This book was everything I wanted from a modern vampire novel. Our protagonist is an unhinged and messy woman who encounters a vampire and their friendship and eventual relationship develops. The religious and familial trauma addressed in this book was immense and so necessary. This book is a must read.

Fragile Animals is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish the last page. Genevieve Jagger has a gift for capturing the raw, tangled emotions of grief, trauma, and healing in a way that feels both poetic and brutally honest. The prose is absolutely stunning—lyrical without being overdone—and the characters feel painfully real, like people you’ve met or maybe even been at some point in your life.

The story itself is heavy and at times difficult to read, but it’s worth it. There’s a quiet kind of strength in the way the narrative unfolds, never rushing, just letting things simmer. I especially appreciated the way it handled mental health with nuance and compassion, without trying to tie everything up neatly.

My only reason for holding back the fifth star is that a few sections dragged a bit, and I occasionally found myself wishing for more clarity around some of the secondary characters’ motivations. But that’s a minor gripe in the grand scheme of such a layered and emotionally resonant story.

Overall, Fragile Animals is a haunting, beautiful read that I’d definitely recommend—especially to those who appreciate character-driven stories that aren’t afraid to sit with discomfort and explore what it really means to survive.

Fragile Animals didn’t land for me. While the premise hinted at a dark, possibly supernatural story with vampire themes, what I found instead was a slow and somewhat disjointed narrative that leaned heavily on "poetic description" and metaphor—so much so that it pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in.

The main characters, Noelle and Moses, never really resonated with me. I found them unlikable, which made it hard to stay invested. The pacing felt both mundane and choppy, and the overall tone was more depressing than eerie.

I went in expecting a chilling horror atmosphere, but instead, the book relied heavily on unsettling and often gross imagery rather than true tension or suspense.

Overall, the book left me feeling disconnected and disappointed. It might appeal to readers who enjoy metaphor-laden prose and bleak, introspective narratives, as well as themes like religious guilt and mommy-issues.

I received an ARC from NetGalley a while ago, so thank you to them!!

I really enjoyed Fragile Animals — especially the religious themes, which were thought-provoking and beautifully woven into the story. I love how the story handles faith, doubt, and devotion.

However, I was a little let down by the horror elements. They didn’t feel as strong or as fully developed as the rest of the book and left me wanting more. Still, a compelling and unique read overall!

This was incredibly haunting and introspective, I'm so pleasantly surprised that this is Jagger's debut. It deals with religious trauma, sexuality, and the main character's self-discovery as she remembers more and more things about her past. We follow Noelle (a former Catholic and writer) as she moves to an island where she meets a man claiming to be a vampire. We become a witness to their strange relationship, rooted in confession and introspection for Noelle, which forces her to confront her past through flashbacks and the memories she has of her mother. A novel about secret desires, so suppressed that we often hide them even from ourselves, Fragile Animals is a dark and delicious read for anyone into religious trauma explorations and uh... taxidermy lol.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

This is about a young writer who goes to the Island of Bute in Scotland by herself to find time to write her poetry. She ends up staying at a really weird boarding house with a strange older man who is a lot darker and more dangerous than he initially seems. The way I devour sapphic stories with mommy issues should be investigated.

Looking for a change of scenery, Noelle travels to the Isle of Bute to work on her next book, a poetry collection. She makes friends with the only other guest at her bed and breakfast—a man claiming to be a vampire (and taxidermist!). Over the course of her stay, in a form of subverted confessional, she divulges the secrets of her past and starts to work past years of religious and familial trauma. Told in dual timelines, we learn more about her struggles growing up as gay in the Catholic church and with a neglectful and absent mother.

This one was a little rough for me—to read and to review. Some moments were interesting and the writing was beautiful, but, for the most part, I was incredibly bored. I kept revisiting reviews and a lot of readers loved this one and compared it to works from authors like Eliza Clark and Ottessa Moshfegh. I love (love!) sad girl litfic, but I found this incredibly slow and uninteresting. Feel free to decide for yourself if it's your style, but don't hold out for a huge payout if it's not working for you either.

tender and emotional, loved the discussions of friendship and religion/faith. i think i was expecting more plot but i liked the vibes a lot. catholicism and sapphics always make for a good book!

I really wanted to love this....vampires, a Scottish island and such a beautiful cover....but i just didn't! I found it boring and the vampuire was just not what i want from The Undead!
The writing was quite slow and the characters were just dull, the landlady was completely unbelievable to me (i would've left the place the second i got there with her carry on!).
The premise is perfect, the delivery not so much!

Thanks to 404 Ink and Netgalley for this advance copy of Fragile Animals.

Struggling to deal with the familial trauma of her Catholic upbringing, hotel cleaner, Noelle, travels to the Isle of Bute. There, she meets a man who claims to be a vampire, and a relationship blooms between them based solely on confession. But as talk turns sacrilegious, and the weather outside grows colder, Noelle struggles to come to terms with her blasphemous sexuality. She becomes hounded by memories of her past: her mother’s affair with the local priest, and the part she played in ending it.

I love a book with religious trauma, and I love vampire novels. Bam: this novel has both; they are executed beautifully. I adored the way the vampirism wasn't sensationalised (a la Twilight), but instead became a vessel in which Noelle could explore her turbulent past. Loved this one, stunning debut from Jagger.

"Fragile Animals" by Genevieve Jagger is a remarkable novel that left a profound impact on me. The story, while beautifully written, delves into complex emotional landscapes that stirred my heart and mind in ways few books have. Jagger's prose is both lyrical and powerful, drawing readers into a world that feels intensely real and intimate.
The characters are deeply flawed yet incredibly relatable, each struggling with their own vulnerabilities and desires. Their journeys of self-discovery and healing are portrayed with such honesty and raw emotion that it was impossible not to become deeply invested in their lives. This book doesn't shy away from exploring painful themes, which made the reading experience both enriching and challenging.
While I loved "Fragile Animals" for its beauty and depth, it was also an emotionally taxing read. The themes of loss, love, and redemption are handled with great sensitivity, but they also left me reflecting on my own experiences and emotions long after I had turned the last page.
Overall, "Fragile Animals" is a stunning work of fiction that I wholeheartedly recommend. Its emotional intensity and exquisite storytelling make it a truly unforgettable read.

Loved this book! Sad girl lit with a vampiric theme.

Will be following to see what Genevieve writes next :)

Genevieve Jagger's debut solidifies her as a bright new voice in horror and fiction. With "Fragile Animals" Jagger deftly tells the story of a young writer who while trying to find some time to write, isolates herself to no end. When she ends up staying at a boarding house, she meets a strange older man whose true identity upends both of their lives.

This upending may not be all bad though, as Jagger makes it clear both of these characters were destined to come into each other's lives. This divine intervention makes for a novel that intricately examines religious guilt, sexuality and unburdened desires. Though the pacing is at times gruellingly slow, Jagger sticks the landing in a way that not many of her peers have.

Atmospheric and SO WEIRD. Adored this book and will be recommending it to everyone I know! I love a good vampire story and the premise of this sucked me right in. I took a chance on an author I'd never read before and it paid off! Can't wait to see what Genevieve Jagger writes next.

Such an interesting concept for a book, and so wonderfully executed. I found the quiet, introspective feel of the book very effective. This book not only brings the reader along but gives them space to think and reflect.

absolutely loved the themes of religious trauma combined with mother issues - the capitalization of Mother like the capitalization of God was a smaller detail that added so much to the book in my opinion. i cared less for the focus on moses, but still really liked this book! can't wait to see what this author does next.

It took me a long time to get around to this feedback because it took me a long time to finish this title. I know that this was a debut, and I think there were a lot of good ideas and ideations in here, but the writing at times felt very childish and unsure of itself. Maybe this was a stylistic choice as the main voice is a young writer but it didn't feel as such. I am sorry to say I would not recommend this one out. :/

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is a really beautiful exploration of religious beliefs and the relationship we have with them, especially in regards to our upbringing and how this shapes who we are.

I did want this to feel a bit more gothic maybe? Or more eery based on the setting, but I still thought it was excellent!

A strong 4 star for me!

Fragile Animal is Genevive Jaggers debut novel whice came out april this year and oh my - what a book to start off with!

Noelle has a hard time thinking about her religious upbringing and decides to travel to a far off place in Scotland, Isle of Bute, to get some peace and quiet and finally can write more on her poetry. She is staying at a kinda creepy old and loney house - tho it isn't that lonely after all. There's a mysterious older men living there and soon everything takes quite a dark and bloody twist.

The novel deals with a lot of catholic guilt and how her childhood was always connected to the religion experience her family had. Mixing this storyline with a very modern take on vampirism was interesting to read and made me excited to read more of her work hopefully soon!