I was intrigued by the concept, but it felt very character driven rather than plot driven. Not a lot happens, but it was an intriguing read.

I'm still at a loss as to what the point of Winter Animals was. The novel dives into some weighty themes – utopianism, political idealism in Bright Young Things, sapphic desire, and complex human relationships – all of which have been explored many times before in novels of this genre. This combination of themes could have made for a truly excellent book, but the novel’s attempts at profundity fell flat, leaving me confused and, dare I say, bored.

The characters are so superficially shaped that I struggled to care about any of them. The novel follows Elen, a woman in her late thirties, as she spends her time getting drunk and high while squatting in abandoned ski resorts with a group of rich kids (à la Saltburn or Gossip Girl), but nothing particularly meaningful or interesting ever happens to her in the process and her interactions with a group of four much younger people feel aimless. Her queer desire never gets realised, nor does anyone have any sort of epiphany which the novel hints at constantly. It felt like I was dragging myself through this, waiting for some glimmer of context that sadly never arrived.

And then there’s the skiing. I cannot express to you how little I care about skiing, and the constant back-and-forth to the slopes frustrated me to no end. I believe I even muttered “Oh not again” out loud when they were back on the mountain. It quickly became monotonous; a needless backdrop to an already meandering plot. The novel could have been set anywhere else and gained the same effect: the ski resorts felt like little more than an empty symbol (perhaps an attempt to inspire a sense of liminal space?) but ultimately just came across as tedious.

What also threw me off was the clunky voice of Elen. Winter Animals is set in the USA, yet it’s peppered with overtly British vernacular. Reading terms like “trolley” instead of “shopping cart” or “lollies” instead of “popsicle” completely brought me out of the supposed American setting, regularly reminding me that this wasn’t Elen’s voice I was hearing, but rather that of an author. To me, it felt like Lewis struggled to pin down the natural cadence of Elen’s inner monologue, which is crucial for a book with this little plot.

I must mention the gratuitous animal abuse. It’s not something I take lightly in any context, but here it felt especially unnecessary. There seemed to be no purpose to it other than shock value, and it just left a bitter taste in my mouth. It added nothing to the narrative, except perhaps a sense of violence that the novel didn’t need.

There are, however, a few glimmers of potential buried in the novel. The world-building had its moments, and Lewis clearly has an eye for vivid, atmospheric writing. But these moments couldn’t redeem the larger structure, which seemed to wander without ever truly getting anywhere. It’s not even a ‘no plot, just vibes’ kind of book, because it doesn’t even commit fully to that. It’s just sort of... there, a mix of half-realised ideas and characters you can't care about.

Ultimately, Winter Animals is a book with potential but in desperate need of more rigorous editing. The themes could have led to something truly brilliant, but they’re left tragically underdeveloped. That being said, Ashani Lewis does have a distinctive voice and I wouldn’t write her off just yet. With the right editorial guidance, I’d still be intrigued to see what she does next. I just hope the next time, there’s more substance to match the style.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted more from this one. It was atmospheric and tense, super promising... and then just fizzled out.

Do you care about any of the characters? No. Do the characters grow in any real way? Also no. Is there any lesson here? Again, also no.

If you're into philosophy, character-driven stories and long rambling prose - this one is for you. Typically, I'm not a fan of character-driven stories and this didn't change that for me. I excpected a dark, culty, dark academia style plot and instead found deep character studies.

Whilst an interesting premise, the reality for me was that Winter Animals just fell short.

I couldn’t really get into the story mainly because nothing is really happening and the narrator seems to drift back and forth in a way that was hard to fully invest in.

Similarly to other readers, I feel like my expectations were skewed by certain comparisons and had I gone in expecting less plot and more vibes I might have enjoyed this one more but unfortunately it wasn’t for me this time.

This book sat on my to be read pile for rather to long apologies for that. I finally got round to reading it now.
This is the story of Elen a recent divorcee in her 30s who is about to return home to live with her parents when she meets a group of young people in a bar. These teenagers are British youth travelling around after university and choosing to live in a rather alternative lifestyle squatting in an abandoned ski chalets. Initially the story looks like it’s going to be primarily focusing on the difference in the age group of the main character to the young people however this very soon becomes irrelevant. One of the young men has become very interested in the writings of a 70s guru of free love and communal living and is trying to re-create these experiences, in his own life with mixed success.
The fact that the young people are living illegally in the buildings in which they squat gives the novel a feeling of claustrophobia and illegality which tightens the tension of the reading experience.
Likewise, the snowy weather adds to the muffled secluded atmosphere.
This is a very American novel although the main group are British it’s the differences between them and their American main character which adds interest to the story
I enjoyed the authors writing style, which is quite distinctive there is something in her writing that recalls the Secret history by Donna Tatt . And something in her writing style which is similar to the novels of Elizabeth Strout . Ultimately not much happens during the novel, but we find that we know more about the Behaviour of the main characters, characters and the way they react to each other seems real.
I read an copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book was published on the 1st of February 2024 by Dialogue books. This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com and on Amazon UK.

This was a brilliant read & such a great plotline. I loved the writing style & really struggled to put it down.
The characters are well written & developed & all troubled in their own ways. The dynamic between 38 year old Elen and the younger very privileged group makes for very interesting reading.
I did find the ending a bit too rushed but overall a really enjoyable read,

I really wanted to enjoy this but I just found the pacing frustrating and there was something a bit cold about the writing- I just didn’t feel emotionally attached to the story or to Ellen

Sadly not a book for me.

The interesting description led me to request this, but desipte some flashes of brilliant writing and references to abadoned hotels & snow capped mountains,the exciting premise turned out a little too flat, little else happens & the characters were not brought to life.

Author seemed to want to present this as a deeper reflection on the meaning of life, but it doesnt reach these more profound heights. Appreciate this maybe because have recently read The Secret History for the first time, which others cannot match

I particularly enjoyed the writing in this book, which was beautiful and quite poetic. I had a really strong impression for the snowy, deserted setting and each of the characters, who were mysterious and curious in each of their own ways.

It took me a while to get into the rhythm of this book but once you start to ‘go with the flow’, you do get swept up. Elen is a 30 something woman, who’s life is disintegrating. She meets a group of 4 British ‘students’ in a bar and tags along with them on their gap year adventures.

Elen is well developed, although a bit two dimensional. The 4 youngsters are barely described at all. The skiing is beautifully captured and although I’ve never worn a ski in my life, I felt the adrenaline and enjoyed those scenes.

The concept of ‘socialism’ and ‘group living’ is talked about by the boys especially but they’re all fairly wealthy and living cheaply in closed hotels out of season etc.,

This is not a plot driven book and if you don’t warm to the characters, you’ll get little enjoyment from following the five as they meander through various states. The ending is a bit rushed but somehow the pacing works. I’ll be looking out for more from Ashani Lewis. This is accomplished writing.

I was given a copy of the book by NetGalley

"Winter Animals" by Ashani Lewis invites you into the intriguing world of Elen, stranded in the shadow of snow-capped mountains after her husband's departure. Enter four English teens, blending wealth with an anarchic lifestyle. Lewis spins a mesmerizing tale of Elen's entanglement with these enigmatic youths, revealing a dark undercurrent beneath their utopian facade. As Elen grapples with their allure, she confronts the complexities of desire and friendship. Lewis's debut is a vibrant exploration of youthful idealism's allure and peril. "Winter Animals" is a captivating journey through freedom, friendship, and the blurred lines between love and longing that will leave you utterly transfixed.

Winter Animals is about a recently-separated woman who joins for younger students in gap year type skiing travels. There were elements of this that I enjoyed - the writing was beautiful at times and I loved some of the character details - but I mostly found it confusing and pretentious. Maybe it was just me but at times the writing became so lost in itself, that it became frustrating. There were also elements of the plot that just didn't gel and seemed more odd than interesting.
The plot had structure and I liked the premise of the story. Some of the details and descriptions were excellent but overall, it just wasn't for me really.

I read this book enticed by the comparison to The Secret History- I wasn’t disappointed (also brings Madam to mind). I love the setting (a snowy town- Instagram perfect in my head, but with those fake almost creepy smiles, an abandoned holiday park- I’d have liked more of that- and an uninhibited holiday home). I didn’t like the characters but that was the point, I think. I was slightly confused by the storyline about the incident with the brother/watermelon and thought it could have been explored further and there wasn’t much of a driving plot but I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be buying the hard copy to revisit (much like my very dog eared copy of TSH.) an exciting debut!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a well written book but it just didn’t really go anywhere for me

An interesting premise and certainly a unique tone. Lewis does a fantastic job of constructing characters and transporting readers into an intriguing world. I would definitely recommend this to readers who seek out character-driven plots. Great sense of tension throughout.

This was clever and intriguing, and the writing was often beautiful, but I struggled to get on with the characters, who never seemed to spring from the page. I did enjoy it at times, but it wasn’t compulsive.

Winter Animals follows the story of Elen, a woman residing in Oregon, who turns to drinking as a coping mechanism after her husband departs. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes entangled with four affluent squatters, teenagers from England, who invite her to join their escapades visiting ski resorts, squatting in buildings, and envisioning their "ideal future" community.

As their journey unfolds, the novel delves into themes of freedom, friendship, youthful idealism, and the intricate dynamics of relationships and love. Through Elen's experiences, readers are invited to explore the complexities of human connections and the pursuit of personal fulfilment amidst the backdrop of adventure and uncertainty.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Very interesting and different. I thought the tone and pace was good, and the clash of Elen with a younger very different group of people travelling around was a good premise. The different characters are well defined and the unusually close relationships between the group and Elens impact on this was well judged.

There was much to like about this. The writing was atmospheric and the nuances of friendship and love were sensitively explored. Ultimately though I found it lacked substance, resolution or any sense of satisfaction on completing it. For a book with a dark academia/thriller vibe, there was very little plot. I kept waiting for something dramatic to happen. The couple of revelations that were made didn’t feel as if they really landed. I love books which are more about character than plot but I didn’t really feel there was enough character either. It was an interesting premise that I don’t feel quite lived up to its billing or its early promise. It reminded me very much of Emma Cline’s The Guest and a little of The Things We Do to Our Friends and The Memory of Animals. I do think the author has promise, I just didn’t feel this book had as much to say as it thought it did.

Winter Animals is a solid debut for fans of Leave The World Behind and The Guest.

Elen is in her late 30s, her husband has disappeared and she has been kicked out of her house. She meets a group of rich kids who travel around the world skiing and living in abandoned holiday homes.

The novel explores the dynamics of the group, their privilege and their flaws. It is definitely more concerned with character than a propulsive plot, so if you are looking for a pacy thriller this will not be the one.

I did enjoy the tense atmosphere throughout and will be excited to read what Lewis writes next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.