Animal

Taddeo’s Animal follows the inner thoughts and actions of Joan, a fractured woman who has, self-admittedly, engaged in all manners of self-harm. And though Joan’s anger manifests at the men in her life as either a direct or indirect source of this harm, there is an unspoken air of responsibility about it all, as if she is aware through her anger that much of it may be equally directed at herself.

Certainly not for the easily offended, Animal does not hold back when exploring the tumultuous relationship between men and women. The sexuality can sometimes be jarring, but is witnessed and commented on by Joan in a somewhat genuine manner, despite the fact that Joan is, to some extent, in her own world and inaccessible to us.

An exploration of trauma, manifested as confusion, which unloads itself within Taddeo’s world, Animal is an enjoyable read that will leave readers perplexed, damaged, but immersed. The novel flows smoothly, written with a pacing that keeps the reader entertained despite being bombarded with heavy themes.