this book was too long. i listened to the audiobook and it felt like it would never end, it seems so much more fitting to be a novella. the concept was okay, woman turns into a dog because of society blah blah blah. u get it. this book was very american and very suburban, that’s probably the point but it felt so boring. every character was dull, i felt absolutely nothing for the mother. i actually pitied her for being so sad and self deprecating. don’t get me started on the kid, i’ve never seen a kid in literature so annoying and the audiobook did him no favours. i don’t like this kid.

i’m not a mother. i probably won’t ever be a mother, but this whole book felt so alien. i’m sure there’s mothers out there who feel this kind of rage, sadness, overwhelming emotions constantly 24/7. we need more books on women and motherhood and everything that comes with it, what with the fact that most mothers suffer depression straight after giving birth along with various other traumas, pains and emotions. but this book just didn’t get it across. it just feels performative to me- bright neon lights saying “this is the meaning! i’m spelling it out for you! here you go!” i don’t know. i usually don’t write reviews but this book really was not for me.

*spoilers* cw for animal cruelty/death

there’s a part where the mother kills a cat. i hate that. i hate books that have unnecessary animal death for shock value. this cat did not deserve to die and therefore i am taking a star off. also how dare this mother say she’s worried about her son getting blood on him after stabbing a cat?? then everyone acts as if the death of this cat was inevitable and therefore is blown over completely. probably the worst part of this book that i genuinely had to skip. that’s what i get for being so empathetic i guess.