invested I just wasn't and I certainly didn't connect with any of the characters. Needed a little more editing and a little more clarity.1 Jennifer MacMaster67 3

This story revolves around Maeve, who is a librarian. I think I have more questions after finishing the story. The story ended on a very weird note with Maeve finding Libby only Libby does not acknowledge her. Did Maeve imagine this whole story? Was this the reason she told herself to explain why she got fired? Did Libby really know who she was but feigned ignorance? Harrison Riddles seemed a playboy. He used Maeve to get what he wanted and discarded her. She should have kept her distance but I can understand having a deep connection to an author you admire. I'd to know more about Willie's story or even the story of the life coach who vanished after her session with Willie. Katrina seems a fake friend, who may have originally gotten her fired. This is the vibe I got from her character. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Paula87

Mauve is a librarian. She loves her job. There is an incident with a complaint from a teenager, but she is proved innocent of any wrongdoing. But then she is let go, budget cuts. She is the only one cut! Early on we realize Maude has an odd personality. For years she has been writing to her favorite author, inviting him to do a program at the library. After she has been let go he calls the library and asks for her. He does get ahold of her. He and his wife have a vacation home in her town. They invite her for dinner. He wants to write a book about a young man she has written to him about, a refugee from Sudan. Mauve is with the writer most days. It becomes a complicated relationship. She also becomes obsessed with thoughts of the teenager. This is in interesting book with a surprising ending. The book will be published March 2024. Thank you BookBrowse for the ARC. Taylor Hathcock300 14

Alright if I'm going to be completely honest I read this book but I couldn't really tell you anything. It had a lot of different parts that didn't really feel connected. We have Maeve and Jack's relationship, Maeve's obsession with her job, Maeve's obsession with the author, her sense of betrayal for losing her job, her irritation that Katrina and Willie are getting to interact with the author, her upset over her daughter starting her own life, and her desire to prove she was let go for lies and should have her job back. All these pieces are woven throughout and sometimes bump up against each other.

The writing style was really strange for me and I honestly never could keep up with what was literal or figurative. I wish I had more I could say about this one but I honestly still have no idea what even the point of the novel was. It didn't really feel Maeve faced in hard choices or decisions in her life. She just kind of went along with the flow and was angry about her job. I honestly spent the whole time confused. The allegation against Maeve didn't feel as important to the story as her obsession with getting her job back and blaming the girl was. Maeve was just paranoid someone would find out. I can for sure say this was not my kind of story. Emi Yoshida1,535 92

Maeve Cosgrove is 45, lives in Maine with her loving husband, has a dream job at the library, and their daughter is a success. But one by one each piece of perfection comes misaligned, and even the granting of her greatest wish doesn't bring about the joy she'd expected. When Maeve's highly organized life seems to come unhinged, the crisis she's ensconced in is actually only the tip of the iceberg; so many underlying currents, unspoken issues, and buried secrets. A multitude of fascinating plot points converge: from Lost Boy child soldier Willie's life story, to wildly popular author Harrison Riddles' arrival, to shameful family relations. I love the realistic way in which Maeve's consequences and outcomes are alluded to, but not tied up neatly in a bow. I look forward to reading more by author Sarah Braunstein.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. Bad Animals comes out March 19, 2024. africa domestic-fiction fiction ...more1 Margot638

Read the ARC from BookBrowse. The first few pages of Bad Animals led me to believe that the book would be a lighter, more comedic parody of sorts. But, boy did that quickly change! Braunstein's novel honestly portrays the human animal in all its dysfunctional glory; however, the story also has a strong permeating theme of love-in all its at times twisted forms. She takes on a lot in this story but it never comes across as crowded or cluttered. The ending is very thought provoking and a bit open ended yet fits with the story. I am a librarian so perhaps this book particularly appeals to me. I think it would be a good book club choice but might not be uniformly d. Oliver Recommends29

If you love to read about libraries and readers and writers, this book is for you. If you love brilliant, fresh writing, this book is for you. If you love a complex, unreliable narrator, this book is for you. If you worry about privilege, appropriation and who gets to tell whose story, this book is for you. If you want a propulsive, immersive read that simultaneously expands your mind by asking big questions, you need to read this book. If you’re in the market for unforgettable, fully-fledged characters, honestly rendered and painfully flawed, I recommend BAD ANIMALS to you. For everyone else: Read BAD ANIMALS. It's that good.bookbrowse favorites1 Beverly300 2

Received ARC from BookBrowse:

I found this novel un-put-downable. Written in a very straightforward, no nonsense way, the writing was descriptive of the lives of several of the main characters. BUT the deceptions living inside of them make us want to know more about them and understand if they are REALLY so sure of themselves.
The author's exceptional "nature" interludes soooo added to the emotional intensity of the stories. This would be an excellent choice for a bookclub. Highly reccommend!1 elle6

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this.
While this book has potential, it falls flat. The most interesting thing about this novel is the discussion of a white writer’s exploitation of the trauma of a person of color. Unfortunately, this subject is hardly explored and is overshadowed by the annoying protagonist. Maeve’s savior complex and immaturity never failed to irritate me. The Libby storyline ends up being confusing and underdeveloped. Overall, just ok.
ALSO: Lol that Goodreads describes this book as “sexy”…. read-in-2024 Yvonne Marks120 3

I won this book on a free giveaway on Goodreads. It took me a while to get interested in this book. Although the author did a good job developing the main character, I did not her. I felt she was too self pitying- a poor me type of person. I d some of the author’s insights into human nature throughout the book.
Thanks for the free book. Robin Perkins95

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

The characters were developed well but I feel the story needed some help. I felt as though it continuously bounced back and forth. For a relatively short book it was a very complicated story. It was a bit of a chore to get through and then the end left me unsatisfied.1 Melanie353 26

This book is a subtle, intriguing unfolding of Maeve Cosgrove’s clouded perspective into more clarity and subsequently her awareness of her own emotional growth and power. This story will leave the reader feeling uneasy yet inspired by certain aspects of the literary creative process. Good book to discuss. first-reads Kaysey52 7

This book was so weird and kind of felt a fever dream. Usually I this but for some reason it didn't work with this book for me. It just all felt very disconnected, and the pacing felt off. I couldn't connect with the characters and ultimately this just ended up being a literary fiction flop for me.

There is certainly potential, and the writing wasn't bad. *sigh* I guess you can't them all. Chloe Eaton147 1 follower

I wanted a story about a bitter ex-librarian spiraling but I didn’t want a bitter ex-librarian to spiral into getting everything she wanted by cheating on her honestly LOVELY and too good for her husband, realizing that her daughter does love her in her own way, and then getting her dear job back in the end anyway. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Holly44

The you for the chance to read this book early. However, I don't find it as interesting or wise, witty or intriguing as someone stated. I actually have grown very bored and annoyed with the main character and am stuck on Chapter 22. Setting the book down for a week now thinking I would come back to it but still no. This may be a good read for others but it did not work for me. giveaways-from-goodreads Stacy Lewis13

This book is not what I expected at all, I was hoping for a much better storyline. Maybe it was just didn’t the main character and that’s why I didn’t it better I’m not sure! Thanks to the Goodreads giveaway I was able to read it. However this book wasn’t for me. giveaways J R1,022 11

Hey all! This one was pretty darn great and left me with so many questions so I’d put this high but not quite a five star level. A gorgeous book club read to be sure a lot to go through. Thanks for the ARC, and cheers! Angie21 1 follower

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