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A review by avokaitotoast
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Formatting things: Dialogue is intentionally not in quotation marks or distinguished from the rest of the writing. It takes some getting used to but it’s a little off putting at first.
Animal Cruelty/Abuse Spoilers: page number and a tldr so you could skip if you want
- pg. 48, 90, 116, 149, 235: minor warning, non graphic
- pg. 152: graphic,
describes killing a cat in detail including talk about seeing its intestines
TLDR Review:
- not just for mothers or aspiring mothers
- loss of identity after a big life change
- anger at the expectations of women
- weird, but excellent
Full Review:
There is something in Nightbitch for every woman. Nightbitch is definitely about motherhood, but it’s also about womanhood and aging, it’s about female rage and the internal fight of societal expectations to do “what you should” and to do it with a smile, to put yourself second to others, to be domesticated and docile, about not wanting to be the „perfect“ woman — the „perfect“ mother, but being painfully aware that you’re not the perfect woman at the same time. It’s about shame and resentment and loss of identity during a life transition. You do not have to be a mother, or an aspiring mother to really feel this book.
It’s over the top, it’s absurd, it’s dark, it’s funny, it’s emotional.
I‘ve seen some reviews say that the prose feels like it’s trying to be to serious. So stop taking it seriously. That’s what I have to say about that. Embrace the absurdity and the over the top-ness.
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Gore, Mental illness, and Misogyny