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You're an Animal
A spiky, hopeful ode to the other and a tender portrait of four misfits on the run across Texas that speaks to those who are left out, those who opt out, and to the animal in us all
It’s springtime in Oklahoma and Ernie, an outcast in a group of outcasts, feels uneasy. The compound where he and his fellow oddballs are crashing has been on edge since the arrival of a teenager named Coral, unceremoniously dropped off from her family’s minivan one afternoon. Adding to the mystery, Coral doesn't say a word. Ever.
When a drug lab explosion burns the compound to the ground, Ernie, Coral, and the hard-living couple Staci and Ray escape on a pair of motorcycles. Shaky with fear, and alive with a new surge of freedom, the four strangers find a rundown house in rural a place to stay, they tell themselves, for now. Yet to their surprise, over the course of card games and wild strawberries and target-shooting and late-night dancing to ZZ Top on the local radio, a quirky little chosen family forms. At the heart of their new home is Coral, whose silence only amplifies her strange, undefinable power and the sense that she found them for a reason.
But a threat is crystallizing, and whether it’s coming from inside or outside the house isn’t clear. All this crew knows is there’s now something at an awkward kind of love, a bond forged with the firepower of both loneliness and joy.
It’s springtime in Oklahoma and Ernie, an outcast in a group of outcasts, feels uneasy. The compound where he and his fellow oddballs are crashing has been on edge since the arrival of a teenager named Coral, unceremoniously dropped off from her family’s minivan one afternoon. Adding to the mystery, Coral doesn't say a word. Ever.
When a drug lab explosion burns the compound to the ground, Ernie, Coral, and the hard-living couple Staci and Ray escape on a pair of motorcycles. Shaky with fear, and alive with a new surge of freedom, the four strangers find a rundown house in rural a place to stay, they tell themselves, for now. Yet to their surprise, over the course of card games and wild strawberries and target-shooting and late-night dancing to ZZ Top on the local radio, a quirky little chosen family forms. At the heart of their new home is Coral, whose silence only amplifies her strange, undefinable power and the sense that she found them for a reason.
But a threat is crystallizing, and whether it’s coming from inside or outside the house isn’t clear. All this crew knows is there’s now something at an awkward kind of love, a bond forged with the firepower of both loneliness and joy.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2023
8 people are currently reading
4936 people want to read
About the author
Jardine Libaire
8 books312 followersI'm a fiend for books, bookstores, lit journals, found poetry, libraries, graffiti, artist books, diaries, screenplays---anything that tells a story. My MFA is from Michigan, which is a dearly beloved program. For the last ten years, I've been living in Austin, TX, a city that is very sweet + kind to artists ;) Over the decades, I've worked as a motel chambermaid, real estate agent, dishwasher, bartender, assistant to a perfume designer, art model, copywriter, grantwriter, and restaurant manager. I worship at the feet of Willa Cather. Every Thursday evening, I facilitate a storytelling class at the Lockhart Women's Prison here in Texas, and I've learned more about life from the women in the class than I have taught them, I'm quite sure. Right now I'm working on a new book about a cheetah and a deaf teenager.
William S. Burroughs said: 'Hustlers of the world, there is one mark you cannot beat: the mark inside.' And Dolly Parton said: 'I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable.' And Oscar Wilde said: 'It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.' I love them all! xo
William S. Burroughs said: 'Hustlers of the world, there is one mark you cannot beat: the mark inside.' And Dolly Parton said: 'I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable.' And Oscar Wilde said: 'It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.' I love them all! xo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
July 2, 2023
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3.5 Stars
“We’re an odd lot. But we’re better together than separated out.”
I give this book props for being different. For some reason, I liked this group of misfits maybe because I consider myself a misfit. I could definitely relate to Coral as I am also deaf (but not mute as I didn't start to lose my hearing until I was in my late 20s).
The story is narrated by three characters that aren't mute (Ernie, Stacie and Ray) but we do get Coral's perspective sometimes via internal thoughts. They are on the run from a compound where a meth lab just exploded and because they had to leave in such a hurry they have taken the leader's money with them. They find a house to share and hide out in and as things go well there (at first) they find their new normal.
The chapters are long ones and I don't usually like that but the story was engaging enough that I hardly noticed. The story is very character driven but what a bunch of characters they are. I loved that Texas, the house and the garden were all kind of characters as well, not to mention Slash.
There was one thing that might bother other readers and that's the fact that dialogue is in italics but I kind of dug it. The story is a gritty one and filled with raw emotion. One thing I wish there was more of was the background of each character, particularly Coral. Overall an enjoyably interesting read deserving of 3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
3.5 Stars
“We’re an odd lot. But we’re better together than separated out.”
I give this book props for being different. For some reason, I liked this group of misfits maybe because I consider myself a misfit. I could definitely relate to Coral as I am also deaf (but not mute as I didn't start to lose my hearing until I was in my late 20s).
The story is narrated by three characters that aren't mute (Ernie, Stacie and Ray) but we do get Coral's perspective sometimes via internal thoughts. They are on the run from a compound where a meth lab just exploded and because they had to leave in such a hurry they have taken the leader's money with them. They find a house to share and hide out in and as things go well there (at first) they find their new normal.
The chapters are long ones and I don't usually like that but the story was engaging enough that I hardly noticed. The story is very character driven but what a bunch of characters they are. I loved that Texas, the house and the garden were all kind of characters as well, not to mention Slash.
There was one thing that might bother other readers and that's the fact that dialogue is in italics but I kind of dug it. The story is a gritty one and filled with raw emotion. One thing I wish there was more of was the background of each character, particularly Coral. Overall an enjoyably interesting read deserving of 3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
September 11, 2023
there is no trope i love more than found family.
give me a group of losers with tragic backstories striking out on their own and building banter along the way? i'm in heaven.
that's what this book is ostensibly about. i saw the synopsis (four misfits on the run) and simply thought...goals.
but it's as if there was no love there.
i feel like we reallytruly got to know 2 men who hate women as they make one extremely gross and convoluted exception apiece, but the aforementioned one-gal-each ration of women doesn't seem to get in on the lovefest.
and, unsurprisingly, i felt a lot more for them.
bottom line: more like the unfounded family!
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
give me a group of losers with tragic backstories striking out on their own and building banter along the way? i'm in heaven.
that's what this book is ostensibly about. i saw the synopsis (four misfits on the run) and simply thought...goals.
but it's as if there was no love there.
i feel like we reallytruly got to know 2 men who hate women as they make one extremely gross and convoluted exception apiece, but the aforementioned one-gal-each ration of women doesn't seem to get in on the lovefest.
and, unsurprisingly, i felt a lot more for them.
bottom line: more like the unfounded family!
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
June 13, 2024
Life changes for four people who live in an Oklahoma commune when their home literally explodes. As luck would have it, they’re not at home when this disaster occurs, but they’re now homeless and left holding a bunch of cash. The money is really not theirs to spend, linked as it is to an illegal drug transaction. But who’s left to question this?
On the road and looking for somewhere to stay, they eventually find a place to rent in Texas. They’re an eclectic bunch: a rough biker, an ex-stripper, a well-meaning misfit and a girl, Coral, who doesn’t talk to anyone (it’s assumed she’s a deaf mute, but the other members of this group are never quite sure).
The characters promise to be an interesting bunch. We learn a little about their backgrounds as the story plays out but, in truth, never quite enough to fully satisfy me. Coral’s background is potentially the most intriguing, but it’s also the one least explored. In fact, because of this I really failed to engage with her; she’s a big presence in the group but her behaviour is often hard to explain and (to my mind) even harder to endure.
The narrative here is actually pretty thin, it's is a character driven tale but one in which the characters are actually never fully drawn. I found this really frustrating. On top of that, I found it hard to understand many of the decisions they made and the actions they took, both collectively and individually.
It's a really quirky tale that does have its good points: I grew to like most of the key players and was interested to see how their ‘adventure’ would play out. But ultimately, I have to say I found it all rather disappointing, with insufficient here to wholly engage me. In the end, it all rather petered out, leaving me with a sense that there simply wasn't enough story in the story.
My thanks to Random House for providing an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
On the road and looking for somewhere to stay, they eventually find a place to rent in Texas. They’re an eclectic bunch: a rough biker, an ex-stripper, a well-meaning misfit and a girl, Coral, who doesn’t talk to anyone (it’s assumed she’s a deaf mute, but the other members of this group are never quite sure).
The characters promise to be an interesting bunch. We learn a little about their backgrounds as the story plays out but, in truth, never quite enough to fully satisfy me. Coral’s background is potentially the most intriguing, but it’s also the one least explored. In fact, because of this I really failed to engage with her; she’s a big presence in the group but her behaviour is often hard to explain and (to my mind) even harder to endure.
The narrative here is actually pretty thin, it's is a character driven tale but one in which the characters are actually never fully drawn. I found this really frustrating. On top of that, I found it hard to understand many of the decisions they made and the actions they took, both collectively and individually.
It's a really quirky tale that does have its good points: I grew to like most of the key players and was interested to see how their ‘adventure’ would play out. But ultimately, I have to say I found it all rather disappointing, with insufficient here to wholly engage me. In the end, it all rather petered out, leaving me with a sense that there simply wasn't enough story in the story.
My thanks to Random House for providing an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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March 27, 2024Sad to DNF, one of our anticipated releases. We struggle to maintain interest in the events of the novel or even in the characters themselves we failed to grasp the writing, as the beautiful experience, the author intended and truly hope others will give this novel a chance, because it was indeed promising. Worth, noting that there were some comments and potential harmful themes throughout the 50 pages that we read that made us uncomfortable, but do not necessarily use this information to avoid the book as we Dnf'd before we could fully explore these themes/comments or to witness the authors, overall vision, and intent for them.
April 16, 2023
oh wow, this novel was not what i expected it to be in the BEST way. “you’re an animal” is a novel about a group of four displaced people who used to live on a compound. when a fire from their meth cooking operation breaks out, ray, coral, staci, and ernie are sent on the run. as they find a place to settle and start a garden, they each struggle with their own thoughts about love, family, survival, and joy. this is a gritty, extremely moving book and it was a joy to read.
do not be put off by the fact that the dialogue is in italics; it adds such a nice tone to the way this novel is written. it’s an absolutely gorgeous novel. so much love went into this love letter to texas and poverty. the ending made me tear up a bit as i was completely wrapped up in the lives of these complex, intricate characters.
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
do not be put off by the fact that the dialogue is in italics; it adds such a nice tone to the way this novel is written. it’s an absolutely gorgeous novel. so much love went into this love letter to texas and poverty. the ending made me tear up a bit as i was completely wrapped up in the lives of these complex, intricate characters.
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
September 2, 2023
A gritty, funny and original tale of four misfits who are on the run, with a bag of cash, when the meth lab explodes in the Oklahoma compound they live in.
They travel to Texas and rent a dilapidated farmhouse where they care for each other in their own unique way.
The author had me totally invested in these characters and where the story would take them. We get to witness them learning to love themselves and others while trying to navigate life.
Quirky and tender this memorable story will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publiushing Group for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
They travel to Texas and rent a dilapidated farmhouse where they care for each other in their own unique way.
The author had me totally invested in these characters and where the story would take them. We get to witness them learning to love themselves and others while trying to navigate life.
Quirky and tender this memorable story will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publiushing Group for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
June 13, 2023
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 8, 2023
Ernie and his group of misfit friends are living on the grounds of an empty summer camp in Oklahoma when seventeen-year-old Coral, deaf and mute, is dropped off and abandoned. Coral is quickly accepted into the community, although she is slow to adapt, hiding out in her bedroom or in the expansive woods on the property. When a drug lab explosion levels the summer camp property Ernie, along with his friends, the strung-out couple Stacie and Ray, take Coral and escape on two motorcycles, fleeing the compound. Now the four are forced to start over, using the drug money they were in the process of returning when the property exploded. Renting a rural property, the four outcasts develop their own type of community and slowly begin to learn the meaning of the word “family”.
Jardine Libaire’s new novel, “You’re an Animal” will remind readers of Emma Cline’s, “The Girls”. The four protagonists, living off the grid on an abandoned property, forming fraught relationships, has a lot of similarities to Cline’s novel, with the exception of the religious “cult” that Cline centred on which was, in my opinion, the best part).
“Animal” is narrated by Ernie, Stacie and Ray, alternatively, and each chapter is identified with a title instead of a number (which has been happening more as of late. A new trend is on the horizon, I think!). All of the characters are wrong-side-of-the-track misfits, but they are likable and honest. Coral is the most interesting of the bunch, and I would’ve been curious to know more about her background or hear the story from her perspective (although as deaf-mute illiterate, this is obviously impossible).
This story was slow at the beginning and I constantly felt like I was waiting for something to happen. There were a few engaging plot points that piqued my interest, but “Animal” is a character-driven novel, so don’t expect a complex plot. Libaire’s novel is beautifully written, though, and connects with the reader on an emotional level.
Libaire’s “Animal” has well developed characters and flows well. This is the first novel I’ve read by Libaire although she does have two previous novels under her belt (“Here Kitty Kitty” and “White Fur”). Her writing style is unique and she has definitely piqued my interest. I look forward to her next novel.
Expected publication date: Aug. 8, 2023
Ernie and his group of misfit friends are living on the grounds of an empty summer camp in Oklahoma when seventeen-year-old Coral, deaf and mute, is dropped off and abandoned. Coral is quickly accepted into the community, although she is slow to adapt, hiding out in her bedroom or in the expansive woods on the property. When a drug lab explosion levels the summer camp property Ernie, along with his friends, the strung-out couple Stacie and Ray, take Coral and escape on two motorcycles, fleeing the compound. Now the four are forced to start over, using the drug money they were in the process of returning when the property exploded. Renting a rural property, the four outcasts develop their own type of community and slowly begin to learn the meaning of the word “family”.
Jardine Libaire’s new novel, “You’re an Animal” will remind readers of Emma Cline’s, “The Girls”. The four protagonists, living off the grid on an abandoned property, forming fraught relationships, has a lot of similarities to Cline’s novel, with the exception of the religious “cult” that Cline centred on which was, in my opinion, the best part).
“Animal” is narrated by Ernie, Stacie and Ray, alternatively, and each chapter is identified with a title instead of a number (which has been happening more as of late. A new trend is on the horizon, I think!). All of the characters are wrong-side-of-the-track misfits, but they are likable and honest. Coral is the most interesting of the bunch, and I would’ve been curious to know more about her background or hear the story from her perspective (although as deaf-mute illiterate, this is obviously impossible).
This story was slow at the beginning and I constantly felt like I was waiting for something to happen. There were a few engaging plot points that piqued my interest, but “Animal” is a character-driven novel, so don’t expect a complex plot. Libaire’s novel is beautifully written, though, and connects with the reader on an emotional level.
Libaire’s “Animal” has well developed characters and flows well. This is the first novel I’ve read by Libaire although she does have two previous novels under her belt (“Here Kitty Kitty” and “White Fur”). Her writing style is unique and she has definitely piqued my interest. I look forward to her next novel.
August 6, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
It's springtime in Oklahoma and Ernie, an outcast in a group of outcasts feels uneasy. The compouund where he and his fellow oddballs are crashing has been on edge since the arrival of a teenager named Coral, unceremoniously dropped off from her family's minivan one afternoon. Adding to the mystery, Coral doesn't say a word. Ever. When a drug lab explosion burns the compound to the ground, Ernie, Coral and the hard-living couple Staci and Ray escape on motorcycles.
Four misfits create a family after the compound they were stating at was burnt to the ground. Ernie, Staci, Ray and /coral escaped on motorbikes and found a house to rent in Texas. Coral does not speak; she has been deaf since a childhood trauma.
It did take me a few chapters to get into this book. It can be a bit depressing, but there's something that makes you keep reading. It's quite a dark read with glimmers of hope. The characters backstories are slowly revealed. At the beginning, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but once it's just the four of them, it's so much easier to follow.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing Group and the author #JardineLibaire for my ARC of #YoureAnAnimal in exchange for an honest review.
It's springtime in Oklahoma and Ernie, an outcast in a group of outcasts feels uneasy. The compouund where he and his fellow oddballs are crashing has been on edge since the arrival of a teenager named Coral, unceremoniously dropped off from her family's minivan one afternoon. Adding to the mystery, Coral doesn't say a word. Ever. When a drug lab explosion burns the compound to the ground, Ernie, Coral and the hard-living couple Staci and Ray escape on motorcycles.
Four misfits create a family after the compound they were stating at was burnt to the ground. Ernie, Staci, Ray and /coral escaped on motorbikes and found a house to rent in Texas. Coral does not speak; she has been deaf since a childhood trauma.
It did take me a few chapters to get into this book. It can be a bit depressing, but there's something that makes you keep reading. It's quite a dark read with glimmers of hope. The characters backstories are slowly revealed. At the beginning, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but once it's just the four of them, it's so much easier to follow.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing Group and the author #JardineLibaire for my ARC of #YoureAnAnimal in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2023
Be still my heart!
Wow. What an unexpected surprise. I have heard of this author, but I've never read any of her previous works before. I am so glad I requested this novel. Totally caught me off guard. I didn't think I was going to enjoy it so much. Usually, I don't like when dialogue is done in italics instead of quotation marks, but it really didn't bother me at all. It kind of added to the charm of this overall story. This novel takes place in the mid '90s in Oklahoma/Texas. It's the story of 4 misfits living together and trying to escape law enforcement. Now this is how you write memorable characters! So many novels I read, the characters are so lackluster and have no personality, but this novel is the complete opposite of that. I truly cared for Ernie, Holiday Ray, Staci, and even Coral. This book is so charming and has this nostalgic feel to it. The writing was simple, and yet so emotional and heartfelt. I didn't want it to end!
Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.
Wow. What an unexpected surprise. I have heard of this author, but I've never read any of her previous works before. I am so glad I requested this novel. Totally caught me off guard. I didn't think I was going to enjoy it so much. Usually, I don't like when dialogue is done in italics instead of quotation marks, but it really didn't bother me at all. It kind of added to the charm of this overall story. This novel takes place in the mid '90s in Oklahoma/Texas. It's the story of 4 misfits living together and trying to escape law enforcement. Now this is how you write memorable characters! So many novels I read, the characters are so lackluster and have no personality, but this novel is the complete opposite of that. I truly cared for Ernie, Holiday Ray, Staci, and even Coral. This book is so charming and has this nostalgic feel to it. The writing was simple, and yet so emotional and heartfelt. I didn't want it to end!
Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.
April 11, 2023
This is an entertaining story told in a voice that is super fresh and thoroughly captivating. It’s humorous on the one hand, but when the author digs into the heads of the characters, it will tug your heart right out of your chest. This, even though the characters are an offbeat bunch with wasted lives that most of them littered with mines then stepped on to see what explosives felt like.
When the book opens, we are at a commune run by Tim while his cousins, the owners, are in prison. Seventeen souls make up the cast—bikers, strippers, felons, a tattooist and iChing reader, a runaway, a tweaker and a couple of meth cooks. Carhartt clothing is well represented as are motorcycles. All are hiding from something—the law, their past, society at large.
When Ernie arrived, his value-added task was cooking meth, a skill he learned in prison, but when the Mexico ephedrine supply was cut off, he lost his position to a commune mate Lynn who knew how to cook with OTC meds. That’s a good thing, depending on how you look at it, because Ernie was assigned to money pickups and was gone when Lynn blew up the meth kitchen and most of the commune along with it. A newly arrived teenager with a traumatic past, Coral, was with Ernie on another commune assignment. Holiday Ray and retired stripper Staci joined them for want of something better to do.
The foursome will flee on two motorbikes and land in Texas, where they use the meth money to rent a house and wait things out. All else is prelude. The story begins here. It is here that we learn about the characters and follow along as they form a dysfunctional but supportive family while trying to decide what’s next and what the consequences will be for not returning the rapidly dwindling supply of Tim’s drug money. Coral will become their project as Ernie tries to make a home and Staci and Ray are forced to do a bit of soul searching.
I found this book to be such a delight. The writing alone is a joy. Labaire has a knack for metaphor and infuses the story with insight and a wicked sense of humor. I would love to see more from her!
This book is scheduled for released in August, 2023.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Hogarth for providing this eARC.
When the book opens, we are at a commune run by Tim while his cousins, the owners, are in prison. Seventeen souls make up the cast—bikers, strippers, felons, a tattooist and iChing reader, a runaway, a tweaker and a couple of meth cooks. Carhartt clothing is well represented as are motorcycles. All are hiding from something—the law, their past, society at large.
When Ernie arrived, his value-added task was cooking meth, a skill he learned in prison, but when the Mexico ephedrine supply was cut off, he lost his position to a commune mate Lynn who knew how to cook with OTC meds. That’s a good thing, depending on how you look at it, because Ernie was assigned to money pickups and was gone when Lynn blew up the meth kitchen and most of the commune along with it. A newly arrived teenager with a traumatic past, Coral, was with Ernie on another commune assignment. Holiday Ray and retired stripper Staci joined them for want of something better to do.
The foursome will flee on two motorbikes and land in Texas, where they use the meth money to rent a house and wait things out. All else is prelude. The story begins here. It is here that we learn about the characters and follow along as they form a dysfunctional but supportive family while trying to decide what’s next and what the consequences will be for not returning the rapidly dwindling supply of Tim’s drug money. Coral will become their project as Ernie tries to make a home and Staci and Ray are forced to do a bit of soul searching.
I found this book to be such a delight. The writing alone is a joy. Labaire has a knack for metaphor and infuses the story with insight and a wicked sense of humor. I would love to see more from her!
This book is scheduled for released in August, 2023.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Hogarth for providing this eARC.
June 4, 2023
Welp, this one sounded right up my alley in terms of plot and characters, but three weeks later, I’ve got to call time on it. Not entirely sure if it’s a fault in the writing or in the reader, but for the life of me, I could not get into it. Made it about 20% of the way in before giving in to heavy skimming. There was just something bone-dry and kind of lifeless about it.
July 28, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read the modern classic version of Of Mice and Men, but make it a white trash biker gang, a deaf girl, and a cheetah? Do you like artsy books that are all imagery and character studies?
Pre-reading:
I genuinely have no idea what this book is about or why I may have requested it. I could solve this so easily by reading the blurb. I’m not gonna do that.
Thick of it:
It’s giving Of Mice and Men and The Seaplane on Final Approach.
Valise
Proselytizing
I like Staci. (Also, I’m sure her name is Stacy, but I’ve been pronouncing it Stassie all book. Blame Icebreaker.)
I really dig this book’s writing, but the time period is kinda wacky to me. (I think this is genuinely a me thing. My brain has a hard time picturing recent history, but I wasn’t alive. I’m like if I wasn’t alive, it was in ye old. But this is like early 90s.)
muscadine
Lol, I can’t smell, and all I have is appetite.
I like this kinda slow ramble of a character study.
What’s the vagina equivalent for phallic because that’s what this flower dream imagery is. Vaginal? He fixin’ to do some cherry popping.
Grackle
Does Ray have early-onset Alzheimer’s?
Staci deserves better.
Somebody’s gonna get killed by the cheetah, or they’re gonna kill the cheetah. (I love being wrong.)
THAT CALL BACK. WHAT A BOOK.
Is Ernie bipolar?
Oh man, they do kill the cheetah.
They don’t kill the cheetah? She killed Ernie? Jesus.
Carol Baskin.
Post-reading:
I loved it.
What a book. A modern classic. It’s Of Mice and Men but make it a white trash biker gang, a deaf girl, and a cheetah.
It’s very lyrical writing and all imagery. It’s a luxurious character study of gritty, nasty, flawed people.
Goodreads people are going to savage it for having untraditional formatting, but I liked the dialogue done in italics. It made it read like an art piece.
Fire the cover artist? Girl, that’s a leopard.
Who should read this:
Character study fans
Modern classic fans
Do I want to reread this:
Maybe? I want to make other people read it.
Similar books:
* Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck classic character study
* The Seaplane on Final Approach by Rebecca Rukeyser-sleazy visuals, Alaska, modern Of Mice and Men
Unhinged Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Coral gets dropped off at her cousin’s farming commune after her current guardian gets remarried to this real stand-up guy who decides that he doesn't want to be burdened caring for a child that isn't his. Living on the commune is a whole mess of misfits and orphans, making up this white trash biker gang. They farm and live off the land and also make meth on the side to keep the lights on. The head of the operation, Tim, is about to have a baby with his wife Shayna. When the baby comes, Shayna gets hit badly with postpartum depression and Tim can't cope. She also can't produce milk, but luckily Coral bonds to the baby and is able to wet nurse him.
One day, Ernie, the retired meth maker, takes Coral into town to get groceries and collect the money from their recent meth sales alongside a biker couple named Ray and Staci. When they return to the commune, it’s burned down after the meth lab caught fire. They have no choice but to flee since the police will be after them, but Coral is devastated to leave behind the baby. She slips into a bit of her own depression while the group decides to use the drug money to purchase a small fixer-upper farm in Texas where they can actually live off the land while they wait to hear about regrouping with Tim and the others.
It turns out that Tim was actually about to leave them out to hang by selling the commune and drug operation so that he could buy a house for his new family. Ray convinces the group that they don’t owe Tim shit after he treated them so badly and was going to screw them over. Tim doesn’t even care that the lab explosion killed one of their members named Lynne, and put another, Judy, into a coma. They decide that the three of them are going to start over in Texas living simple on this farm and making meth only if they have to to pay the bills while they look after the disabled Coral. Coral’s birth parents were drug addicts who used to pierce her eardrum with a pin so that the hospital would give them prescription painkillers. They were eventually killed in a shootout with police, and Coral bounced from one relative to another until she found the commune.
To try and get Coral out of her depression, the gang decides to get her a new baby-a pet. As luck would have it, one of their drug connections is getting rid of their pet cheetah, so they build an enclosure for it in their fields and research how to care for a big cat at the library. Wholesome found family stuff.
But the peace can’t last, and Ernie decides that he’s in love with Coral and starts having creepy rapey blackouts that end with him looming over her. It’s heavily implied that he’s stalked and raped a girl before. Ray and Staci’s relationship is on the rocks because Ray isn’t ready to stop living hard. Staci can tell that he wants to be moving on and this triggers her abandonment issues and she starts drinking again after years of being sober. It turns out that part of the reason Ray can’t settle is because he was cheating on Staci with Judy and the guilt is crushing him. He goes to visit her in the hospital to get some closure, and Judy may or may not give him a title drop. He goes home to Staci to try and work things out. They get one day of acting like a real couple before Ray has a baby stroke. Now that Ray’s been forcibly humanized, Staci no longer thinks she’s attracted to him because she’s looking for a force to make her forget herself.
The landowner, Jasper, is starting to get suspicious of his tenants and tries to drop in on the place. He catches them in the supermarket buying cheap expired meat and heaps of cold medicine. To distract him, Staci offers to let him take Coral on a date. He takes her out dancing, and Coral punches him after he tries to take advantage of her. This kills his interest in her and the gang. Ernie is reeling with jealousy, however, so he buys Coral an anklet and tries to confess his love for her. Coral doesn’t speak, but she’s obviously not in love with this old man, and Ernie absolutely loses it.
Tim tips off the cops about where the gang is living as some last-ditch revenge effort, so they all have to flee. In the chaos, Coral gets ahold of a gun. The gang tries to convince her to mercy kill her pet cheetah so that the cops don’t. She’s frozen seemingly in indecision and Ernie grabs her. A shot rings out.
Flash forward. And the audience is like fucking chills. The gang has gone their separate ways. Having grown as individuals, Staci and Ray get married. Coral has been driving around with her pet cheetah, stealing and living off the land. The cops catch up to her eventually because she doesn’t have many life skills, and she’s sent to jail. The cheetah is sent to not Carol Baskin’s cat sanctuary. Carol writes to Coral in jail though and promises her room and board at the sanctuary if she works hard to get an education while she does her time. The last we see of Coral is her cellmate teaching her the alphabet. Coral did shoot Ernie, but only in the arm. He fled back to his foster mother so that he could realize that someone had already loved him for all these years.
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read the modern classic version of Of Mice and Men, but make it a white trash biker gang, a deaf girl, and a cheetah? Do you like artsy books that are all imagery and character studies?
Pre-reading:
I genuinely have no idea what this book is about or why I may have requested it. I could solve this so easily by reading the blurb. I’m not gonna do that.
Thick of it:
It’s giving Of Mice and Men and The Seaplane on Final Approach.
Valise
Proselytizing
I like Staci. (Also, I’m sure her name is Stacy, but I’ve been pronouncing it Stassie all book. Blame Icebreaker.)
I really dig this book’s writing, but the time period is kinda wacky to me. (I think this is genuinely a me thing. My brain has a hard time picturing recent history, but I wasn’t alive. I’m like if I wasn’t alive, it was in ye old. But this is like early 90s.)
muscadine
Lol, I can’t smell, and all I have is appetite.
I like this kinda slow ramble of a character study.
What’s the vagina equivalent for phallic because that’s what this flower dream imagery is. Vaginal? He fixin’ to do some cherry popping.
Grackle
Does Ray have early-onset Alzheimer’s?
Staci deserves better.
Somebody’s gonna get killed by the cheetah, or they’re gonna kill the cheetah. (I love being wrong.)
THAT CALL BACK. WHAT A BOOK.
Is Ernie bipolar?
Oh man, they do kill the cheetah.
They don’t kill the cheetah? She killed Ernie? Jesus.
Carol Baskin.
Post-reading:
I loved it.
What a book. A modern classic. It’s Of Mice and Men but make it a white trash biker gang, a deaf girl, and a cheetah.
It’s very lyrical writing and all imagery. It’s a luxurious character study of gritty, nasty, flawed people.
Goodreads people are going to savage it for having untraditional formatting, but I liked the dialogue done in italics. It made it read like an art piece.
Fire the cover artist? Girl, that’s a leopard.
Who should read this:
Character study fans
Modern classic fans
Do I want to reread this:
Maybe? I want to make other people read it.
Similar books:
* Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck classic character study
* The Seaplane on Final Approach by Rebecca Rukeyser-sleazy visuals, Alaska, modern Of Mice and Men
Unhinged Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Coral gets dropped off at her cousin’s farming commune after her current guardian gets remarried to this real stand-up guy who decides that he doesn't want to be burdened caring for a child that isn't his. Living on the commune is a whole mess of misfits and orphans, making up this white trash biker gang. They farm and live off the land and also make meth on the side to keep the lights on. The head of the operation, Tim, is about to have a baby with his wife Shayna. When the baby comes, Shayna gets hit badly with postpartum depression and Tim can't cope. She also can't produce milk, but luckily Coral bonds to the baby and is able to wet nurse him.
One day, Ernie, the retired meth maker, takes Coral into town to get groceries and collect the money from their recent meth sales alongside a biker couple named Ray and Staci. When they return to the commune, it’s burned down after the meth lab caught fire. They have no choice but to flee since the police will be after them, but Coral is devastated to leave behind the baby. She slips into a bit of her own depression while the group decides to use the drug money to purchase a small fixer-upper farm in Texas where they can actually live off the land while they wait to hear about regrouping with Tim and the others.
It turns out that Tim was actually about to leave them out to hang by selling the commune and drug operation so that he could buy a house for his new family. Ray convinces the group that they don’t owe Tim shit after he treated them so badly and was going to screw them over. Tim doesn’t even care that the lab explosion killed one of their members named Lynne, and put another, Judy, into a coma. They decide that the three of them are going to start over in Texas living simple on this farm and making meth only if they have to to pay the bills while they look after the disabled Coral. Coral’s birth parents were drug addicts who used to pierce her eardrum with a pin so that the hospital would give them prescription painkillers. They were eventually killed in a shootout with police, and Coral bounced from one relative to another until she found the commune.
To try and get Coral out of her depression, the gang decides to get her a new baby-a pet. As luck would have it, one of their drug connections is getting rid of their pet cheetah, so they build an enclosure for it in their fields and research how to care for a big cat at the library. Wholesome found family stuff.
But the peace can’t last, and Ernie decides that he’s in love with Coral and starts having creepy rapey blackouts that end with him looming over her. It’s heavily implied that he’s stalked and raped a girl before. Ray and Staci’s relationship is on the rocks because Ray isn’t ready to stop living hard. Staci can tell that he wants to be moving on and this triggers her abandonment issues and she starts drinking again after years of being sober. It turns out that part of the reason Ray can’t settle is because he was cheating on Staci with Judy and the guilt is crushing him. He goes to visit her in the hospital to get some closure, and Judy may or may not give him a title drop. He goes home to Staci to try and work things out. They get one day of acting like a real couple before Ray has a baby stroke. Now that Ray’s been forcibly humanized, Staci no longer thinks she’s attracted to him because she’s looking for a force to make her forget herself.
The landowner, Jasper, is starting to get suspicious of his tenants and tries to drop in on the place. He catches them in the supermarket buying cheap expired meat and heaps of cold medicine. To distract him, Staci offers to let him take Coral on a date. He takes her out dancing, and Coral punches him after he tries to take advantage of her. This kills his interest in her and the gang. Ernie is reeling with jealousy, however, so he buys Coral an anklet and tries to confess his love for her. Coral doesn’t speak, but she’s obviously not in love with this old man, and Ernie absolutely loses it.
Tim tips off the cops about where the gang is living as some last-ditch revenge effort, so they all have to flee. In the chaos, Coral gets ahold of a gun. The gang tries to convince her to mercy kill her pet cheetah so that the cops don’t. She’s frozen seemingly in indecision and Ernie grabs her. A shot rings out.
Flash forward. And the audience is like fucking chills. The gang has gone their separate ways. Having grown as individuals, Staci and Ray get married. Coral has been driving around with her pet cheetah, stealing and living off the land. The cops catch up to her eventually because she doesn’t have many life skills, and she’s sent to jail. The cheetah is sent to not Carol Baskin’s cat sanctuary. Carol writes to Coral in jail though and promises her room and board at the sanctuary if she works hard to get an education while she does her time. The last we see of Coral is her cellmate teaching her the alphabet. Coral did shoot Ernie, but only in the arm. He fled back to his foster mother so that he could realize that someone had already loved him for all these years.
July 29, 2023
There were times when this book engaged me, and times when I really had to reach hard to pick it up and continue. The premise, intriguing. The execution, thin. Four people flee an illegal compound and hole up in a Texas rental. When their backstories are explored, the book is at its strongest. But, all together, it skims what could make it more cohesive, and the most interesting character is not given any interior life to hold my interest. I don't usually comment on the ending of a novel since I think that's unfair, but here, it is rushed, inconclusive, and ultimately disappointing. There was, however, some beautiful writing ("They walked into a house missing its authority. The mold the lichen the rot -- it wanted in . . .") ("...when you love somebody, best thing, hardest f****** thing, is to leave them be. Let them come to you. If it's going to happen, let it happen.") ("...like a beach motel in the dead of winter with two sole guests who could hear each other's televisions but never spoke or interacted.") It was such passages that kept me going.
April 8, 2023
This is a book about misfits...but you end up loving them as you can see through to genuine hearts! Numerous people reside in a compound; when there is a suspicious fire, four of them leave including the newest member: Coral. Seventeen, Coral is apparently deaf; she never speaks and rarely makes eye-contact or shows any genuine emotion. So when they find a down-trodden rental in Texas, they do what they can to get by even though there are mishaps and crazy shenanigans, and even a cheetah! But you will find your own heart going out to these characters as they navigate life as best as they can given the circumstances. It's sweet and tender even in its quirkyness!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
April 3, 2023
“We’re an odd lot. But we’re better together than separated out.”
You’re an Animal by Jardine Libaire is a delightful read! It’s the story of four people living outside of societal norms. The story follows Ernie, Coral, Staci, and Ray as they escape from a commune after a meth lab explosion. No character is perfect, and each is likable. (I love character-driven plots with likable characters!)
Ernie is a primarily solitary man exploring the meaning of family and belonging. Coral is a teenager whose childhood trauma has left her unable to speak. She tends to bond more with nature than people. Staci takes great care of how she looks and has been waiting for years to be Ray’s only lady instead of one of several. Ray is exploring the concept of being free and also happy.
I loved that the story unfolded over a few months, which was just enough time to see characters grow without needing to see their entire life story. Libaire’s strong writing made this a quick and very enjoyable read!
Thank you to Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
You’re an Animal by Jardine Libaire is a delightful read! It’s the story of four people living outside of societal norms. The story follows Ernie, Coral, Staci, and Ray as they escape from a commune after a meth lab explosion. No character is perfect, and each is likable. (I love character-driven plots with likable characters!)
Ernie is a primarily solitary man exploring the meaning of family and belonging. Coral is a teenager whose childhood trauma has left her unable to speak. She tends to bond more with nature than people. Staci takes great care of how she looks and has been waiting for years to be Ray’s only lady instead of one of several. Ray is exploring the concept of being free and also happy.
I loved that the story unfolded over a few months, which was just enough time to see characters grow without needing to see their entire life story. Libaire’s strong writing made this a quick and very enjoyable read!
Thank you to Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
June 13, 2024
2.5 stars ⭐⭐
I wanted to love this and was excited for it as it is a trope I'm totally into but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. There was no depth and very little character development. The character I was most curious about has 0 explanation about her life or personality for that matter lol. I got bored but determined to finish it although it was a lil bit of a struggle.
I wanted to love this and was excited for it as it is a trope I'm totally into but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. There was no depth and very little character development. The character I was most curious about has 0 explanation about her life or personality for that matter lol. I got bored but determined to finish it although it was a lil bit of a struggle.
January 21, 2024
Foul language and off color remarks not necessary for a good story/
June 7, 2023
Libaire gives us three misfits. Ernie, Staci, and Ray are a trio of outlaws who cook meth for sale and live for the moment. Libaire solidifies their status as outlaws, not too subtly, by giving them a couple killer motorcycles. These characters think little of society’s expectations. Right and wrong; moral and immoral; good and bad mean little to them. Their world turns on its head, however, when the commune where they live in Oklahoma burns to the ground following an unfortunate accident cooking up a batch of drugs. They decide to flee to Texas with a stash of money stolen from the commune. They take along Coral, a young woman who had been abandoned at the commune by her stepsister for being mentally defective.
Coral does not speak but communicates minimally with gestures. Yet, she has a mystic quality characterized by an uncanny ability to commune with nature. Although this is never explicit, it is tempting to place Coral somewhere on the autism spectrum. Her superpower as a savant of the wild becomes readily apparent when Slash is introduced into the mix. Slash is a cheetah that the trio obtain as a pet for Coral. Clearly, Slash represents the potential dangers presented by animal instincts. Libaire would like us to consider this as a counterpoint to the confines of conformity that Ernie, Staci, and Ray reject. Coral’s presence in the setting, and especially her bonding with Slash, become normalizing influences on the trio of misfits. Each is struggling with an evolving self-identity. Ray is a self-centered misogynist who is beginning to accept his need for a permanent relationship with Staci. Meanwhile, Staci is beginning to realize her own independence, especially from Ray. Ernie is a good-hearted doofus, whose main talent seems to be cooking meth. He becomes increasingly bothered by his attraction to Coral and the fatal possibility that she will reject him. Strangely, he sees Slash as his rival for her affection. Moreover, Slash seems to accept that role with several very human traits.
Libaire’s writing style is often quite lyrical, but her narration occasionally loses momentum with excessive repetition. The abrupt ending is particularly disturbing as it is just an extended epilogue with short descriptions of each character’s final situation. One gets a sense of ending an intriguing road trip by being dropped off at a random bus stop. “See ya’ latter and take care.”
Despite these shortcomings, Libaire’s introspective approach to how tension between societal expectations and individual freedom can lead to self-discovery is provocative, especially when one considers the potential dangers imparted by deep dives into animal instincts.
Coral does not speak but communicates minimally with gestures. Yet, she has a mystic quality characterized by an uncanny ability to commune with nature. Although this is never explicit, it is tempting to place Coral somewhere on the autism spectrum. Her superpower as a savant of the wild becomes readily apparent when Slash is introduced into the mix. Slash is a cheetah that the trio obtain as a pet for Coral. Clearly, Slash represents the potential dangers presented by animal instincts. Libaire would like us to consider this as a counterpoint to the confines of conformity that Ernie, Staci, and Ray reject. Coral’s presence in the setting, and especially her bonding with Slash, become normalizing influences on the trio of misfits. Each is struggling with an evolving self-identity. Ray is a self-centered misogynist who is beginning to accept his need for a permanent relationship with Staci. Meanwhile, Staci is beginning to realize her own independence, especially from Ray. Ernie is a good-hearted doofus, whose main talent seems to be cooking meth. He becomes increasingly bothered by his attraction to Coral and the fatal possibility that she will reject him. Strangely, he sees Slash as his rival for her affection. Moreover, Slash seems to accept that role with several very human traits.
Libaire’s writing style is often quite lyrical, but her narration occasionally loses momentum with excessive repetition. The abrupt ending is particularly disturbing as it is just an extended epilogue with short descriptions of each character’s final situation. One gets a sense of ending an intriguing road trip by being dropped off at a random bus stop. “See ya’ latter and take care.”
Despite these shortcomings, Libaire’s introspective approach to how tension between societal expectations and individual freedom can lead to self-discovery is provocative, especially when one considers the potential dangers imparted by deep dives into animal instincts.
June 29, 2023
After White Fur, I was really looking forward to reading Jardine Libaire's latest, a moving and joyous examination of what it is to be human and the inner need to belong so strong that creating a supportive family from pieces rejected by the rest of society is a thing of beauty that emotionally tugged at my heart. Circumstances may dictate the precarious and feral nature of living, but it offers the potential to be truly free, being who you are and can be, perhap precisely because there is nothing left to lose. This is something many may envy, limited as most of us are by being gripped by social norms and conventions, not easy to throw off, and how many would even have the nerve to take the risks of shaking them off to step into the unknown? What I can say is that I would never dream of even contemplating acquiring the kind of pet that the misfits here bring into their home!
In Oklahoma, a large group of people live apart in a commune on a compound with a edgy and tense atmosphere. A quirky bunch with tough life experiences, they include Ernie, a couple, the hard living Ray and Staci, and a abandoned traumatised teenager, the mute Coral who never speaks. Their lives splinter apart with the drug lab exploding. This has them escaping on the ultimate transport associated with freedom and escape, motorcyles, taking with them stolen money to begin again. They finally settle on living in Texas, forming their own particular shape of supportive family, facing the inevitable obstacles that come their way. Cora has her own gift of being able to instinctively relate to the wild, with each of them having opportunities for growth and to develop as people and in their relationships with others.
Libaire writes a delightful and offbeat novel of survival, the feral and the search for identity, riddled with light, hope, and drama, not to mention Slash, the cheetah. There are beautiful everyday descriptions and details which allowed me to picture the lives of our misfits, with Cora the key and heart to the four of them gelling together. Given the hard cards life has dealt them, their capacity to be wonderful and supportive is a sight to behold, despite their flaws. This is for those readers looking for something different to read, it is an engaging and uplifting look at the human spirit, life off the grid and those who fall off the edges of our society. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
In Oklahoma, a large group of people live apart in a commune on a compound with a edgy and tense atmosphere. A quirky bunch with tough life experiences, they include Ernie, a couple, the hard living Ray and Staci, and a abandoned traumatised teenager, the mute Coral who never speaks. Their lives splinter apart with the drug lab exploding. This has them escaping on the ultimate transport associated with freedom and escape, motorcyles, taking with them stolen money to begin again. They finally settle on living in Texas, forming their own particular shape of supportive family, facing the inevitable obstacles that come their way. Cora has her own gift of being able to instinctively relate to the wild, with each of them having opportunities for growth and to develop as people and in their relationships with others.
Libaire writes a delightful and offbeat novel of survival, the feral and the search for identity, riddled with light, hope, and drama, not to mention Slash, the cheetah. There are beautiful everyday descriptions and details which allowed me to picture the lives of our misfits, with Cora the key and heart to the four of them gelling together. Given the hard cards life has dealt them, their capacity to be wonderful and supportive is a sight to behold, despite their flaws. This is for those readers looking for something different to read, it is an engaging and uplifting look at the human spirit, life off the grid and those who fall off the edges of our society. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
May 31, 2023
You're an Animal by Jardine Libaire is the type of novel that takes me a little bit to get into but once I do, I am invested. Maybe because these characters have been ignored or disposed of by society, but I was pulling for them from the beginning.
I think another reason why I could get into this while some others might not is what I ask of from characters in novels. I don't care if I would or wouldn't "like" them in real life, this is a novel and I am observing what happens, even in the most immersive novels. So liking means next to nothing for me. I also tend to look at the core of the character, not just what they do or say. Of course, what they do or say plays into it, but just like in real life, many people say things because they are hiding their inner feelings, so I give these characters the same consideration I try to give actual people. Which leads me to...
I cared about what happened to them not because I liked them but because they are human beings struggling in the world, largely against obstacles not entirely of their own making. What I often find, and did find here, are characters who offer the opportunity to hope. If there is hope offered for characters like this, there is hope for everyone. And I enjoy that outlook, a lot more than one that dismisses them or their actions as being too boring or not likeable enough.
Also like in real life, it is the small things that make people care, about others as well as themselves. The quiet moments of just being together, of having common purpose and believing the others have your back just as you have theirs. That last aspect isn't an absolute, but the feeling is still one that helps us get through.
I would recommend this to readers who don't so much judge characters by some external standard but by what they try to do during the time we're with them. While I can't say I could readily relate to what they were going through specifically, I think most of us can relate to periods when we have felt out of sorts, out of options, and just trying to get by until tomorrow. In that sense I experienced a lot of relatable moments in the novel.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I think another reason why I could get into this while some others might not is what I ask of from characters in novels. I don't care if I would or wouldn't "like" them in real life, this is a novel and I am observing what happens, even in the most immersive novels. So liking means next to nothing for me. I also tend to look at the core of the character, not just what they do or say. Of course, what they do or say plays into it, but just like in real life, many people say things because they are hiding their inner feelings, so I give these characters the same consideration I try to give actual people. Which leads me to...
I cared about what happened to them not because I liked them but because they are human beings struggling in the world, largely against obstacles not entirely of their own making. What I often find, and did find here, are characters who offer the opportunity to hope. If there is hope offered for characters like this, there is hope for everyone. And I enjoy that outlook, a lot more than one that dismisses them or their actions as being too boring or not likeable enough.
Also like in real life, it is the small things that make people care, about others as well as themselves. The quiet moments of just being together, of having common purpose and believing the others have your back just as you have theirs. That last aspect isn't an absolute, but the feeling is still one that helps us get through.
I would recommend this to readers who don't so much judge characters by some external standard but by what they try to do during the time we're with them. While I can't say I could readily relate to what they were going through specifically, I think most of us can relate to periods when we have felt out of sorts, out of options, and just trying to get by until tomorrow. In that sense I experienced a lot of relatable moments in the novel.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
November 30, 2025
DNF halfway through.
I wanted to give this book a chance to save itself and I feel like reading about 150 pages or whatever it was was more than enough opportunity. Yet it failed to do so.
This was a book I decided to pull off the shelf based off nothing more than vibes. Visually appealing cover, interesting synopsis, I didn’t even look at the ratings. Kind of regret it but surprisingly the reviews on this book were way higher than I expected them to be. I thought there was no way it could be above 2 stars.
I’m a sucker for found family tropes, but this just does not land the mark. The characters fell super flat and I could barely find myself interested in any of them at all. There was one of the side characters who I liked more than the others but even she didn’t stand out enough clearly as I can’t remember her name.
The way this book is formatted drove me crazy. Italicized dialogue? Do all these characters speak in a whisper? Doesn’t matter because that’s how I read it. Because that’s what italics are used for. The way the chapters are organized and the way they’re named was also irritating. And maybe I’m just being irrational but I don’t think an entire chapter should be named after the most irrelevant sentence in said entire chapter.
Could not stand how all these grown men in their 30s? 40s-50s? Were absolutely obsessed with the mute 17 year old and her “great, white tits”. Yes, that was in the book. Call me woke but I think that should not be a descriptor for a minor. I found her whole storyline extremely strange.
I was just so so bored. There wasn’t a clear plotline being followed. And maybe thats just me discovering I don’t like those types of books, or maybe this book just objectively sucks.
I’ll give credit where credit is due - there are a few scenes I liked or found heartwarming, but they were few and far between, and not charming enough to keep me reading.
Also absolutely dumbfounded by the scene where our main character goes to the fridge to get a pickle and is so weirded out by the mute 17yo eating an orange like an apple that he leaves the kitchen “sans pickle.” Like… huh?? SANS PICKLE??
TLDR: what the hell did i just read
0.5/5 stars.
I wanted to give this book a chance to save itself and I feel like reading about 150 pages or whatever it was was more than enough opportunity. Yet it failed to do so.
This was a book I decided to pull off the shelf based off nothing more than vibes. Visually appealing cover, interesting synopsis, I didn’t even look at the ratings. Kind of regret it but surprisingly the reviews on this book were way higher than I expected them to be. I thought there was no way it could be above 2 stars.
I’m a sucker for found family tropes, but this just does not land the mark. The characters fell super flat and I could barely find myself interested in any of them at all. There was one of the side characters who I liked more than the others but even she didn’t stand out enough clearly as I can’t remember her name.
The way this book is formatted drove me crazy. Italicized dialogue? Do all these characters speak in a whisper? Doesn’t matter because that’s how I read it. Because that’s what italics are used for. The way the chapters are organized and the way they’re named was also irritating. And maybe I’m just being irrational but I don’t think an entire chapter should be named after the most irrelevant sentence in said entire chapter.
Could not stand how all these grown men in their 30s? 40s-50s? Were absolutely obsessed with the mute 17 year old and her “great, white tits”. Yes, that was in the book. Call me woke but I think that should not be a descriptor for a minor. I found her whole storyline extremely strange.
I was just so so bored. There wasn’t a clear plotline being followed. And maybe thats just me discovering I don’t like those types of books, or maybe this book just objectively sucks.
I’ll give credit where credit is due - there are a few scenes I liked or found heartwarming, but they were few and far between, and not charming enough to keep me reading.
Also absolutely dumbfounded by the scene where our main character goes to the fridge to get a pickle and is so weirded out by the mute 17yo eating an orange like an apple that he leaves the kitchen “sans pickle.” Like… huh?? SANS PICKLE??
TLDR: what the hell did i just read
0.5/5 stars.
September 7, 2023
There were parts of this book that I liked and parts that made me scratch my head. I was intrigued enough to push myself a bit to keep reading. I enjoy gritty characters and this novel was full of them. They were genuine and not altogether likable, but the author does a great job of bringing them to life throughout the course of the story. In the end, I cared that they found what they were looking for in one way or another.
This book will not be everyone's cup of tea. It's best for readers who don't need steady action or entertainment, but want to get under the skin of the people they are reading about. You won't fall in love with them or wish they were friends, but you might learn something about how life experiences create many different responses in individuals and how they function with each other.
One of my favorite quotes of the book comes from the thoughts of Ray, an older, tough guy biker who is unable to communicate with his lover, Staci, other than fighting and making up with sex. "He'd know some pieces of work, he thought, taking a deep drag and exhaling. But this gal, who'd been pulled through the mud, who'd been high and lost, she stayed angelic, or maybe even got more angelic. Ray thought it was bullshit, her recovery talk, her self-esteem books, the lectures on cassette tapes she listened to over and over. But there was something beatific about the effort. He didn't always feel like this, the way he felt this morning, generous and able to give her credit where credit was due.
Sometimes these very things he was musing on and loving her for were the very things that made him sick of her. But aren't we strange, thought Ray, looking now out the window, aren't we all so strange..."
Yes, we are strange and yet we all need love and acceptance in some form and will find it where it presents itself. Therein lies the beauty of this story.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book will not be everyone's cup of tea. It's best for readers who don't need steady action or entertainment, but want to get under the skin of the people they are reading about. You won't fall in love with them or wish they were friends, but you might learn something about how life experiences create many different responses in individuals and how they function with each other.
One of my favorite quotes of the book comes from the thoughts of Ray, an older, tough guy biker who is unable to communicate with his lover, Staci, other than fighting and making up with sex. "He'd know some pieces of work, he thought, taking a deep drag and exhaling. But this gal, who'd been pulled through the mud, who'd been high and lost, she stayed angelic, or maybe even got more angelic. Ray thought it was bullshit, her recovery talk, her self-esteem books, the lectures on cassette tapes she listened to over and over. But there was something beatific about the effort. He didn't always feel like this, the way he felt this morning, generous and able to give her credit where credit was due.
Sometimes these very things he was musing on and loving her for were the very things that made him sick of her. But aren't we strange, thought Ray, looking now out the window, aren't we all so strange..."
Yes, we are strange and yet we all need love and acceptance in some form and will find it where it presents itself. Therein lies the beauty of this story.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 22, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This is the story of four outsiders who must initially cling to each other for survival, but eventually count on each other for comfort, companionship, and love.
Coral is young, an estimated 17 years old, and is mostly deaf and mute. She is pretty feral and has no formal education. Ernie is in his early thirties and lived his early life in and out of foster homes. He roams from place to place with the skill of making meth. Ray and Staci are a couple, but their relationship is based mostly on sex, drama, and unrecognized love. She is a former exotic dancer and, at 40-something, she still has her looks. Ray is in his early 50s and has been a motorcycle gang member in myriad locations. They are all gypsies who have lived hard lives, but, at their cores, they are good, caring people.
When the compound where they live burns, they escape and go on the run. With the money they have stolen from the compound leader, they rent a house in Texas and begin to make it a home. With a garden, eventual pet cheetah, and new steady income of their own, they become closer without even meaning to. In this new life where they live on their terms, they begin to learn about themselves in a new light. It is a time for reflection and growth, though they don’t always realize it.
Their time together ends pretty abruptly, but that is indicative of how their individual lives have always run. That no matter how much of a home they build together, their choices still invite chaos to disrupt any peace they may have established. The really lovely part of this story is when we see how they take what they have learned and how they have grown throughout their time together and begin the next chapters of their respective lives. Ernie and Coral are particular heartbreaking characters, but, in my opinion, their stories provide the most hope.
This is a lovely story. Heartbreaking and hopeful. Very recommended.
This is the story of four outsiders who must initially cling to each other for survival, but eventually count on each other for comfort, companionship, and love.
Coral is young, an estimated 17 years old, and is mostly deaf and mute. She is pretty feral and has no formal education. Ernie is in his early thirties and lived his early life in and out of foster homes. He roams from place to place with the skill of making meth. Ray and Staci are a couple, but their relationship is based mostly on sex, drama, and unrecognized love. She is a former exotic dancer and, at 40-something, she still has her looks. Ray is in his early 50s and has been a motorcycle gang member in myriad locations. They are all gypsies who have lived hard lives, but, at their cores, they are good, caring people.
When the compound where they live burns, they escape and go on the run. With the money they have stolen from the compound leader, they rent a house in Texas and begin to make it a home. With a garden, eventual pet cheetah, and new steady income of their own, they become closer without even meaning to. In this new life where they live on their terms, they begin to learn about themselves in a new light. It is a time for reflection and growth, though they don’t always realize it.
Their time together ends pretty abruptly, but that is indicative of how their individual lives have always run. That no matter how much of a home they build together, their choices still invite chaos to disrupt any peace they may have established. The really lovely part of this story is when we see how they take what they have learned and how they have grown throughout their time together and begin the next chapters of their respective lives. Ernie and Coral are particular heartbreaking characters, but, in my opinion, their stories provide the most hope.
This is a lovely story. Heartbreaking and hopeful. Very recommended.
July 10, 2023
This story takes me back to the ‘60s when people from all sorts lived together in communes. Yet, the timeline is closer to the present.
It’s a bunch of misfits who are working together on a 100-acre farm raising bees, canning foods and selling drugs. Many were hiding from something. All was good until there was a meth lab explosion and the place burned down.
Ray, Staci, Ernie and Coral were returning from a quick trip of errands when they noticed a huge fire, smoke and police cars where they lived. They made a quick decision to head in another direction: Texas.
Ernie just happened to have $10,000 that was supposed to be given to the farm owner’s nephew, Tim. He figured he could get it to him later. Now they had money to rent a house on a large wooded lot. It was once a kid’s camp and now unoccupied.
The story is a work of imagination with the characters that can be easily visualized. Ray and Staci were a couple for years sorting out feelings. Ernie was released from prison for drugs and simply surviving. And then there was 17-year-old Coral who was deaf and didn’t say a word. They were basically stuck with this girl.
The plot moves quickly. Yet, there are parts that can only happen in books. It was a different take on the power of relationships. Oddly, italics are used rather than quotes for the dialects. Also, the chapters are not headed by names, dates or numbers but words including food groups. It makes me think the author was hungry when writing this book.
My thanks to Hogarth Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of August 8, 2023.
It’s a bunch of misfits who are working together on a 100-acre farm raising bees, canning foods and selling drugs. Many were hiding from something. All was good until there was a meth lab explosion and the place burned down.
Ray, Staci, Ernie and Coral were returning from a quick trip of errands when they noticed a huge fire, smoke and police cars where they lived. They made a quick decision to head in another direction: Texas.
Ernie just happened to have $10,000 that was supposed to be given to the farm owner’s nephew, Tim. He figured he could get it to him later. Now they had money to rent a house on a large wooded lot. It was once a kid’s camp and now unoccupied.
The story is a work of imagination with the characters that can be easily visualized. Ray and Staci were a couple for years sorting out feelings. Ernie was released from prison for drugs and simply surviving. And then there was 17-year-old Coral who was deaf and didn’t say a word. They were basically stuck with this girl.
The plot moves quickly. Yet, there are parts that can only happen in books. It was a different take on the power of relationships. Oddly, italics are used rather than quotes for the dialects. Also, the chapters are not headed by names, dates or numbers but words including food groups. It makes me think the author was hungry when writing this book.
My thanks to Hogarth Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of August 8, 2023.
July 9, 2023
I received this early copy of You're An Animal by Jardine Libaire from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review.
The story is set initially in Oklahoma but later changes to Texas when we follow four misfits on the run following a meth lab explosion. The story begins to unfold when a 17-year-old named Coral made her presence known on the compound her family decided to drop her off at, after the death of her previous caregiver. Coral has a mysterious personality as she's silent and presumed deaf. On the run, Coral, Ernie, Staci, and Ray creates a new life for themselves in Texas. Throughout the story, you follow between the four protagonists as they begin to make sense of their past and current lives.
I am rating this book a 2 out of 5. I had a challenging time getting into the book. There were moments I thought I was getting more, only for it fall short afterwards. Trying to follow the dialogue within the book was challenging as there were no quotations, only italicized lines. The character development was rough. I could not tell you much about the characters because minimal was given in my opinion. The ending of the book felt rushed and did not tie up nicely. I'll be honest, I truly struggled wanting to complete the book (which I felt compelled to do for an honest review) and had to skim at times just to get through the book. One positive, short chapters.
The story is set initially in Oklahoma but later changes to Texas when we follow four misfits on the run following a meth lab explosion. The story begins to unfold when a 17-year-old named Coral made her presence known on the compound her family decided to drop her off at, after the death of her previous caregiver. Coral has a mysterious personality as she's silent and presumed deaf. On the run, Coral, Ernie, Staci, and Ray creates a new life for themselves in Texas. Throughout the story, you follow between the four protagonists as they begin to make sense of their past and current lives.
I am rating this book a 2 out of 5. I had a challenging time getting into the book. There were moments I thought I was getting more, only for it fall short afterwards. Trying to follow the dialogue within the book was challenging as there were no quotations, only italicized lines. The character development was rough. I could not tell you much about the characters because minimal was given in my opinion. The ending of the book felt rushed and did not tie up nicely. I'll be honest, I truly struggled wanting to complete the book (which I felt compelled to do for an honest review) and had to skim at times just to get through the book. One positive, short chapters.
May 8, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of You're an Animal by Jardine Libaire.
What a different and fresh story! I'm so glad I gave it a chance. It is what I would call a "story telling story," it's just a story that needs to be told, whether it ties up loose ends or not isn't really what's important.
Four misfits, Ernie, Staci, Ray and Coral, who is deaf and mute, are looking for a place to lay down roots for however long they need to. Staci and Ray are a couple with a never ending fraught relationship, Coral is mysterious and silent, and Ernie is a road weary vagabond who is also so in love with her. After finding a place to live, they are constantly trying to figure out Coral, who gives them so little to help them understand her. So, they get her a pet, a pet which also happens to be a wild cheetah.
It took me a minute to really get what it was that I was reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself every step of the way. It went deep into the emotions of people who society would probably consider being on the "fringes" or maybe even homeless. The ending was fractured, but also someone perfect, and I definitely got prickly eyes at the end. This is fresh, sweet, dirty and rugged, and I loved it.
What a different and fresh story! I'm so glad I gave it a chance. It is what I would call a "story telling story," it's just a story that needs to be told, whether it ties up loose ends or not isn't really what's important.
Four misfits, Ernie, Staci, Ray and Coral, who is deaf and mute, are looking for a place to lay down roots for however long they need to. Staci and Ray are a couple with a never ending fraught relationship, Coral is mysterious and silent, and Ernie is a road weary vagabond who is also so in love with her. After finding a place to live, they are constantly trying to figure out Coral, who gives them so little to help them understand her. So, they get her a pet, a pet which also happens to be a wild cheetah.
It took me a minute to really get what it was that I was reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself every step of the way. It went deep into the emotions of people who society would probably consider being on the "fringes" or maybe even homeless. The ending was fractured, but also someone perfect, and I definitely got prickly eyes at the end. This is fresh, sweet, dirty and rugged, and I loved it.
June 16, 2023
"You're an Animal" by Jardine Libaire is a compelling look into the world of four misfits and outcasts as they seek to find their place in a world outside of their compound. Ernie, Coral, Ray and Staci show the best and worst of human nature as they try to create their own sense of family after a fire destroys the only home and family they've ever known.
Libaire focuses mainly on character development in this book, as the plot was slow to begin with, which made the first half of the book a tedious chore to slug through. However, as we learn more about each character and how they grew outside of the compound, we learn to accept the story as it is. With each character being from the same group and yet being so vastly different, the actions of each were unpredictable and made for interesting character development. Add in a wild animal and the question arises, how are we so different from wild animals ourselves?
Libaire's novel maybe could have benefited from a more defined plot but the foray into human nature and how we develop on our own is truly worth a look into.
Thank you for NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Jardine Libaire for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
Libaire focuses mainly on character development in this book, as the plot was slow to begin with, which made the first half of the book a tedious chore to slug through. However, as we learn more about each character and how they grew outside of the compound, we learn to accept the story as it is. With each character being from the same group and yet being so vastly different, the actions of each were unpredictable and made for interesting character development. Add in a wild animal and the question arises, how are we so different from wild animals ourselves?
Libaire's novel maybe could have benefited from a more defined plot but the foray into human nature and how we develop on our own is truly worth a look into.
Thank you for NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Jardine Libaire for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
November 16, 2023
A group of misfits are living in Oklahoma when one of the meth labs explode. They flee to Texas and find a place to live. The four are: Ernie, 34 years old, Staci 25 years old and her boyfriend, Ray. Coral is the fourth. She became part of the group when her half-sister drops her off even though she feels guilty doing it. Coral is 17 years old and @ deaf/mute. They find themselves becoming a family. However Staci’s alcoholism returns and Ray worries about the police. Why? There are strange antics happening in the second half of the book. One that stands out to me is when Coral gets given a cheetah for a pet. It had belonged to a criminal. Why a cheetah?
I didn’t understand the author’s point in writing this book to be honest. The group of outcasts have the animal side exposed inside them or at least that is what I think what the author was trying to do when they got the cheetah. It is a book that I found myself wondering why I read it. I know that some of my friends have liked it so it is up to you to decide if you want to read it.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I didn’t understand the author’s point in writing this book to be honest. The group of outcasts have the animal side exposed inside them or at least that is what I think what the author was trying to do when they got the cheetah. It is a book that I found myself wondering why I read it. I know that some of my friends have liked it so it is up to you to decide if you want to read it.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
September 13, 2023
I adored YOU'RE AN ANIMAL. I was thrilled when I saw Jardine Libaire had a new novel coming out, as I also adored her novel WHITE FUR a few years ago (if you haven't read that one, I urge you to pick it up!) This book is pretty different and I went into it blind and had the time of my life.
A sweet, moving tale about 4 misfits in the 1990s who escape a cult-like drug-selling farm in Oklahoma to start their own small, found family in Texas. One is a teenager who doesn't speak, one a twenty-something boy who is lost and wants to be a part of something, and the other two an aging motorcycle riding couple who have been together for years but can't seem to commit yet.
You keep waiting for tragedy to strike, but the beauty of Libaire's novel is that even though her writing is gritty and realistic, she takes care of her characters and keeps the story grounded. It's not a melodrama, though insanely surprising and dramatic things happen, and in the end, it's a touching story about what it mens to create your own family inlets of different and unexpected ways (and I mean.. truly unexpected.) I'm so glad we have Jardine Libarie books in the world and I can't wait for more.
A sweet, moving tale about 4 misfits in the 1990s who escape a cult-like drug-selling farm in Oklahoma to start their own small, found family in Texas. One is a teenager who doesn't speak, one a twenty-something boy who is lost and wants to be a part of something, and the other two an aging motorcycle riding couple who have been together for years but can't seem to commit yet.
You keep waiting for tragedy to strike, but the beauty of Libaire's novel is that even though her writing is gritty and realistic, she takes care of her characters and keeps the story grounded. It's not a melodrama, though insanely surprising and dramatic things happen, and in the end, it's a touching story about what it mens to create your own family inlets of different and unexpected ways (and I mean.. truly unexpected.) I'm so glad we have Jardine Libarie books in the world and I can't wait for more.
April 16, 2023
This book is hard to get stuck in at the begenning,but it picks up a little down the line. A group of misfits trying to live together and they more or less succeed until Coral joins the group. She has a dark background and soon settles in. She is? deaf and doesn't say much. There is Ray who settles do with Traci until they no longer fit. Ernie is part of the group and trying hard to seduce Coral, but she is oblivious to his well meaning gestures. He gets her a pet and she dedicates most of her time with the cheetah. It's a little convoluted in places and overall a good story. The characters are well fleshed out, but the nature of the story overshadows their persanilties. Ray and Traci are an item and Ernie does his best to earn Coral's attention and gets nervous when he doesn't get it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ramdom House for the book. It's a fair read that could have been more cheerful. It's not one that I would have picked and it held my attention for most parts. This author is new to me and her writing style could be more fluid.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ramdom House for the book. It's a fair read that could have been more cheerful. It's not one that I would have picked and it held my attention for most parts. This author is new to me and her writing style could be more fluid.
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