If You Love It, Let It Kill You knocks you off your feet with its irreverent look at the life of the character of Hana P. through themes of art, desire, and modern life. Her ex-husband’s novel is coming out and the possibility of an unflattering image of her and her behavior in the past has Hana in a bit of a spiral. As she spirals, we discover what it means to go through a crisis in life as Hana, and how it affects those around her. The writing style took a little bit to get warmed up to, but once I did, I realized it was funny, weird, and empathetic in ways I didn't expect and really appreciated. It has both satirical and heartfelt bits as well as deeper looks as academia, family, and identity. The voice feels completely honest, but at the same time, we know that the perspective is biased, as all are. As Hana comes to terms with herself and the chaos that is surrounding her, I found I was asking questions about how life confronts you in its own way with the consequences of your choices. I love the mix of comedy and tragedy, and I will be looking to read more from Hannah Pittard in the future!

Thank you so much to the author, Hannah Pittard, Henry Holt & Company, and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read this arc. I will share my review to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

The voice is 100% what makes this book. I whipped through the first half before I realized it wasn't going anywhere, and even then I was happy enough to keep reading just to hang out with the narrator. There's very little of what could be called "growth" or "narrative thrust," but that's OK.

Ballsy of the author to lead with, "What follows is pure fantasy," and then conclude by saying that this is a work of nonfiction.

This is a fun ride through the mind of one human woman. I don't think it lives up to its killer title, but I enjoyed it.

I had a hard time getting into this novel as it borders on fantasy with the woman having conversations with a cat. Hana lives with boyfriend, Bruce and both are academics. His 11-year-old daughter spends time with them and Hana likes her but doesn't want children of her own. A random man begins texting her, calling her "Hot Stuff" and she's curious but isn't sure how to react. The novel vacillates between her creative writing class--where her students are curious but often confused about her suggestions--and her private life and spying on her neighbors. The conversations with the cat became tedious but of course they mirror the tediousness of her own life as she aches to find meaning in it.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Messy in the best way possible. Felt like I was reading a diary entry of a persons thoughts and feelings. Loved this book. Thanks NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co.

What a refreshing read! This novel zips along with great lines, fabulous scenes, and a wonderful look at how our author shows us her flawed self with great humor and her love for life with zany intensity. The author reminds the readers that this is auto fiction, and she tells us she doesn't particularly writing nonfiction, but one get the feeling much of what she reveals in this book borders on some form of truth, and we are much better off because of that glimpse into her real life, as she camoflagues those that are a part of her life with a cloak of curiosity and intimacy. If you are looking for a novel where we have engaging conversations with a cat, unbelievable maddening experiences with a creative writing class, and intriguing batter between a woman and her partner, this is an uplifting novel that is exciting to pick up and see what happens next.

This was such a unique and fun read. The characters are a riot---definitely quirky, but in the best way. I read Pittard's last book, We Are Too Many, which is a memoir. This one is classified as fiction, but she makes several references to it being "autofiction," which is super interesting. I liked that she was playing with reality vs fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the advanced reader copy

I generally like Hannah Pittard; her work is funny and engaging. But I couldn't get into this one. It felt as though it was trying a little too hard to be irreverent and overshot the mark to being somewhat grating. Maybe next book.

Hana P., with her carefully constructed life and seemingly unshakeable contentment, is thrown into chaos when her ex-husband’s upcoming novel promises to expose an unflattering version of her past. What follows is not your typical midlife crisis but a wonderfully bizarre journey filled with moments of surreal humor—a talking cat, a mysterious shadowy figure—and biting social commentary.

The novel’s strength lies in its ability to weave the absurd with the relatable. Hana’s encounters with her students, skeptical navigation of familial dynamics, and unraveling self-perception are rendered with sharp satire and genuine vulnerability. The game of Dead Body, a metaphor for Hana’s growing sense of irrelevance, and the Greek chorus of students critiquing her life choices add a layer of meta-commentary on personal narrative and public perception.

This novel is about the stories we tell ourselves and those we fear others might know about us. It’s a delightful, thought-provoking read for anyone who has ever questioned their choices—or loves a well-crafted, idiosyncratic character study—a must-read for fans of literary fiction with a satirical edge.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved If You Love It, Let It Kill You—it was quirky, unpredictable, and an all-around wild ride. The way Hannah Pittard crafted the story to feel like we were diving into the personal diary of the protagonist, Hana, was brilliant. I found myself laughing out loud one moment and cringing in the best possible way the next. There wasn't a single point where I had any idea where the story was headed, and that's what made it so exciting. I’ve seen comparisons to Miranda July, and I totally agree! This was my first book by Pittard, and I’m already eager to explore more of her work.

This was a very funny and entertaining read! The characters were really well-developed and Hana's close-knit family was definitely part of the charm. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

fun and messy but in a good way. of course, though, eventually it felt like that same style went on a little long. still, though, wackily fun. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This book was great! It reminds me very much of a person just writing their thoughts down all day in a diary and then turning it into a book. Lots of thoughts and many emotions. You are reading about family relationships, suicide, and everyday situations. This book was very relatable and made me reflect on a lot of the choices or things I have done or gone through in life. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to look back and reflect on their own life.

I enjoyed this novel. It was pretty funny and I could relate a lot. Like how the author made the humor very realistic and relatable

Funny Quirky smart love the inner dialogue of the leading character a woman who is very relatable. Abook that I enjoyed from first to last page.#netgalley #henryholt,

I was drawn to this book by the title, and it delivered. It's witty and messy, but the messy makes sense due to the inner dialogue the main character has. It's nice to see how emotional she made her characters and how you can connect with them. Hannah Pittard addresses a lot in this book, but she does so in almost a lighthearted, entraining way. I did struggle to finish this book though; the writing is great, but it kind of got old quickly. Thank you to the publisher and Netgelly for this ARC!

This was a really good book! It honestly goes over a lot of women’s biggest fear, just kind of snapping out of it and realizing you are not satisfied with the life and relationships you’re in just all of a sudden. I’m this case the boyfriend kinda sucked but still it was a great book with a lot goin* on!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This book feels like my internal dialogue - messy, all over the place, etc. I felt like the story was a bit hard to follow at times, but had its funny moments for sure.

If you’re a fan of Ottessa Moshfegh or Jen Beagin, I think you’ll enjoy this one

What a wacky, cooky, zany story- every synonym for a silly goose- that is this book. I could not put it down! I feel like this is a perfect book club read because of the plethora of imperfect characters that will spark indecisive conversations surrounding them. This novel also gave me strong Mona Awad and Rufi Thrope vibes; chaotic and heartbreaking in mundane and human ways. I LOVED!

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This book was like a diary full of all the thoughts that may pop in to someone’s head throughout the day, nothing was too deep or dark. Many topics were touched on including (but definitely not limited to) suicide, fidelity, familial relationships, aging and professional situations. As you continue reading, it becomes clear that this could be a work of autofiction. I loved toying with the idea that the book could have be rooted in real life experiences and then was twisted in to this story, but not being completely sure. Although I haven’t had all the same life experiences as the main character, I found this book deeply relatable and often times had to stop reading to reflect on my own life. I struggled a bit at the beginning of the book to get in to the flow of the writing, but after I caught on, I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next.

Rating 4.5 stars, rounding down to 4 for Goodreads. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that lives (maybe too much) in their own head and is looking for something a little strange that will make you reflect on your life.

I didn't want to put it down, it was like watching a a constantly rotating stage of actors in book form. It's chaotic and mundane at the same time. It's what living life really feels like inside your head. Who would I recommend this book to? Probably people who have ever found themselves lost in a parking garage and who talk out loud to themselves in public and get embarrassed. If you love animals, but you love a very select few humans, and you write letters that you tear up and never send to anyone. If you've ever found yourself married to a stranger, or waking up in a bed that feels like it should be yours but isn't.

Hana/Hannah is the MC in this book but it is also probably a fictional memoir of sorts, or autofiction. It's a very blunt view of the world, relationships, family dynamics, fidelity, parenthood (or lack of), and professional realities. It felt like I was Hana listening to my own stream of consciousness in my own head while reading this. If you have an internal monologue, that will make sense. If not, I am sorry but I cannot elaborate.

Without looking up the author, I imagined Jennifer Lawrence as the physical being representing Hana in this book. If you also need to envision a person as a placeholder when reading, there is a free one for you. Lucille Bluth for Hana's mom is another.

I guess this was a really good reminder for me that we are all human, and our stupid, mundane human problems are very real, and not stupid, and very much fascinating to us and our small sphere of influence. I gave it a 5 because it made me want to ponder and reflect on my own life some, which is always a welcome activity.