New Animal by Ella Baxter
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
#netgalley #newanimal
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Following a family tragedy, Amelia's feelings spiral out of control as she tries to find a way to escape from her grief.
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Please check content warnings before picking this book.

This book was A. LOT.
It was unpleasant, which is fine because it was meant to be. Amelia, our main character, is also unpleasant, which is fine because she was meant to be. The navel gazing was intense as we follow Amelia's introspection as she tries to deal with the tangle of her feelings following a very painful and personal loss. I enjoyed the chaos, I even enjoyed Amelia being an unlikeable character and the family dynamics were compelling. The book is darkly comic in places, then turns visceral, disturbing and uncomfortable in others and I liked that too.
What I did not like was the misrepresentation of the BDSM community as an unsafe space where consent, safety and care do not matter. I actually would have really liked if the author had explored in more depth Amelia's use of sex in order to disassociate from her feelings and the origin of this coping mechanism. It would have been so interesting to see her seek the more extreme aspects of sex as a way of possibly understanding herself and healing. Instead, the author used the BDSM community as a forced and vulgar aspect of the plot, to the point of ridicule, for no apparent reason other than for shock value. It feels like a wasted opportunity.
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New Animal was quite an interesting, unexpected read. I really liked the narration of it and the voice of Lia. Her humor was just the type that I enjoyed. The synopsis drew me in but I didn't expect it to be as complex as it was. There were some scenes that were a little intense for me — like that scene with poor Carl, but I suppose that it's just a matter of preference. I really enjoyed the way the author explored grief and its complexities, and the ways that Lia tried to cope (or not to cope) with hers. There was also an exploration of the role of mothers, and that part really touched my heart. Overall, quite an enjoyable book, unexpected for me in its complexities, and was truly a treat to read.

Great writing. A short read that explores grief, the aftermath and the effects of it on life in a realistic and raw way. Would recommend.

New Animal follows Amelia, a make-up artist at her family mortuary, who decides to leave town after the death of her mother. It's a absorbing look at self-destruction, the desire to hurt and be hurt, and the awkward elements of grief that are often left out of the narrative.

It's a really compelling book, and an incredibly human one too. Amelia's desire to be wild, angry and hurt herself and others is handled with a real sense of compassion. If you liked the emotional nuance of books like "Supper Club" or Cheryl Strayed's "Wild", I think you will like this one too.

With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC.

This is unexpectedly very funny and poignant, in amongst all the filth and BDSM! A unique look at grief and the bodily effects, especially on the millennial generation.

overall rating 3.5 stars.

“one coffee mug, a small plate and a pot. He probably wakes up each morning and has one piece of toast and coffee from that plate and cup, before cycling them through the washing and drying process again. I wonder if he eats out of the pot, staring through the double glass doors, until the sky becomes so dark that he is reflected back to himself, enclosed and alone in his big, old home. My grief transfers to him.”

this book was unbelievably easy to read; short chapters, short book and fantastic writing contributed to that 👏. I found the description of grief to be raw and realistic, alongside the feelings of other people’s grief being too much for you.

however, the length of the book did mean some parts felt a little unexplored. going into the book we know that there is an exploration into the world of BDSM and kink clubs, but I felt this part was slightly underdeveloped- would love to have seen more!

overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and would definitely recommend to somebody who wants a quick read that isn’t all fluff and sunshine.

thank you to netgalley and pan macmillan for this digital copy to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC!

First of all, the cover for this novel is gorgeous. Ultimately, it is definitely what first drew me to the book, and I will definitely be considering getting a physical copy for my bookshelf, having also now read and enjoyed the same.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into this, but what I found was a beautifully moving account of grief. So many quotes stood out to me during the main character (Amelia's) journey of processing these feelings after suddenly and awfully losing her mother. Working as a mortuary beautician in the family funeral parlor means she is constantly around grief, but the impact is profoundly different when it is her own mother.

Amelia is someone who uses casual sex as an outlet anyway, and this aspect of her life ramps up in the days following her mother's death. She finds herself quite accidentally encountering her first experience as a sub, before joining a Kink Club and having a few different experiences.

Admittedly I do not know a lot about the BDSM and kink scene, so I can't comment so much on this aspect; there were some red flags that were clearly intended to be red flags (from Leo, the man she initially subs for), but there were also some afterwards that weren't treated as intentional - for example, an 'experienced' dom in the club mentions not using safe words and instead using 'intuition'. Even as a reader inexperienced with this area of life, it felt a little dangerous to me that the author would include some parts without accurately reflecting them to be an inherently bad example of the BDSM world.

Some parts were explicit and gross and made me cringe, but I personally don't DISLIKE that. It shows good writing, when I physically have to set a book aside and take a moment before continuing, and was, I believe, the intended effect at times.

Ultimately, the book is at its best when focusing solely on the grief and the feelings and processes Amelia goes through, and the multitude of characters and people she has around her who feel just as vibrant and three dimensional. The sexual aspect almost feels like an aside; sure, some parts counter one another well and seem to make sense, but a lot of it also feels somewhat abrupt, and unnecessary.

I thoroughly enjoyed the last chapter, though some loose ends were not tied up as satisfactorily as I might have liked. But perhaps that is a true example of life; with people and things coming and going all the time.

Ella Baxter knows how to use her words. This novel was full of witty and emotional passages and comments. However, that wasn't enough to make "New Animal" an equally crafty story. A consistent storyteller Ella Baxter is not.

What I take the main issue with, is the portrayal of the kink/BDSM scene, which shows not only lack of experiences in such settings, but also lack of thorough research. The main character, Aurelia, is assaulted by two different doms, but somehow it seems normalised and rationalised on both occasions. Her behaviour could be explained by her deep grief after the death of her mother, but it's actually not any different in terms of using sex to disassociate, from how she carries herself before the loss. Also, the funeral industry and even the main character's profession is not represented accurately.

I think the author relied a bit too much on the shock and disgust factor, rather than exploration of human psyche in the time of grief. As a result, "New Animal" reads more like an immature fantasy about running a funeral home and attending sex parties, that doesn't even deliver on the promised humour.