Sadly, despite my love for vampires and personal experiences with religious trauma, I couldn't connect with both the characters and the story itself. Some moments felt dull, I felt especially impatient reading Noelle's flashbacks. I hoped there would be more focus on the sexual relationship between the vampire and Noelle, and how it's viewed through the religious lenses. The cover art is amazing though!

thank you netgalley and publisher 404 ink for the eARC copy of this book!

fragile animals is an intriguing debut novel and based on the writing, you wouldn’t be able to tell it is a debut at all. the story follows an ex-catholic woman that develops a sexual relationship with a vampire which then makes her confront her past as well everything that shaped her life up until that point. i feel like this book needs to find its specific audience and so far, based on the average rating this book has - i would say it managed to do that quite successfully.

if you like literary fiction that’s introspective, where the supernatural elements play only a secondary role, this could be your vibe. if you liked “woman, eating” by claire honda and are looking for more literary vampire novels, i think this could be a perfect book for you. this is one of those books that has objective and inherent literary value (as in, it is extremely well crafted) even though it wasn’t really my cup of tea. so even though my personal experience isn’t worthy of five stars, i can confidently say this could be someone’s absolute favorite book. and trust me when i say that is high praise coming from me.

if you don’t mind slow developing stories, a lot of analepses, as well as just observing the human condition through the life of someone who you can or cannot relate to (depending on your circumstances), you should pick this up. even while giving this book 3.5 stars - i will be picking up anything this author does next because i think it can go only uphill from here. the writing is what sold it for me and i will be thinking about individual quotes and moments for months to come.

Fragile animals
Beautiful lyrical writing
Gothic
Moody
Atmospheric
Romance
Literary
A lot to dissect and decipher
Explored childhood trauma
Explored religious trauma
Sexuality
Unique storytelling
Set in Scotland

This was such a unique story. It follows a woman called Noelle who seems lost in life, she’s a poet, but doesn’t like identifying as one, and sets off to a b&b in Scotland to finish writing her second book.

There she meets another guest, Called Moses who is a vampire. She ends up falling for him and having a sort of relationship with him but this is not your conventional “paranormal romance”.

It is an exploration of love, life, trauma, religion and sexuality. Told from Noelle’s point of view as she recounts her past to Moses.

It’s written in a very lyrical way, it feels moody and gothic and atmospheric. It was very nice to read, and decipher and dissect Noelle’s thoughts.

If you’re into unusual stories, written beautifully, that have a nice deep meaning, then this is for you. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you so much to 404 Ink for providing a digital ARC !!

If you’re looking for heavy vampire romance, you’re not going to find it here; instead this book deeply focuses on the intricacies of Noelle's Catholic upbringing and the profound impact it has on her life. One of the standout aspects of this book is its exploration of religious trauma. Through Noelle's journey, the author skillfully navigates the complexities of faith, family, and personal identity, shedding light on the often overlooked consequences of religious upbringing.

The prose in the book is undeniably beautiful, the language is imbued with a lyrical quality that effortlessly transports the reader into Noelle's world. However at times, it veers into overly descriptive territory. Personally, I found it challenging to maintain my focus, and once I put it down, it was difficult to pick it back up.

Ultimately I enjoyed reading Fragile Animals. Its willingness to tackle difficult themes with nuance and sensitivity sets it apart from other works in the genre. It's perfect for fans of unconventional books, with some parts that elicited visceral reactions, which I found intriguing.

Read this in one sitting and was blown away. It wasn't what I was expecting but I was hooked. Although it took me a few chapters to get into it I did enjoy Noelle's voice. Also loved the bits of humour (especially from Miss Fraser) amongst Noelle's traumatic memories.

This book took me on a wild ride and I was absolutely obsessed with it. I felt like it had a jarring start - like the first sip of a really bitter coffee - and I wasn’t sure I liked the writing style. It felt disjointed and awkward but it was eventually those very things that made it endearing and addictive to read.

Noelle had a very unique character voice and I really felt like I was in her head which was a very relatable and, at times, extremely confusing place to be. The occasional short sentences and unique phrases made her feel very authentic but at the same time, the stories she told Moses and the questions she raised had me trusting her reliability as a narrator.

The book reminded me a lot of the way Jeanette Winterson writes and the nods to Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit made me very happy. I think my favourite part came towards the end when the impact of the church and Noelle’s sexuality was explored. If you’re a fan of Winterson or Julia Armfield, I think you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

!!!! This wasn't what I expected it to be, but in a much better way. I think that the reckoning of religious trauma is done in a beautiful way in this book, and I hope that when it is published it gets the attention that it rightfully deserves.

First word that comes to mind thinking about this book is just… wow.

Going off the synopsis I predicted this was just going to be a weird little book about a girl entering a tormentous relationship with a “so called vampire” while delving into her past religious trauma. But I have never been so glad to be so wrong. (Minus the religious trauma).

Although yes, there is a vampire, he is definitely not the main focus of the story. Which I loved that he was used basically as a way to fully explore Noelle’s trauma and her own inner thoughts and feelings about religion and herself.

The prose was so beautiful and the hypocrisy & gossipy nature of small town churches was written in a way that only someone who grew up in one can really capture.

This was a 4⭐️ read for me until the last couple of chapters. They were so beautiful and I really did not expect to cry. Noelle’s story will stay with me for a long time and I can’t wait to buy a copy for myself when it’s released.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with a copy for review!

This was a beautiful exploration of the moral rot of Christianity, the violence it does to children, and trying to become whole after. In that way it didn’t surprise me Elle Nash was involved in the editing, Deliver Me is the best exploration of religious trauma I’ve read. The prose was lovely and I particularly enjoyed the chapter titles as well as the way the author unfolded the reveals. Also like Deliver Me, this novel really gets how complex sex is for women, how tangled it is in self abuse and cruelty, and how totally abstracted from desire it can be.

3.5 stars

Vampires and religious trauma? I was absolutely hooked from this premise!

In Fragile Animals, twenty-three year old Noelle travels to the Scottish Isle of Bute where she meets a man claiming to be a vampire. An unlikely connection based on confession forms between the two of them. Their relationship ultimately forces her to confront her past.

This story featured some truly beautiful prose and interesting characters. It was definitely a weird and at times gross book. The first half of the book was quite slow and I struggled to connect with the protagonist. Halfway through the book, however, the plot picked up. My favorite parts were Noelle's flashbacks to her strained relationship with her mother and the discussions surrounding Catholicism and sexuality. By the end, I certainly felt for Noelle even if she was flawed. In my opinion, the vampire in the story merely acted as a catalyst for change and introspection within the main character. I found that I wasn't as interested in his character than I thought I would be.

Ultimately I liked Fragile Animals and would recommend it but it just wasn't very memorable for me. As I stated before, it was quite slow and every time I put it down I found it hard to pick it up again. It wasn't for me but I appreciate the excellent writing and what the story was trying to accomplish.

Thank you to to Netgalley and 404 Ink for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is probably the most original novel I read so far this year and I couldn’t stop reading it. The only trouble I had it was that the pace was a little bit to slow and it drag the whole book. But overall is such a interesting book. Is a book that touch many themes homophobia, religion, trauma, plus vampires. I mean who doesn’t love that mix. I really want to read more world of the author and I hope this book got the success it deserve.

“You can’t take the blues to bed, Noelle. They’ll just sleep with you.”

Noelle was dragged up Catholic by an emotionally distant and hypocritical Mother, and finds herself feeling stagnant in her 20s forced to face her trauma and self-sabotage behaviour. Having woken up alone and hungover again, full of hazy memories and regrets from the night before, Noelle books herself an impromptu solo holiday to the Isle of Bute. It is on the Isle that Noelle meets Moses, a mysterious man claiming to be a vampire. Noelle isn’t sure if he’s telling the truth, but does find herself drawn to him in ways she can't understand, let alone explain.

Fragile Animals is a captivating and unique novel and I genuinely can’t believe its a debut. Genevieve Jagger has a beautiful and haunting way with words and will have you laughing one second then crying the next.

*ad-pr: I received a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This was an incredibly original novel and I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it. Noelle goes to the Isle of Bute, meets a man claiming to be a vampire and they have deep conversations at the bed and breakfast they’re staying at. Unusual, yes, but very tense and intriguing, with the relationship between the two strangers providing a unique premise for the story. I loved how atmospheric this was, with the setting of Bute coming alive, making this an incredibly absorbing novel. The writing was beautiful throughout and I was captivated by the evocative language used within Jagger’s prose.

However, the plot meandered quite a lot, which slowed down the pace for me, and I sometimes felt like we weren’t getting enough time to explore Noelle and Moses’s relationship or the themes of the novel properly. Religion, sexuality, family, sex and love were prominent themes throughout, but I wanted these ideas to be developed further and hoped the past and present would have a more satisfying link. I enjoyed this overall, but I would have liked the plot to go somewhere else and had more of my questions answered.

All in all this was a compelling read and I can’t wait to see more from the author!

Jagger’s ‘Fragile Animals’ is a dense cake of a book in the best possible way. It is an extraordinary feat of literary prowess.

Noelle, our protagonist, is a deeply enriched character with many flaws. She holds a lot of childhood trauma, trauma that carries her through the rest of her life. When she happens upon Moses, her life is inextricably changed. He acts as a window into scenes from her past, similar to in Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. All characters in this novel are well-developed.

‘Fragile Animals’ is a powerful tour-de-force exploring religion, shame, trauma, homophobia, and what it means to be consumed. I am keenly awaiting for this to be adapted for the screen.

Jagger is an author to watch out for!

it’s the year of the vampires!!!!

fragile animals is not for the faint of heart. every single page, every long chapter made me absolutely feral with anticipation with what’s to come next and believe me, there was never a dull moment. genevieve jagger wrote a book so captivating and unexpected that i have created a special bond with the story, i didn’t want to let it go. fragile animals is about an ex-catholic woman trying to navigate her life in a gloomy island with a broody vampire. it had all the vibes and wonder of a gothic novel and i’m here for it. sin, confession, and more sin.

it’s the year of the vampires, and fragile animals is a must read!!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own :)

Fragile Animals is an immensely difficult book for me to rate. To say this is a book about confession featuring a vampire does it a great disservice, especially because our vampire is not as involved in the story as I thought he would be. Rather, this is an incredible intimate look at a mentally ill woman’s life and her incredibly complicated relationship with religion.

Noelle’s loneliness was very, very relatable, as was her complex relationships with her parents. Those two aspects of her character hit a little too close to home and made me root for her in a sad, forlorn sort of way. There were so many silent indicators of her need for help and it enraged me that the people who needed to look out for her let her continue to destroy herself rather than pushing her to get help.

That said, there’s something about this story that feels missing. I loved the prose and the nonlinear timeline that the plot follows. I also loved the gloomy setting and the swan scene, in particular. Objectively, all of those make for a very, very good book. But still, the reader is lacking something on the last page and that leaves a sense of dissatisfaction behind.

On the other hand, and because I like giving things the benefit of the doubt, I do think that there is some intent in leaving the reader dissatisfied, but I’m honestly rambling now.

All in all, Fragile Animals is deeply introspective and rife with gorgeous imagery. I enjoyed my experience with this novel even though it did leave me feeling incredibly sad.

of the description - “when an ex-catholic woman develops a sexual relationship with a vampire, she is forced to confront the memories that haunt her religious past” - I knew that I was going to love it.

The prose is beautiful: silky smooth, yet gritty and earthy - it is a slow and wondrous read that pulls you in closer with each chapter, like a strong tide not wanting to let you go. We learn so much about Noelle’s life through her ‘confessionals’ with the vampire, Moses, and her processing of her harsh and confused upbringing. These pieces slowly come together to create a magnificent artwork upon its final sentence.

The characters were unique and the glimpses we get of them over the course of the novel build a complex web of narratives that explain Noelle’s struggles.

I did not want this to end: I deliberately paced myself with this one because there was so much to digest and savour.

Description:
Noelle has been having a hard time lately, so she leaves her stuff behind and travels to a small island in Scotland to figure her shit (and overwhelming Catholic guilt) out. Instead, she meets a vampire.

Liked:
Some nice imagery, flowery prose, and a believably confused protagonist with interesting Shit Going On. Sparsely but well-populated with memorable characters.

Disliked:
The 'vampire' element feels like a bit of gimmick… a bit anaemic, if you will :P There's an argument to be made that it's crucial to the plot, but there's no real reason for that element to be vampiric specifically. I wouldn't have minded/noticed this at all, were it not for the marketing and tagline. The prose is often TOO flowery; not in the sense of being difficult to understand, but just because it feels a bit overwrought. If it had been a little more sparing with the poetic language, I think the sprinkles of it might have shone a bit more. The dialogue is noticeably free of this and feels quite standout because of it.

Would recommend - it’s an interesting and short piece.

Anything Else:
This was coming in at a high three stars versus low four stars mark, so I’ve gone for four.
Also, beautiful cover, eh?

In the search for a perfectly written vampire book? Then this is one your should really consider! This story follows an adult woman who develops a relationship with a vampire and explores the complexities of religion, growth, and sexuality. We see the main character, Noelle, forced to confront her religious trauma and family trauma all while trying to sort out her guilt and new forbidden relationship. Genevieve Jagger does a perfect job at illustrating a dark, twisted, emotional, and reflective tale with a satisfying ending.

Disclaimer: thank you to NetGalley and 404 Ink for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I went into this thinking that it would be a story about a woman, and her affair with a vampire.
And though it is a book about a woman and a man, who may or may not be a vampire, it is more a navigation of Catholic guilt, and a woman’s fraught relationship to her mother—and how these are often tangled up together.
Beautifully written passages, while also containing some gloriously gory bits. All of which make it an impossibly human story.