Fiction

Nightbitch: A Novel

Downloads：6517
Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
Create Date：2021-07-21 18:31:23
Update Date：2025-09-06
Status：finish
Author：Rachel Yoder
ISBN：B08LKPC99D
Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Book Wormy ， 2021-07-20 00:00

#ARC #Netgalley #NightbitchThis ARC was provided by Vintage （Harvill Secker）（via NetGalley） in exchange for an honest review。Two word review – Banana Pants！ Three word review Bat St Crazy！This book was totally whacked out and I mean that in the very best way。 At points I wasn’t sure if I hated or loved this book （I am still not 100% sure） but what I am sure of is this is the most original look at motherhood I have read in ages， perhaps ever。Full review here https://thereadersroom。org/2021/07/ #ARC #Netgalley #NightbitchThis ARC was provided by Vintage （Harvill Secker）（via NetGalley） in exchange for an honest review。Two word review – Banana Pants！ Three word review Bat St Crazy！This book was totally whacked out and I mean that in the very best way。 At points I wasn’t sure if I hated or loved this book （I am still not 100% sure） but what I am sure of is this is the most original look at motherhood I have read in ages， perhaps ever。Full review here https://thereadersroom。org/2021/07/20。。。。。。more

Kristine ， 2021-07-20 00:00

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late June。The second-person narration of a wife and mom， drained， neurotic， and unappreciated， who is convinced she is turning physically and mentally into a dog。 Once involved in ornate， artistic cryptotaxidermy， but now spending the bulk of her time at home as a housewife with a mundane， predictable cycle of activities before descending into manic， frenzied depths， otherwise seen in Bee Season。

Karen （kmo。reads）， 2021-07-20 00:00

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint。 Motherhood is tough。 Its not all rainbows and unicorns。 Somewhere along the way we tend to lose our identity。 We certainly lose sleep and hair。 :D In Nightbitch， the mother becomes a stay at home mom and feels like she is turning into a dog。 I found myself relating quite easily to Nightbitch。 It is bizarre yet funny and unique。 Give this one a try！Thank you to @doubledaybooks and @raijoy for the #gifted copy of the This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint。 Motherhood is tough。 Its not all rainbows and unicorns。 Somewhere along the way we tend to lose our identity。 We certainly lose sleep and hair。 :D In Nightbitch， the mother becomes a stay at home mom and feels like she is turning into a dog。 I found myself relating quite easily to Nightbitch。 It is bizarre yet funny and unique。 Give this one a try！Thank you to @doubledaybooks and @raijoy for the #gifted copy of the book。。。。more

Katherine Hammitt ， 2021-07-20 00:00

If you are a mother or have a mother you should read this book。 It is so relatable in the weirdest way possible。 Motherhood can be rough and this book makes you feel understood and a little more normal。 Loved it SO much！！ I can’t wait to see the movie once it’s out！

Betty Beel ， 2021-07-20 00:00

I am still processing this book and I might be for some time。 It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read。 In short， it’s about a mother of a 2 year-old son， aka “Nightbitch，” who thinks she’s turning into a dog。 Yes bow wow。 She struggles with her son’s “night night” rituals， which leads to the awakening of her inner Nightbitch。 I think I’m more of a Morningbitch ☕️Here’s what’s challenging about this novel:✍️ There are only 3 chapters so there aren’t a lot of natural stopping points😇 It’s written in t I am still processing this book and I might be for some time。 It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read。 In short， it’s about a mother of a 2 year-old son， aka “Nightbitch，” who thinks she’s turning into a dog。 Yes bow wow。 She struggles with her son’s “night night” rituals， which leads to the awakening of her inner Nightbitch。 I think I’m more of a Morningbitch ☕️Here’s what’s challenging about this novel:✍️ There are only 3 chapters so there aren’t a lot of natural stopping points😇 It’s written in the third person🐰 There’s violence against animals🐢 Not plot driven🥱 It takes about 75 pages to get intoIf you like Jenny Offill’s writing style you will enjoy this book。 Both read like really long short stories with streams of consciousness。 Nightbitch is a subversive commentary about motherhood and where primal instincts and the mundane intersect。 The Nightbitch character （you never know her name） turned performance artist， examines the brutality and darkness of motherhood and how modern motherhood has been sanitized and neutered with multi-level marketing schemes。 Her suburban MJU （multi-Jen universe） is stacked with essential oil loving， Pinot Grigio guzzlers。 I think this book could have taken a step further and examined the mommy blogger world。It reminded me of The Santa Clarita Diet if it was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos （watch Dogtooth if you like bizarre movies）。 You want to close your eyes， you want to laugh and then you want to sit in a dark room and think … 。。。more

Joshua Bohnsack ， 2021-07-20 00:00

I reviewed this book for Newcity Chicago。 Read my review here: https://lit。newcity。com/2021/07/19/my。。。This is a book about the loneliness of domesticity and the internal cost of upward comparisons， but with much humor in the dejection。 It is as though Leonora Carrington wrote Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique，” yet truly original。 The prose effectively draws the reader into the minutia that is the mother’s life。 But more than that， Yoder creates a mythos around the mother that is intimate I reviewed this book for Newcity Chicago。 Read my review here: https://lit。newcity。com/2021/07/19/my。。。This is a book about the loneliness of domesticity and the internal cost of upward comparisons， but with much humor in the dejection。 It is as though Leonora Carrington wrote Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique，” yet truly original。 The prose effectively draws the reader into the minutia that is the mother’s life。 But more than that， Yoder creates a mythos around the mother that is intimate and admitting。 There is the pain of rituals like putting her son to bed。 There’s the urge to create something again， to make art。 She doesn’t want to regret spending every minute with her child， she doesn’t want to get involved in a multilevel marketing scheme， she just wants to find out if other women also turn into dogs。。。。more

Chloe Newman ， 2021-07-19 00:00

not sure how on earth I’m going to review this

Katie ， 2021-07-19 00:00

I doubt I'll read a more unique， insightful book this year。 It's the kind of novel that makes any attempt at a glowing review feel insufficient。 Rachel Yoder takes the werewolf-adolescence trope and turns it on its head to furious， surprisingly poignant effect。 I am not—nor have I ever yearned to be—a mother， yet I deeply felt the vacillating rage and exhaustion radiating from the pages。 It made me gasp and grin， it made me more empathetic。 A searing condemnation of the impossible choices women I doubt I'll read a more unique， insightful book this year。 It's the kind of novel that makes any attempt at a glowing review feel insufficient。 Rachel Yoder takes the werewolf-adolescence trope and turns it on its head to furious， surprisingly poignant effect。 I am not—nor have I ever yearned to be—a mother， yet I deeply felt the vacillating rage and exhaustion radiating from the pages。 It made me gasp and grin， it made me more empathetic。 A searing condemnation of the impossible choices women are forced to make and a page-turner of the highest order， this is a novel you'll chew over long after you finish devouring it。 Gratitude to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。。。。more

Vicki ， 2021-07-18 00:00

Nightbitch was such an interesting read！ I couldn't really figure out if she was imagining everything that was happening to her or if it actually was happening。 Did she really do all the dog like activities？ Was she really sprouting fur？ I totally understood the stress of being a mom to a little one and all the expectations that you are supposed to meet。 Overall， the mothering aspect I really understood and enjoyed。 I think most mothers feel the same way。 This read met my expectations overall， b Nightbitch was such an interesting read！ I couldn't really figure out if she was imagining everything that was happening to her or if it actually was happening。 Did she really do all the dog like activities？ Was she really sprouting fur？ I totally understood the stress of being a mom to a little one and all the expectations that you are supposed to meet。 Overall， the mothering aspect I really understood and enjoyed。 I think most mothers feel the same way。 This read met my expectations overall， because I didn't really know what to expect！ It was enjoyable though！。。。more

Emily Stensloff ， 2021-07-18 00:00

4。5this was so fun！ i love a book that makes me go， "wait， what？" several times。 i was fascinated by the mother's story。 i really felt for her， even though we have very different lives。 at times funny， at times melancholic， always introspective: there really was a lot going on here。 if not a bit repetitive at times。 though given the emphasis on the monotony and repetition of motherhood， i suppose that's to be expected。 i particularly enjoyed the surrealism; i'm still not entirely sure that i've 4。5this was so fun！ i love a book that makes me go， "wait， what？" several times。 i was fascinated by the mother's story。 i really felt for her， even though we have very different lives。 at times funny， at times melancholic， always introspective: there really was a lot going on here。 if not a bit repetitive at times。 though given the emphasis on the monotony and repetition of motherhood， i suppose that's to be expected。 i particularly enjoyed the surrealism; i'm still not entirely sure that i've Got all that happened and what quote unquote really happened。 if you like the culturally-induced female transformation elements of han kang's the vegetarian or the weird fiction and dark humor stuff of julia armfield's salt slow -- this is for youit loses its footing a little bit in the middle portion but recovers in the final act。 and i wasn't a super fan of the intrinsic tying of womanhood to motherhood that started happening。 but overall， i really enjoyed this。。。。more

Liz ， 2021-07-16 00:00

Well this was…different。 Metamorphosis meets suffering mom trope。 I liked the first half or so and related to the craziness of mom life and was captured but the plot- a mom literally turns into a dog。 It just then lost my attention。 The characters never have names and I felt far away from them。 While I liked the concept and some of the writing it was a bit of a miss for me and I usually like quirky， dark stuff。 I think some people will really enjoy this mom horror genre but it’s definitely not f Well this was…different。 Metamorphosis meets suffering mom trope。 I liked the first half or so and related to the craziness of mom life and was captured but the plot- a mom literally turns into a dog。 It just then lost my attention。 The characters never have names and I felt far away from them。 While I liked the concept and some of the writing it was a bit of a miss for me and I usually like quirky， dark stuff。 I think some people will really enjoy this mom horror genre but it’s definitely not for everyone。。。。more

Naomi ， 2021-07-16 00:00

This is about a woman trying to find herself， or find her true self， after becoming a mother。 A very interesting and feminist take on Motherhood。 Rachel is great at building that uneasy feeling of things being uncomfortable or wrong， and feeling that this can only go from bad to worse。 As her transformation progresses， so too does the Chaos。 Nightbitch herself shows how it's easy to lose your own identity and fall into what others think of you or what you think you should be。 It explores the sac This is about a woman trying to find herself， or find her true self， after becoming a mother。 A very interesting and feminist take on Motherhood。 Rachel is great at building that uneasy feeling of things being uncomfortable or wrong， and feeling that this can only go from bad to worse。 As her transformation progresses， so too does the Chaos。 Nightbitch herself shows how it's easy to lose your own identity and fall into what others think of you or what you think you should be。 It explores the sacrifices that mothers have to make and how they get no recognition for their hard work。 A brilliant book that had some great OMG moments。 I would recommend this to fans of Angela Carter and Ottessa Moshfegh。。。。more

Katy ， 2021-07-15 00:00

3。5*

Kari ， 2021-07-15 00:00

My Review ofNIGHTBITCHBy Author， Rachel YoderGifted & Published by Doubleday BooksOn Sale: 7/20/21Woohoo！ Wow！ Was this book unlike any other book I’ve read in my life。 It was so creative and original and the imagination to write such a phenomenal piece is beyond my comprehension。 It is weird， unfathomable and that is what makes it so entertaining while getting the message across albeit rather unusually。 This is a story of a mother turning into a dog but not quite。 She gave up her car My Review ofNIGHTBITCHBy Author， Rachel YoderGifted & Published by Doubleday BooksOn Sale: 7/20/21Woohoo！ Wow！ Was this book unlike any other book I’ve read in my life。 It was so creative and original and the imagination to write such a phenomenal piece is beyond my comprehension。 It is weird， unfathomable and that is what makes it so entertaining while getting the message across albeit rather unusually。 ****This is a story of a mother turning into a dog but not quite。 She gave up her career in art to remain a stay at home mom who is always alone while her husband is gone Monday-Friday。 Slowly， you see the perfect mother who does everything right， taking care of the child， keeping the house clean， cooking and being the perfect wife。 As you read on， you see the woman complain as any mother complains but with it， comes a new shocking feature on her body。 The growth of hair on the back of her neck that doesn’t seem to bother her husband; wait， are those canine teeth looking sharper？ Trying to fit in she joins a mommy play group but the progression towards animal does not stop and she is getting tired of trying to be the perfect woman。 So she lets her looks go a little and wouldn’t you know the moms in playgroup admire her new Boho style。 Cravings lead way to eating raw meat with her son and playing doggie with him; collar， leash and cage included。 Her husband takes in each change and doesn’t challenge a thing。 All the while the mother is looking for something to curb her desires and ultimately to find a cure for her predicament。。。。more

Meg Zkn ， 2021-07-15 00:00

this book is a RIDE。 it’s sharp and funny and biting and magical！ 100% my kind of book。 it’s weird — but it works。 bizarre， absurd， etc。 I’m not yet a mother but loved yoder’s commentary on motherhood and believe parents would appreciate it even more。 will rec this to many。 thank you net galley！

Oliver Clarke ， 2021-07-14 00:00

Nope， didn’t get it at all。 Not one little bit。

ShanKL （ShopCoffeeKids - Instagram）， 2021-07-14 00:00

Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary copy of Nightbitch by @raijoy - named as a writer to watch by @publisherwklyNightbitchAudio 8 hours， 52 minutesPublishes July 20， 2021@doubledayBooksFeatured in most anticipated lists by Time Magazine， Entertainment Weekly， Nylon， the Chicago Tribune， Business Insider， Bustle， Lit Hub， Book Riot， Thrillist， Publishers Weekly， Library Journal， the Chicago Review of Books， and more…_“One day， the Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary copy of Nightbitch by @raijoy - named as a writer to watch by @publisherwklyNightbitchAudio 8 hours， 52 minutesPublishes July 20， 2021@doubledayBooksFeatured in most anticipated lists by Time Magazine， Entertainment Weekly， Nylon， the Chicago Tribune， Business Insider， Bustle， Lit Hub， Book Riot， Thrillist， Publishers Weekly， Library Journal， the Chicago Review of Books， and more…_“One day， the mother was a mother， but then one night， she was quite suddenly something else…”This debut novel sheds light on the harsh realities of motherhood with the fantastical element of shapeshifting into a dog。 One morning the mother， known as Nightbitch， notices a patch of hair has suddenly sprouted on the back of her neck and that her canines are razor sharp。 Soon after， she succumbs to her canine impulses to resolve herself of the worries and insecurities at home with her son and husband。 Nightbitch births a new genre of magical realism on womanhood。 It doesn’t shy away from the pressures and expectations of motherhood， the disappointment and loss of self， female rage， the abandonment of dreams - it is ALL here in the page。 Nightbitch’s bite will leave a mark！。。。more

Emily ， 2021-07-14 00:00

Ok， so here's the thing -- for 196 pages， I loved this novel。 In fact， I thought it was one of the best novels I'd read in the past 5 years， an incandescent symphony of female rage whose weirdness worked （that cat scene， holy shit） and whose rants often felt like reading my own thoughts。 Then， on page 197， something terrible happened: within the course of a single paragraph， I felt my stomach drop as the author took a blatant misstep， and I instantly began to fear that this novel was not going t Ok， so here's the thing -- for 196 pages， I loved this novel。 In fact， I thought it was one of the best novels I'd read in the past 5 years， an incandescent symphony of female rage whose weirdness worked （that cat scene， holy shit） and whose rants often felt like reading my own thoughts。 Then， on page 197， something terrible happened: within the course of a single paragraph， I felt my stomach drop as the author took a blatant misstep， and I instantly began to fear that this novel was not going to stick the landing。 And I'm sorry to say that it does not。 This novel， which felt so organic and which was rooted strongly， compellingly in Nightbitch's perspective and voice for 196 pages， began a downward spiral into an overwritten blow-out of an ending that does not service the brilliance of the rest of the novel。 In the last chapter， we lose Nightbitch's perspective entirely and are given an overblown， editorial accounting of her performance， a sweeping review that is all authorial voice to the point of being cringey。 I honestly read the last chapter as though looking at a car crash through my fingers。 I really wish I could read an edited ending to this novel that harmonizes with the exhilarating howl of its first 196 pages。 Regardless， Nightbitch will not soon be forgotten。。。。more

SJ ， 2021-07-13 00:00

ARC provided by NetGalleyTRIGGER WARNING: animal death， blood， violence （I might forget some）"Nightbitch" falls into the "Multiverse" of certain literary books I've been orbiting around lately such as "Bunny" （Awad） and "We Play Ourselves" （Silverman）。 That is: the complexity of feminine identity and artistry in the modern world。 But here， Yoder takes it a step further by connecting motherhood to those two concepts。 The formula is simple: yes， there is beauty in childbearing/delivery/mothe ARC provided by NetGalleyTRIGGER WARNING: animal death， blood， violence （I might forget some）"Nightbitch" falls into the "Multiverse" of certain literary books I've been orbiting around lately such as "Bunny" （Awad） and "We Play Ourselves" （Silverman）。 That is: the complexity of feminine identity and artistry in the modern world。 But here， Yoder takes it a step further by connecting motherhood to those two concepts。 The formula is simple: yes， there is beauty in childbearing/delivery/motherhood， but there also is violence。 Yoder explores those violences--because there is more than one！--through the mother。 There is the violence of childbirth， yes， but also the societal violence to which the mother， or Nightbitch， is submitted。 The violence of her husband's distance， both physical and psychic。 The violence of refusing to explore her own visceral， violent urges: and Nightbitch is born。I cannot speak of motherhood/parenthood yet， but I believe it is easy to connect with Nightbitch's psyche for someone who grew up as AFAB or identifies as a woman。 In all: Nightbitch made me feel deeply and was violent in much needed ways （for the mother）。 A great piece of fiction。（I'd like to point out one thing: the mother is a ciswoman。 She speaks of her own experiences as a mother and childbearer and I respect that。 What I didn't "vibe" with was the whole "the womb is where I draw my power as a woman" thing。 That is restrictive and reductive; what of non-binary people， transmen giving birth， women adopting？ What of adoption， surrogacy？ I understand that was NOT the mother's experience， but she DOES come into contact with multiple mothers。 Can Nightbitch's artpiece relate to mothers without the same experience as her？ With transmen？ With enby people？ I got this vibe of "universal experience" focusing only on vaginal delivery/c-sections， which we know is NOT the case when it comes to motherhood/parenthood/fatherhood。）。。。more

Milly Reynolds ， 2021-07-13 00:00

This book was such a surprise。 I'll be honest， in the beginning I wasn't too sure but the writing engaged me。 The descriptions of motherhood resonated so much， I remembered times when I too felt as if I had lost my identity during those first few months at home with a baby。 We never discover the mother's name - she's always the Mother or the Nightbitch - but that doesn't matter。 She speaks for all women。There are touches of magical realism here when she discovers that she might be turning into a This book was such a surprise。 I'll be honest， in the beginning I wasn't too sure but the writing engaged me。 The descriptions of motherhood resonated so much， I remembered times when I too felt as if I had lost my identity during those first few months at home with a baby。 We never discover the mother's name - she's always the Mother or the Nightbitch - but that doesn't matter。 She speaks for all women。There are touches of magical realism here when she discovers that she might be turning into a dog - her night-time excursions。 However what we see is how the transformations frees her。 Her son loves his 'doggy' mother and the joy in their games leaps off the page。 There are trigger warnings - the killing of domestic animals as dogs can do - so if this is not for you， maybe don't pick this up。 But， otherwise go with it。The Mother picks up a book about magical women based on anthropology - women transformed by motherhood and this is the part that sang to me。 I felt that this book embraced motherhood， embraced the power of women。 We are magical beings - we give birth， we create life。 Motherhood changes us， transforms us。 Maybe we don't all go howling at the moon， but a woman after she has given birth is not the same person that she was before giving birth。I loved this book and feel that Rachel Yoder is talking to mothers everywhere， telling them that they are special， powerful magical beings。Thank you Netgalley。。。。more

Debra ， 2021-07-11 00:00

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley。This book was Frank Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis，” if Gregor Samsa was a woman who curled up in bad and turned into a bug （or here， a dog） and yet her toddler still demanded she get up and make him breakfast and play trains with him， day after day after day。This falls into the genre I call “Mommy Horror”—the horror of being the neglected mother， who despite her legit concerns， at times possibly in danger （Zoje Stage’s “Baby Teeth” comes to mind）， has everyon I received a digital ARC from NetGalley。This book was Frank Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis，” if Gregor Samsa was a woman who curled up in bad and turned into a bug （or here， a dog） and yet her toddler still demanded she get up and make him breakfast and play trains with him， day after day after day。This falls into the genre I call “Mommy Horror”—the horror of being the neglected mother， who despite her legit concerns， at times possibly in danger （Zoje Stage’s “Baby Teeth” comes to mind）， has everyone telling her， “oh come on， it’s not so bad”; then， when push comes to shove， suggest the mother go on antidepressants， rather than shake up the status quo。 But it’s “Mommy Horror” with a humorous twist。 It was a book I connected to immediately， and that connection and recognition created such a discomfort I had to hold the book at arm’s length after that。 As a middle-aged woman who has come out the other side of this time period， it brought back PTSD （the reason why I gave it 3 stars， even though it probably deserves more）， even with its humor， probably because Nightbitch was also an artist trying to get her mojo back。 It took me waaaaay longer to reach that point; in fact， I’m still working on it。 I also connected with her initial antisocial behavior towards mommy groups， the “wtf is it with all of you？” I liked how Nightbitch was finally able to subvert it all。。。。more

Sarah ， 2021-07-11 00:00

Somewhere between 3-3。5What a bizarre and wild ride that was。。。It's impossible to review Nightbitch without discussion of the headline plot point: this is the story of a mother who becomes a dog。 I， probably like many others， was very curious how the author would let this whole narrative play out across a whole book and how this would be portrayed。I would almost go as far to say the whole 'turning into a dog' aspect of Nightbitch was probably the least interesting part of the book to me - it act Somewhere between 3-3。5What a bizarre and wild ride that was。。。It's impossible to review Nightbitch without discussion of the headline plot point: this is the story of a mother who becomes a dog。 I， probably like many others， was very curious how the author would let this whole narrative play out across a whole book and how this would be portrayed。I would almost go as far to say the whole 'turning into a dog' aspect of Nightbitch was probably the least interesting part of the book to me - it actually reminded me of The Pisces in this respect）。 Where the book instead excelled for this reader was in its scathingly accurate， way too close for comfort portrayal of motherhood。 The early sections of the book were particularly strong， and we see 'the mother' （as she is referred to， until she is only referred to as 'nightbitch'） processing the fact that her child and motherhood is now her life - having left her job some three years ago before having her son。 She feels like her personality has been eroded， and that whilst her child is her life - her husband is nice enough but largely absent due to his job - she isn't even doing a particularly good job of raising him。 That's until she starts to notice that her canines have got sharper， she has a growth at the base of her spine which looks like a tail， downy hair at the base of her neck。。。 you can picture the rest。 The later sections where the protagonist has fully embraced the dog lifestyle （not a sentence I ever thought I'd write。。。） were where my interest began to wane somewhat， but this is definitely worth a read for the first half where the scathing sections on the impact of motherhood on the protagonist were particularly well rendered。Thank you Netgalley and Vintage for the advance copy， which was provided in exchange for an honest review。。。。more

Siobhan ， 2021-07-11 00:00

Nightbitch is a book about a mother who seems to be turning into a dog， combining magical realist elements with the monotony of motherhood。 She used to be an artist， but then she gave up work to care for her two-year-old son， and her husband is always travelling for work and only around at the weekend。 When she starts finding herself filled with rage， she calls herself Nightbitch， but then she finds new hair growing and a new appetite for raw meat， and maybe it is something beyond anger。From the Nightbitch is a book about a mother who seems to be turning into a dog， combining magical realist elements with the monotony of motherhood。 She used to be an artist， but then she gave up work to care for her two-year-old son， and her husband is always travelling for work and only around at the weekend。 When she starts finding herself filled with rage， she calls herself Nightbitch， but then she finds new hair growing and a new appetite for raw meat， and maybe it is something beyond anger。From the summary of this novel， you can tell how it will go: a woman struggling to deal with her position as a mother and lack of agency and her own desires alongside what she is expected to do， who succumbs to a gradual transformation to canine instincts， with some witty commentary along the way。 She also gets in with a group of mothers from the library who are all part of a multilevel marketing scheme for herbal supplements， which was one of my favourite elements of the book as it sounded like part of the witchy vibe， but is also very realistic about how stay at home parents are targeted for these kinds of scams。Overall， I found Nightbitch quite predictable， with similarities to other books which lean into a magical element to reflect how society treats someone， and I wonder if maybe it is more powerful for parents who might find it relatable and possibly cathartic。 I appreciated that it didn't shy away from the weirdness， going as far as killing pets （so perhaps not one for more squeamish animal fans）， and I can see how some people might love it， but it just didn't capture my attention enough。。。。more

Sacha ， 2021-07-10 00:00

5 raw and bloody stars The appropriate approach here might be to write this entire review in howls， but I'll try to refrain。 This novel is spectacular in every sense of the word。 It both perfectly fits into a long history of women identifying characters' representations in literature， and it is also entirely original。 The main character， who is sometimes known as 'the mother' and then way more interestingly just called Nightbitch - as in proper name - is everything。 This character has a mostly p 5 raw and bloody stars The appropriate approach here might be to write this entire review in howls， but I'll try to refrain。 This novel is spectacular in every sense of the word。 It both perfectly fits into a long history of women identifying characters' representations in literature， and it is also entirely original。 The main character， who is sometimes known as 'the mother' and then way more interestingly just called Nightbitch - as in proper name - is everything。 This character has a mostly physically absent partner and a very young son， both of whom are also identified by their relationships to Nightbitch and not by their proper names。 The husband is barely in the piece， but that is as it should be。 He fits the classically absent and detached type through both his lengthy and frequent work trips and also through his utter ineptitude when it comes to supporting the family and household。 However， there's an important detail that comes up early in the piece about his Folder， and this （staying spoiler-free here） is an essential characteristic; it alone allows him to gel with this plot。 The boy is an excellent sidekick to Nightbitch。 Like all small children， he is utterly feral at times， and his behavior and reactions become an ideal bellweather for Nightbitch's activities and progression （cringing while typing）。 Also essential to the fun of this piece are Wanda White， the writer of what becomes Nightbitch's revolutionary text， and the local mothers， most of whom are hilariously and aptly named Jen。 A not-to-be-missed detail that is present not only in the characters' names but also throughout the novel is Yoder's brilliant application of language。 The naming and lack thereof， the descriptions， and the linguistically oriented pacing are all masterful。 Try to stop laughing at the name Nightbitch alone。 Contextually， it's impossible， and that is a feat in a novel with this content。 There is a brief but perhaps critical mention of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" near the start of the novel， and whether or not this is the intention， I could only see every moment and action from there in one way: that this novel is partially a modern version of that seminal text and that this comes through in the naming， timing in Nightbitch's life， details about rooms and sleeping arrangements， physical appearance， community between women/dogs/women's events （still dying over the herbs - watch out essential oils pyramid schemers。。。Yoder is coming for you）， and so much more。 Structurally， the balance of details and information gaps is among the best I've seen。 There's an almost High Modern stream-of-consciousness technique happening in Nightbitch's thoughts， and this allows readers to get into a headspace that they may otherwise find unrelatable。 Readers are always questioning what is and is not "real，" and this never becomes frustrating。 The final scene is the best example of this: a glorious surprise as the way this ended could have really been a death blow to the novel overall。 This book is utterly wild， and while I expect that this may be a little too avant-garde for some， I could not be more obsessed。 I'm blown away by how much Yoder accomplishes in this text and how much richness comes through in implicit ways。 I get the most intense Lauren Hartke vibes （see DeLillo's _The Body Artist_） from various aspects of this work， and there are few higher compliments from this source。 Nightbitch is none of us and all of us， and I can't get enough。*Special thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review （posted above）。。。。more

Chris Rock ， 2021-07-10 00:00

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I was diagnosed hsv2 2years ago， I read an article online of a woman sharing her testimony how she was cured from HERPES VIRUS。 after using a herbal remedy that cured her completely from the virus and sharing her experience too when taking the medication after then she dropped the contact address of the Dr which I followed and contacted the Dr too for help， because I was really depressed and anxious of getting rid of the virus i was having a constant outbreak for 2 months and I couldn’t bear the I was diagnosed hsv2 2years ago， I read an article online of a woman sharing her testimony how she was cured from HERPES VIRUS。 after using a herbal remedy that cured her completely from the virus and sharing her experience too when taking the medication after then she dropped the contact address of the Dr which I followed and contacted the Dr too for help， because I was really depressed and anxious of getting rid of the virus i was having a constant outbreak for 2 months and I couldn’t bear the pain anymore， but soon found that my case needed urgent attention as I was growing lean due to fear of dying anytime soon。 so I talked with the herbalist via WhatsApp so he assured me， there is a complete cure for herpes virus。 Then I placed an order and followed the instructions after taking the herbal remedy for 2weeks， I went to the hospital for a test behold I was negative。 So I waited for another two months to make sure I confirmed this very well still negative since then till now no outbreak no pain still negative。 Every single journey of your life starts with a healthy mind and a healthy journey。 You body can stand almost anything is your mind you have to convince。 Contact Dr waziri details: WhatsApp /call +2348138326676， Email: drwaziriherbalhome@gmail。com Thanks。。。。more

Moray Teale ， 2021-07-07 00:00

This one is a wild ride。 The nameless mother is struggling with stay-at-home motherhood after giving up her dream job as a community art gallery director to take care of her young son。 Parenting is hard， especially when her counterpart work away during the week and doesn't pull his weight when he's home。 She's angry， she's bored， she'd unfulfilled and guilty about it。 And she may be slowly turning into a dog。。。。Interweave this bonkers but brilliant concept with searing satire and laugh-out-loud， This one is a wild ride。 The nameless mother is struggling with stay-at-home motherhood after giving up her dream job as a community art gallery director to take care of her young son。 Parenting is hard， especially when her counterpart work away during the week and doesn't pull his weight when he's home。 She's angry， she's bored， she'd unfulfilled and guilty about it。 And she may be slowly turning into a dog。。。。Interweave this bonkers but brilliant concept with searing satire and laugh-out-loud， black-as-pitch humour and Nightbitch is a wholly engrossing， addictive read。 Yoder has some brilliant observations on adult life and the demands of motherhood and I loved the the （fictional） academic text on mythical women that she uses to explore ideas of womanhood。 A big roar of a rage of a story that sinks its teeth deep and doesn't let go。。。。more

Lindsay Hunter ， 2021-07-05 00:00

I laughed a lot and gasped and can’t wait to re-read this violent gem。

Jennifer ， 2021-07-05 00:00

DNF at 38 per cent。 OMG this book。。。 I like weird books but this one I just could NOT get my head around it。。（full review to come after I have completed on Net Galley）

Max Reads ， 2021-07-05 00:00

I whizzed through this in about a day， but it's such a fluid read you could easily knock this out in about 6 hours。 It's a stream of consciousness book and you're strapped into the mind of the unnamed main character， so the whole thing is her observation， thought， emotion， and none of it filtered to propriety for the people around her so this is such a raw book。 Her resentment towards other people， towards even her child， and because you know the reason behind the emotions you totally sympathise I whizzed through this in about a day， but it's such a fluid read you could easily knock this out in about 6 hours。 It's a stream of consciousness book and you're strapped into the mind of the unnamed main character， so the whole thing is her observation， thought， emotion， and none of it filtered to propriety for the people around her so this is such a raw book。 Her resentment towards other people， towards even her child， and because you know the reason behind the emotions you totally sympathise the whole way through。 This book rips away all the parts of motherhood that society romanticises and makes shiny， and you get this depiction of something hard， like really hard， and it sounds like a freaking waking nightmare at times。There are a lot of big themes and discussions in this book， and I think one of the biggest ones has got to be either the cycle of repression and eruption， with women stifling huge parts of themselves because of societal expectation of who they should be， OR motherhood and how just undervalued that is。 It's about what society deems proper behaviour for a woman and a mother， and the desperation to be seen as a human and an individual， and not just a machine， a sum of all the tasks you perform and someone who exists solely for other people。 This woman has a degree， had an art field related career， and gave it all up for a child， and I think this book really makes you think about whether "good mother = selfless mother" might be actually quite a toxic mindset。I was rooting for the MC this whole book。 One thing I think this book did so well， and that resonated so hard with me were all these arguments crafted in someone's head。 These well thought out responses that you stifle because "no way would you ever say that OUT LOUD"。 You could just see so clearly WHY the main character was angry and how justified each one of her emotions was， even though objectively nobody around her is doing anything deliberately malicious， they're just undervaluing her， and taking her for granted and being inconsiderate， and the way this book shows how much that can just WEAR a person down was amazing。The overall vibe of this book was a strange one， and during her research to find out more about her condition and whether she might actually be becoming a dog she stumbles across a book in the library with similar researched female experiences around the world， and you get snippets of these from different cultures in the story。 The stream-of-consciousness narrative makes this book read very much like American Psycho， but with how deeply metaphorical what is happening to her IS， I'd also say this book shares a lot with kafka's metamorphosis。（And it is VERY ambiguous， the whole time you're debating whether this is happening or whether this is a metaphor， but one thing I really loved about this book is that it is NEVER painted as hysteria） But when she starts to look deeper to books to find out what's happening to her， this book takes on an almost fairytale tone and the whole thing could easily be a modern retelling of a very very old folktale。Given that so much of this book is about "becoming an animal" there is a big theme of how this relates to birth and childcare， about instinct and pack mentality。 A human gives in to the animal urge to reproduce， embracing this wild part of who we are， and then society is like "hmm yeah don't be wild actually"。 As she becomes more and more animalistic she acts differently towards her spouse， her child， and we're left as readers to ask whether this insane experience that she's going through is making her a fuller and better person， and also whether that equates to being a better mum。I think there's also something in here about art， about being a creative。 About the aspects of yourself you draw from when you do create。 The parallels between raising a child and creating a piece of art。 About how when you change because of experience in life， your art too will change。Yeah I think this book is about maybe not defining yourself as a mother only， letting other people see that as a defining part of you if they like， but being your own whole person and defining yourself through the things you love。 About taking back as part of yourself， the bits society told you to throw away or keep silent。 This book is one long howl， a cry for freedom and expression and I loved every second of it。4 stars。 Highly recommend everyone checks this out。 Super weird。 Kafkaesque fairytale fable with an absolutely bonkers climax and ending。。。。more

Monika ， 2021-07-04 00:00

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