Very dark and edgy. I appreciated the perspective of the first person narrative. She was tragic, but funny. The story was original. I thought it was well-done and recommend it for all collections.

My enjoyment of this book really ebbed and flowed throughout my reading experience. I can in with high hopes of a macabre comedy, and in the beginning the absolute vulgar honesty of our main girl, Hester, was resonating with me and had humorous moments of “oh my god the author had to have had fun with this character.” However, as the story continues on, I was left with these moments that were at first engaging and left me highlighting with notes of comments, to feeling repetitive with ultimately no change, for better or worse, in Hester and her way of navigating her adventure. She didn’t necessarily ever bother me, but just made choices that simply made no sense to me nor felt like they added much to her story. I think the part I actually enjoyed the most was her side-adventures with John, who I felt was the more enjoyable character (although in real life he would drive me absolutely mad). The abrupt ending after splintering off from her unexpected travel partner ended up being the weakest part of the book for me. I was actually taken aback when I got to the end of the last chapter and turned the page to find the author’s note. I’m all for an ambiguous ending that allows space for a reader’s interpretation to be added into the resolution (honestly, I got into a whole argument with a classmate in University over this with The Turn of the Screw). This didn’t feel like a successful ambiguous ending; I didn’t believe for a second the new wife wasn’t there. We know exactly what happened. The only ambiguity is about who is going to catch charges. Hester for murder? John for ecoterrorism? The greatest mystery is simply prison time. No explosive revelation of Hester’s father and their history, no cathartic release for Hester, just a break neck pace racing to the final lines of the novel. Maybe I simply didn’t engage with the text enough, missed a major motif somewhere, or this simply was not for me. I think I could still find an audience to suggest this to in my line of work, but it would be for a much more specific type of reader.

"I was always going to kill my father."

There will be no heartwarming father and child reunion when Hester finally sees her dad again.

"This was the plan: drive west, find Dad, kill Dad, then self."

Unless you believe that happiness is a warm gun.

"I occasionally looked him up to confirm he was still alive and therefore killable."

Yes, Hester is pretty darned single-minded when it comes to her quest for vengeance.

"I'd promised Mom to pursue happiness, but technically killing Dad would make me happy."

This is a strange road trip tale filled with strange bedfellows on strange missions. Despite the premise, and the above quotes, the novel is rather humorous, whimsical, almost, as Murphy's Law manages to keep tossing obstacles in the way of Hester's plans.

I mostly enjoyed the ride, though I was ready for the journey to end.

I enjoyed this! Hester is a complex character that is really well developed. This is fast paced and I enjoyed the dark humor in this. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Ariel Courage,Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A powerful story and a brand new, very dark take on the road trip novel. Almost like the evil twin of Annie Hartnett’s Road to Tender Hearts. I was hooked into this story, and Ariel Courage’s writing really spoke to my soul.

There’s a place for books like this, but it is most definitely not under the auspice of “bleakly funny revenge novel.”

The truest part of that is the last of it, though I don’t think there’s much satisfaction in what happens here. This is essentially a portrait of a woman struggling with the horrific news of a terminal diagnosis and how she chooses to spend her remaining time.

Part of my lack of enjoyment of this was that I simply cannot imagine spending my precious few remaining moments exacting revenge on a family member. That’s a preference issue, and if that premise appeals to you, you’ll likely enjoy this more than I did.

But mostly I take issue with seeing this billed as any sort of comedy, which it is most definitely not, even if you couch it in a qualifying “bleakly.”

It’s not that there aren’t moments of humor, but mostly this is a deeply sad story of a very unhappy woman who wasn’t exactly satisfied with her life even before she receives life altering news.

This didn’t need to be a comedy, but it also shouldn’t have been sold as such. It’s misleading and sets the reader up for disappointment whether they might have otherwise enjoyed the book or not had the publisher been more forthright about the tone of the book. It also doesn’t help that in the end, none of it feels especially satisfying or cathartic.

Courage is a capable writer and the story is perhaps one worth telling, but it’s one with a much narrower audience than the one the summary invites in.

Debut novel?! Whaaaaat? I’m always blown away when an author comes out of the gate with something this sharp, dark, and emotionally layered. Bad Nature by Ariel Courage hooked me with its premise,“Armed with a terminal diagnosis, a grudge, and a rental car…” and kept me reading because of its biting humor, raw vulnerability, and a main character who is deliciously unhinged in all the ways I love.

Hester is angry, bitter, funny, and heartbreakingly human. I’m drawn to characters like her—women who are messy and mean and not at all concerned with being likable. She’s on a mission to find (and kill?) her estranged father before she dies, and while I usually hesitate with road trip novels (they can drag), this one absolutely didn’t. The pacing was tight, the stops along the way were bizarre and vivid, and her roadtrip companion, John—a soft-spoken environmental activist—was such a great contrast to her rage. I didn’t expect to care so much about their dynamic, but it added a lot of heart to the chaos.

Beneath the humor and outrageous premise, this is a novel about legacy—the damage we inherit and the pain we carry until we either make peace with it or let it burn us alive. It’s about wanting to be seen, even at your worst, and how facing the truth (about yourself and your family) is sometimes more terrifying than death.

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage was a shockingly fun and deeply introspective story about grieving the life you never lived. With a deeply unlikeable main character on a journey of revenge, it surprised me in how endeering it could be. Courage did a phenomenal job crafting this story.

Let's get into it-

Characters- An unlikable MC is a difficult thing to balance. If they're written completely outside of the scope of reason, then they become intolerable. On the other hand, a half baked unlikable main can feel lazy and dishonest to the reader. Courage finds the sweet spot with Hester, making her entirely unpleasant as a person, and yet infinitely interesting as a character. It's almost impossible to grasp whether or not you're rooting for her throughout her journey, because she is so unpleasant from beginning to end ( and because her goal is so obviously wrong). And yet, its impossible to shake the sense of pity you feel for this character, and the sh*t hand she's been dealt. I felt that the many characters that Hester meets along her journey did a good job of balancing her strong personality, and bringing a different perspective into the story. This is especially true with John, a deeply complex character that serves as an interesting foil to many of Hester's flaws. Without the balance of these two, I don't think the story would have worked nearly as well. 5/5

Concept- The concept behind the story here is fairly simple- woman has terminal cancer, decides to take her father out in a murder/suicide as her final act of life. It speaks to the most basic, vengeful parts of us in a way that is both understandable and yet clearly unethical. This creates a lovely little conflict for the readers to grapple with from beginning to end, and really invites to reader to explore their own sense of morals. On top of that, the story clearly plays with the concept of hope, having Hester, who is entirely hopeless, interacting with John, who sits on the opposite side of the spectrum. I was really moved by the environmental elements at play, as it was a surprisingly well-done tie in to the main story. Environmental hopelessness is a theme that I am always captured by in fiction, but i wasn't expecting to find that in a murder-revenge-roadtrip story. It was a pleasant surprise! 4.5/5

Ending- As I raced towards the end of this book, I truly had no idea which way things would go- would Hester go through with murdering her father, or would she decide against it after her experiences along the way. I could see it going either way, and even up until the climax, I wasn't sure which direction the author would take. Being able to believe in the possibility of both of these endings made the conclusion so much more thrilling, and Courage kept me locked in place until the very end. And when it was time for me to close the book, I found that I was more then satisfied with the way things pulled together. 5/5

This book is difficult to categorize into a simple genre, theme, or message. Its left me thinking for weeks after finishing it, and even now I can't completely put my thoughts to words. It's the kind of story that begs for discussion and dissection, and its one that I know I will be recommending again and again to any readers looking for a unique and emotionally-complex adventure.

Hester embarks on an unusual road trip after learning she has terminal cancer. While this sounds sad (it is) Hester has quite the adventure from New York to California. She is typically a loner but meets a hitch hiker along the way who joins her in her travels and directs her to several pit stops. They are unlikely companions but it does make the story much more interesting.

While Hester's disease is always there in the background of the story it does not bog it down. There is a lot of reflection, new experiences and moving forward. The characters were well developed and the dialogue showed the humor in every day life. I enjoyed the book and it kept my interest. I would recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of humor and dark satire. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

An unhinged middle-aged woman going on a quest for revenge? Say less. Dark humor, sharp and biting commentary, and a protagonist who's fairly self-aware in all her faults and shortcomings. This novel has so much heart to it, regardless of the unhinged revenge plot. An excellent exploration of society's expectations and just how far we let our pasts drive our futures.

Dark, weird, sharply funny, and surprisingly emotional.

On the day Hester turns forty and is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she walks away from her high-powered New York life and sets out for California with one mission in mind: find her estranged father. Along the way, she picks up a hitchhiking environmentalist and the two end up traveling through superfund sites, luxury hotels, and cultish compounds. What starts as a revenge trip slowly becomes something messier involving grief, connection, and a lot of unexpected detours.

I wasn’t sure where this one was going (in the best way), but the writing hooked me, and the ride made it even better.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the ARC

I love this book! Bad Nature is a fantastic character-driven book with a recent cancer diagnosis and a revenge plot. With the writing, I was able to fly through this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the unreliable narrator genre, and I love a tale of vengeance. This scratched both those itches. I found the social and environmental commentary on the US to be particularly timely and apt, however I found the sexual aspects a little heteronormative and superfluous. I enjoyed Hester's introspective passages, a lot to unpack there. The ending missed the landing for me but the rest of the book was worth the read. All in all, I would recommend to anyone who enjoys dry humor and thrillers, this was a fun book to blast through. I would definitely read this author again.

Early reviews of Ariel Courage’s debut Bad Nature painted a portrait of a deeply flawed character, who, shortly after a terminal cancer diagnosis, embarks on a cross-country drive to kill her estranged father.

The picture I had in my head of this story was much funnier than the book turned out to be. There are laughs, to be sure, but the story of 40-year-old Hester’s road trip is gripping and dark. It swerves into a weird buddy-film comedy when she picks up a young hitchhiker and environmental activist named John. He too, is on a quest – to document environmental depredations created by big energy companies. The two connect in a way that Hester has never really been able to do before. They are an odd couple; a younger, disheveled environmental activist and an uber-wealthy, polished New York attorney who has defended some of the very businesses that are scarring the land.

Along the way Hester also confronts a few other people she attempted to connect with in her younger years, including an ex and her best friend. Hester’s wry observances made me wince upon occasion, but even when some of her behaviors were so troubling I had to put the book down, you can bet I picked it right back up.

Little details resound; when she first receives the diagnosis from her oncologist, she is understandably unmoored. When most would call a loved one for support, Hester has no deep connections and instead goes on an aimless drive through Manhattan (which is a small foreshadowing of her cross-country trip). Here, she’s stuck at a traffic light, unable to continue through the intersection, though the light has gone through several cycles:
“A car drove in front of me across the grid, a sedan with a family inside, mother and father and girl about seven. I had a brief disorienting moment of imagining the family reconfigured and jumbled like some impossible puzzle, the girl in the driver’s seat and the mother in the back and the father strapped to the roof like a Christmas tree.”

Although not really likeable, Hester is compelling in her honesty and her desperation. Perhaps the most cynical character I've read in a long time, her moments of vulnerability and optimism are lovely, and Courage manages to make this rather unlikeable person so compelling, it’s a feat. The description of the ravages on our earth are like the emotional wounds that Hester carries and metes out wherever she goes. Readers who enjoyed Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce will find themselves in good company with Hester.

Loved this, and absolutely loved Hester. Nasty, bitter women antiheroes are few and far between, particularly so brilliantly done. The tone and the prose are both spectacular and hilarious. The only element that fell flat for me is the very last paragraph, otherwise perfect.

When Hester is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she quits her corporate law job and sets off on a road trip to do what she’s always wanted to do… kill her father. Along the way; she picks up an environmental activist, John.

I loved this one because when I think of road trip books, I usually think of upbeat and happy stories. This one is definitely not that. The main character is a major grumpy. Yes, she’s been diagnosed with a terminal illness but it’s also her personality and I just loved it. She had major IDGAF attitude. Her friendship, if you could call it that (probably not) with John is perfect and I couldn’t get enough of their conversations. I loved the ending as well.

“I knew I was going to kill him the same way you know that sooner or later it’s going to rain. It was a natural fact.”

Bad Nature comes out 4/1.

Wow. This is definitely a dark and heavy read. Hester is simultaneously hateable and relatable. I found her journey with John my favorite part of the book, and wish they remained close at the end, and that Hester could have been more open with him even though it's not in her "nature". After receiving life altering news she decides she must kill her father. She wanted to do it when he left her family as a child, and now is the time. She starts a journey from NYC to CA and meets old and new "friends" along the way. I would definitely check trigger warnings and know this is not a happy ending for anyone. That being said, I loved Ariel's writing. Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC.

Wow! This was truly unhinged in the best way possible. Honestly, I feel for the fmc cause uh same bestie. 😂😂 can’t wait to see what this author has next for us!

Based on the synopsis, I expected Bad Nature to have a bit more substance in terms of plot. Instead, it felt more like a character study, one that prioritized the journey over the destination. While I can appreciate a slow-burn approach, the environmental themes ended up detracting from what was otherwise a revenge story, making it feel somewhat unfocused. The ending, in particular, fell flat for me—leaving me more perplexed than satisfied. Overall, it’s a book that just made me go “hmm” rather than leaving a lasting impression.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didnt love this. The premise was perfect: a woman hellbent on killing her father after a road trip. But she was wealthy so it turns out she just needs two types of therapy: psycho and chemo. Also, I couldn't help but imagine her hitchhiker as Timothée Chalamet's character from dont look up.

And God, yes, I could go into all the subtext. I got it. It still didn't inspire action and my shitty dad still isn't dead despite how much I might want him to be..