Be still my heart!

Wow. What an unexpected surprise. I have heard of this author, but I've never read any of her previous works before. I am so glad I requested this novel. Totally caught me off guard. I didn't think I was going to enjoy it so much. Usually, I don't like when dialogue is done in italics instead of quotation marks, but it really didn't bother me at all. It kind of added to the charm of this overall story. This novel takes place in the mid '90s in Oklahoma/Texas. It's the story of 4 misfits living together and trying to escape law enforcement. Now this is how you write memorable characters! So many novels I read, the characters are so lackluster and have no personality, but this novel is the complete opposite of that. I truly cared for Ernie, Holiday Ray, Staci, and even Coral. This book is so charming and has this nostalgic feel to it. The writing was simple, and yet so emotional and heartfelt. I didn't want it to end!

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

This book is hard to get stuck in at the begenning,but it picks up a little down the line. A group of misfits trying to live together and they more or less succeed until Coral joins the group. She has a dark background and soon settles in. She is? deaf and doesn't say much. There is Ray who settles do with Traci until they no longer fit. Ernie is part of the group and trying hard to seduce Coral, but she is oblivious to his well meaning gestures. He gets her a pet and she dedicates most of her time with the cheetah. It's a little convoluted in places and overall a good story. The characters are well fleshed out, but the nature of the story overshadows their persanilties. Ray and Traci are an item and Ernie does his best to earn Coral's attention and gets nervous when he doesn't get it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ramdom House for the book. It's a fair read that could have been more cheerful. It's not one that I would have picked and it held my attention for most parts. This author is new to me and her writing style could be more fluid.

oh wow, this novel was not what i expected it to be in the BEST way. “you’re an animal” is a novel about a group of four displaced people who used to live on a compound. when a fire from their meth cooking operation breaks out, ray, coral, staci, and ernie are sent on the run. as they find a place to settle and start a garden, they each struggle with their own thoughts about love, family, survival, and joy. this is a gritty, extremely moving book and it was a joy to read.

do not be put off by the fact that the dialogue is in italics; it adds such a nice tone to the way this novel is written. it’s an absolutely gorgeous novel. so much love went into this love letter to texas and poverty. the ending made me tear up a bit as i was completely wrapped up in the lives of these complex, intricate characters.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This story has an assemblage of characters that are easy to love, laugh with and cheer on.

Coral, just 17 years old, is dropped off at a commune type place filled with 16 other people, all with stories of their own. She is deaf after suffering from childhood trauma, and does not communicate in any way. While she was out running errands with three other residents of the commune, a fire destroyed the place, and the four of them had to find a new place to live. They struck out on motorbikes and found a house to rent in Texas.

In their new home, Ernie, Staci and Ray try valiantly to bring Coral out of her shell, to be the adults Coral needs, but she mostly just wants to be left alone. All four of these misfits create a family and do their best to take care of each other. Each of them, in their own way, grow stronger and better than before they were thrown together.

This is a sweet story told in beautiful prose with characters that are unique and easy to like. It’s a solid 4 star read. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

My first time reading this authors work and I’m excited to say it won’t be my last.

You're an Animal by Jardine Libaire is a story that kept me turning the pages.

The writing is superb and the story is fast paced and exciting. So vivid and full of imagery. Very well written.
It's an enjoyable read with unforgettable characters.
The characters were so real, the writing so good, and the story so compelling that it is moments like these that I am so happy books exist, and feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to read this one in particular.
I really couldn’t get enough of Jardine Libaire’s writing style.
I was pulled quickly into the lives of these four characters immediately and sucked into their journey and adventure… and I’m pretty sure it was because of the incredible writing. I was hooked and enjoyed it tremendously. I hated to come to the end.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Random House & Hogarth for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

You're an Animal
A Novel
by Jardine Libaire

“We’re an odd lot. But we’re better together than separated out.”

Ernie, Coral, and the hard-living couple Staci and Ray are on a quest to belong. They have warm, disfunction family of sorts. I become to care deeply for all four misfits. They do become better together. I loved the story and how you rooted for them.

This is an entertaining story told in a voice that is super fresh and thoroughly captivating. It’s humorous on the one hand, but when the author digs into the heads of the characters, it will tug your heart right out of your chest. This, even though the characters are an offbeat bunch with wasted lives that most of them littered with mines then stepped on to see what explosives felt like.

When the book opens, we are at a commune run by Tim while his cousins, the owners, are in prison. Seventeen souls make up the cast—bikers, strippers, felons, a tattooist and iChing reader, a runaway, a tweaker and a couple of meth cooks. Carhartt clothing is well represented as are motorcycles. All are hiding from something—the law, their past, society at large.

When Ernie arrived, his value-added task was cooking meth, a skill he learned in prison, but when the Mexico ephedrine supply was cut off, he lost his position to a commune mate Lynn who knew how to cook with OTC meds. That’s a good thing, depending on how you look at it, because Ernie was assigned to money pickups and was gone when Lynn blew up the meth kitchen and most of the commune along with it. A newly arrived teenager with a traumatic past, Coral, was with Ernie on another commune assignment. Holiday Ray and retired stripper Staci joined them for want of something better to do.

The foursome will flee on two motorbikes and land in Texas, where they use the meth money to rent a house and wait things out. All else is prelude. The story begins here. It is here that we learn about the characters and follow along as they form a dysfunctional but supportive family while trying to decide what’s next and what the consequences will be for not returning the rapidly dwindling supply of Tim’s drug money. Coral will become their project as Ernie tries to make a home and Staci and Ray are forced to do a bit of soul searching.

I found this book to be such a delight. The writing alone is a joy. Labaire has a knack for metaphor and infuses the story with insight and a wicked sense of humor. I would love to see more from her!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Hogarth for providing this eARC.

You're an Animal by Jardine Libaire is an enjoyable read. It depicts the lives of four individuals who reside outside of societal norms. Ernie, Coral, Staci, and Ray are the main characters of the story who flee a commune following a meth lab explosion. The book portrays imperfect, yet likable characters.

Great characters and story setting. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars from me. Libaire writes in a lyrical style for You're and Animal and I liked it but didn't love all of it.

This is a book about misfits...but you end up loving them as you can see through to genuine hearts! Numerous people reside in a compound; when there is a suspicious fire, four of them leave including the newest member: Coral. Seventeen, Coral is apparently deaf; she never speaks and rarely makes eye-contact or shows any genuine emotion. So when they find a down-trodden rental in Texas, they do what they can to get by even though there are mishaps and crazy shenanigans, and even a cheetah! But you will find your own heart going out to these characters as they navigate life as best as they can given the circumstances. It's sweet and tender even in its quirkyness!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

In the midst of spring in Oklahoma, Ernie feels uneasy as an outcast among a group of misfits. When a mysterious teenager named Coral joins their ranks, their already-tense compound is thrown into chaos. However, when a drug lab explosion destroys their makeshift home, the four strangers - Ernie, Coral, Staci, and Ray - find themselves on the run across Texas, with newfound freedom coursing through their veins.

As they settle into a rundown house, a quirky little family begins to form, bound together by late-night dancing, wild strawberries, and the sense that Coral was meant to find them. But as tensions rise, a threat looms in the distance, and the bonds forged between them become all the more precious.

Through their journey, this spiky, hopeful ode to the other speaks to those who feel left out, who choose to opt out, and to the animal in us all. Their awkward kind of love is a testament to the power of both loneliness and joy, proving that even the most unlikely of companions can find a place to call home.

“We’re an odd lot. But we’re better together than separated out.”

You’re an Animal by Jardine Libaire is a delightful read! It’s the story of four people living outside of societal norms. The story follows Ernie, Coral, Staci, and Ray as they escape from a commune after a meth lab explosion. No character is perfect, and each is likable. (I love character-driven plots with likable characters!)

Ernie is a primarily solitary man exploring the meaning of family and belonging. Coral is a teenager whose childhood trauma has left her unable to speak. She tends to bond more with nature than people. Staci takes great care of how she looks and has been waiting for years to be Ray’s only lady instead of one of several. Ray is exploring the concept of being free and also happy.

I loved that the story unfolded over a few months, which was just enough time to see characters grow without needing to see their entire life story. Libaire’s strong writing made this a quick and very enjoyable read!

I have read about half of this book and I am going to DNF it for now. The overall story sounds so good but I was having a hard time getting into the book. There were some grammar errors which seemed like they were intention because they happened multiple times in the book. The long winded sentences thew off the flow of the reading experience for me. It happened mostly when a character was described. The first 50 pages of the books was hard for me because there were a lot of characters to keep track of and just not enough story yet to help tell them apart. Outside of the confusion of the characters in the beginning I didn’t enjoy that when a character was speaking it was in italics instead of quotes. I did start enjoying the books when the characters split away from the big group and were out on their own for a bit. I could focus on the characters and get a idea of who they were. I was just having a hard time wanting to pick up the book and decided to finally DNF.

I will say I do want to go back and read it when it comes out in physical format. Sometimes the book is just not meant for me to read at that moment in time. I can’t say it was a bad book because I didn’t finish it but I can say it has potential for a future read I may still enjoy.

I did not review this book on my goodreads or IG because I feel I can’t give it a fare assessment because I didn’t finish it. I don’t want to give it a review of 2 stars or DNF until I give it a try one more time in the future.

Oh how I loved this book. I could totally relate to the characters, and things they have been through. Even those who don't see themselves in these wonderful characters will find their journey, a journey of hope. I loved this book.