Dead Animals is a short but exhilarating read, exploring the internal process of a mind undergoing trauma recovery and the means by which these strong resultant emotional states can make a person susceptible to influence by other people.

Our protagonist has suffered sexual abuse and struggles with the turmoil that follows, until she meets Helene; she's beautiful, and she understands her. But things aren't always what they appear on the surface and our narrator is in for a shock as reality starts creeping into her perfect dream that she's created.

I really enjoyed this novel, it was super succinct but said everything that it had to say. A deeply sensitive look at the manner in which a woman must come to terms with assault and attempt to move on with her life, as well as an exploration of unhealthy friendship and the importance of standing up for oneself. Highly recommend!

This kept me intrigued until the end. It is the story of a young woman living alone in London. She is a waitress struggling to make ends meet and also struggling psychologically. Until she meets the pretty and rich Helene, who is clearly manipulating her and plotting something sinister.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, the title and the cover all stood out for me. Themes of women’s rage and grief are a common theme I look for in stories and this book sounded wonderful.
One of the things I enjoyed about this story were the spot on descriptions of working in hospitality, a true nightmare in its own right. Unfortunately, this story fell flat for me. There were no chapter headings, which I personally dislike, and much of the book read like a first draft of a novel. Lots of grammar and formatting issues and an overall ‘stream of consciousness’ feel to it, I would have liked to see more character development in both the main character and Helene, and maybe even chapters from Helene’s POV. The last quarter of the novel felt very ‘tell’ and not ‘show’, which is disappointing as it could have been a really compelling and devastating read.

Dead animals might be one of the most anticipated books of the year! Grateful to have been gifted this ARC and really enjoyed this book - so much so that I bought a hardcopy after it was published!

I confusingly read this book, Dead Animals, and another book Fragile Animals, within a couple of weeks of each other. Something with these titles at the moment!

Dead Animals brings us our unnamed narrator, covered in bruises and scratches, after a party, with no memory of what happened.

What I love about this book is that it sits in those grey areas. Does it matter what happened to her, or is the fact that it happened abuse?

Is the way the chef in the restaurant where she works speaks to her and acts towards her abuse? Where is that line? As a vegetarian myself I really struggled with the way the chef taunted and teased her with meat, forcing her to eat foods she did not morally agree with. Is that abuse? Or just cruelty?

This book builds as our narrator meets Helene, who suffered at the hands of the same man, but Helene wants revenge. Who is right?

I loved this messy, blurry, sometimes gross book. It’s morally grey and I loved it.

I thought that this started strong but then it veered off in a direction that I was not expecting. Not my most enjoyable recent read this year but it was short enough that I wanted to finish it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This book is one I’ll think about for a while! It’s unsettling, dark, creepy and at times, without hope. It’s going to hit readers and hook them! Definitely worth a go!

Une lecture que j'ai beaucoup apprécié. Des moments d'angoisse, une ambiance horrifique et de l'espoir que ce petit oiseau blessé qu'est la narratrice s'en sorte. Une tension tout du long avec une chute intéressante et une fin inattendue pour ma part ! Je recommande ++.

3.5 rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This novel was an experience; I feel like that's the best way to describe it. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, despite the plot itself seeming quite straightforward. The writing itself was beautiful, with some very interesting imagery throughout the novel. The supernatural elements felt both very out of place, but also almost ingrained into the storytelling, and we don't get much of an answer as to why these things are happening.

The intense relationship between Helene and the main character was so interesting. Their connection was instant and, even from the beginning, it always felt somewhat off. They had wonderful moments together, but the toxicity slowly eases its way in until the readers themselves feel uncomfortable, and with the horror imagery throughout makes quite the unsettling story. It felt like Helene's character wasn't explored much, but I think it plays into her role as someone who the main character actually barely knows; she lives a very different life to her and feels distant, even in their more intimate moments.

I also love that the man never gets named. Even after he's dead, only the women get the dignity of being identified and explored throughout the book. I think we barely get to even see him outside of the character referencing the night of the party. He really felt like a dark presence rather than a man; the only humanity he's shown is <spoiler>after his death by his own mother </spoiler>. I think the haunting reflects this beautifully, how it invades every aspect of the main character's life, dogging her every step. I think the consumption of animals plays into this too, how she eats it in an almost animalistic way due to having to eat on the job or hidden in a cupboard, and also how this is forced onto her by another male character.

It would have been lovely for her and Oliver to remain friends; their connection was brief but very sweet, and I think the two of them would work well together as friends.

Overall, an enjoyable and haunting read!

Very unique book.
I wanted to give the MC a big hug. I liked that the MC was switched as awkward and skiddish. Oh, also it was cool that she was a vegetarian. I felt represented haha. I wish she stayed in touch with Oliver. I think a few things went over my head and left me with questions.
What was the point of the dead foxes -foreshadowing of death?
What was up with the supernatural elements like the candles & lights going out?
Dishes breaking? Face in the wall?
This was a quick read and I def want to give it a reread at some point.
Overall, definitely worth the read.

i like gross sad girls books as much as the next person but this really much reminds me too much of promising young women by Caroline O'Donoghue and Lucky Dogs by Helen Schulman (the latter especially in that our mc, who has been SA and now lies low, finds herself transfixed by another woman who may or may have not shared similar experiences).

Dead Animals

I couldn’t make heads nor tales of this book. Even after finishing, I don’t really have a clue what happened. It was tense enough to keep me turning pages, constantly, and the representation of the after effects of trauma, the spiralling and anxiety makes it feel like you’re experiencing the confusion with the main character. I don’t understand it, I don’t get the story, but I didn’t hate it because it was almost tense and captivating enough to be addictive.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!

Following a violent assault the narrator finds their mental and physical health waning. Drawn to a seemingly perfect but controlling woman, the relationship quickly intensifies, and she begins to be haunted by strange poltergeist like activity, mould, blackouts, and breakages. Unnerving encounters where people try to trick her or coerce her into consuming meat build the disturbing tension. This short novel evokes this sense of mental strife well, you can feel the tiredness and anger in the narrator. However, the building creepiness never really hit for me, and the characters fell slightly flat. But as a short novel it was fast paced and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Dead Animals left me with a lump in my throat and a pit in my stomach. This book seethed with rage.

This was the type of book that just unsettles you because it is so visceral and real. Its depiction of trauma and sexual assault is considered, layered and resonates with you long after the final page. Stuckes had such an interesting, poignant way of depicting trauma and horror through a skewed lens that I adored. There was just this abstract layer to the book that showed the dehumanisation and lack of connection to the body that the unnamed protagonist experiences. She could be anyone. That sort of Everyman figure is particularly haunting with the statistical reality of rape culture. At the same time, she has such a distinctive and guarded narrative style.

It is a sickening read, full of the monstrosity of humanity, particuarly within rape culture. There is so much violence veiled beneath veneers and socially acceptable behaviour. It deals with various forms of abuse and assault, so please check trigger warnings. Overall, this is a story of obsession and the fine line between justice and retribution. In particular, Stuckes asks how do we decide where that line should be drawn?

The central relationship in this book is a toxic, twisted one that is tangled up in that all consuming fury and also weaves in a discussion about privilege and power. It speaks to insidious forms and repercussions of abuse. Every page bristles with menace. For me, reading this was like looking out and seeing the storm coming in, but also being swept up in the darkness. It is brilliantly told, captivatingly written and has that chilling grit of reality to it.

Dead Animals was a tough and menacing read that carved out a brilliant story.

Stuckes explores some upsetting themes with a creepy, dark atmosphere and just enough relatable content to keep me hooked.

Our un-named protagonist starts the book in a vulnerable situation. As we read, we follow their physical, mental, and emotional decline.

Relationships in the story were frustrating with me asking myself why they would stay? To remind myself of all consuming relationships, you shut yourself off to the rest of the world. They become your everything. Did Helene see our main character as prey? Was it love at first sight? Did she already have a plan for revenge on 'the man' and use the main character as a pawn?

I especially enjoyed the creepy shadow scenes. We've all seen something out of the corner of our eye in a mirror. Was there a supernatural element? Haunting? Telekinesis? Or was this the authors representation of the tense atmospheres, anxiety disorder, or feeling loss of control?

I enjoyed the idea of our bodies being worn by us. Sometimes feeling alien, too heavy, itchy, too tight. The uncomfortableness absorbed from the page into my own skin.

The ending felt too sudden, I asked myself where I wanted the story to go and realised it ended exactly where it should have.

The only change I would make is that sometimes I found myself having to re-read chunks of dialogue to decipher which character said what, perhaps due to the format I read.

Difficult to read at times, but intriguing and creepy story about trauma and violence. The ending felt rushed and a bit predictable though.
Thank you Sceptre and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a very readable and absorbing book about a young woman who feels like she has absolutely no power over her own life. When starting the book, the narrator's voice plunges you immediately into a cavernous maw of depression, anxiety, resentment and bewilderment. How did she get here, why is she here, doesn't she deserve better, why is everyone always so angry with her? The feeling of panic and exhaustion is impossible to shake in those early pages and it makes her enduring desire to remain non-violent in the face of her (many) abusers quite admirable. If I worked catering and restaurant shifts at unreasonable hours, went without days off for weeks at a time, was surrounded by friends with office jobs, was assaulted by a stranger and then fell into a toxic relationship with his ex, I would definitely be looking for something to kill.

I think that might be the issue I had with the book in the end - I wanted it to have a bit more messiness to it, something a bit more shocking. That wouldn't necessarily have to be violence, but everything that does happen just kind of ebbs into mediocrity at the end.

Having said that, I enjoyed the narrative voice very much; I feel like I'm almost chemically engineered to, at this point. Dead Animals has the same kind of compulsively introspective early 30s female narrator as books like Supper Club, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Conversations with Friends/Normal People, which is like catnip to me. It's so easy to read and it's very satisfying when you're used to overthinking everything you do, every interaction you have with another person, and contextualising your own flaws and problems within the defeats of your whole generation. None of this is a criticism, although I would say again that it indicates a lack of surprises.

I was so drawn into this book about female rage and sexual trauma. I devoured this book in one sitting but it did leave me wanting more, wanting answers. Helene and our main character both have been abused by the same man but the way it impacts them both is almost on opposite ends of the spectrum. I was so wrapped up in the goings on of the main characters life, the twisted bullying she endured at work, the things happening to her, or in her head? The feeling of something dark that has latched onto you and changed your world into a much darker place is something I could unfortunately relate to, and it made this really believable.

"Dead Animals" by Phoebe Stuckes is a visceral exploration of trauma, revenge, and the complexities of justice. Through the eyes of a young woman grappling with a fractured memory and deep-seated anger, Stuckes masterfully unravels a narrative of violence and retribution. The enigmatic Helene adds layers of intrigue as she becomes both ally and instigator in the quest for revenge. Stuckes navigates the moral ambiguity of seeking justice in a world where the price of retribution is steep. With haunting prose and relentless tension, "Dead Animals" is a gripping examination of the human psyche and the cost of survival.

Dead Animals is the story of a young woman (unnamed) who wakes up following a house party with no memory of the night before, but her body is covered in scratches and bruises. The reader follows her journey as she tries to piece all the events of the night back together. Eventually, the violent truth comes back to her and she remembers little by little the abuse she has experienced at the hands of a man. The protagonist is then introduced to Helene, who also happens to have encountered similar experiences to the protagonist during her relationship with the same man in question. As the protagonist tries to navigate her life and her new relationship with Helene, as they’re both coming to terms with the anger they’re experiencing as a result of the violence and emotional torture the man brought upon them, it’s evident that an act of violence demands one in return. Helene wants to seek revenge, however, the protagonist is too caught up in a series of nightmares and fear. Who can afford justice?

Dead Animals is a short novel which I managed to finish in a couple of sittings. One of my favourite things about the novel is how much content there is to unpack. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion after finishing the novel, sat, contemplating what I have just read. The novel does not provide any answers to the growing dread you feel whilst reading the novel, or for the weird occurrences that begin to multiply, but you are certainly provided with something to think about.

Stuckes’ tone is sharp and raw, and it doesn’t shy away from anything. There’s no denying that the book is so beautifully written and I found that as soon as the story set the scene, it refused to let me go until I finished every last page. The writing style is different to the books I have been reading most recently, however I think it really suited the mood of the novel and complimented the genre and the issues that are discussed within. I am still unsure whether the absence of the chapters was intentional, but it did add more depth to the protagonist’s story, resembling that there are no breaks in the trauma she’s surviving through, it has completely consumed every last part of her body.

A part of me feel saddened to know the extent of people that will be able to relate to this novel and how collective the experiences are within today’s society. I am certain that as people are reading this novel, they will find familiarity and be able to relate to the character’s emotions and behaviours, such as the deadly feeling of dread, heightened levels of fear, and the seizing up of one’s body. However, there lies the pure beauty and sheer intelligence of the story. A novel which in most instances is challenging to describe and to put into words, yet Stuckes’ has managed to achieve this in a way that’s haunting yet beautiful.

The only criticism I have is that the ending of the novel felt rushed. It could have been played out a lot more. I would have loved to have seen the events that unfolded between Helene and their abuser during the moments leading up to the epilogue. But overall, I really enjoyed the journey that this novel has taken me on and I would love to read more from the author, and to delve deeper into their dark mind with the stories of this genre. For a short story, the novel knows how to pack a punch.

If you are an unhinged Ottessa Moshfegh girlie, you will love this book. It definitely has a similar feel to Eileen in terms of its voice, but Dead Animals delves deeper into the unsettling spookiness.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Phoebe Stuckes for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.