Thank you Brilliance Audio and Henry Holt for my free ARC of If You Love It, Let It Kill You by Hannah Pittard — available now!

» READ IF YOU «
✨ love a wacky, unhinged plot line
🤪 have ever gone a little insane for a few weeks
🐈‍⬛ wish your cat could talk!

» REVIEW «
Hana starts, very suddenly, to spiral after learning about her ex’s novel, and she starts to take her loved ones down with her. A little. This was a fun, chaotic ride that I mostly enjoyed. It is a pretty introspective read, with not a lot of “stuff” that happens, so be forewarned if you’re a plots-not-thoughts kind of reader.

I loved the mix of emotional and humorous elements in this definitely fictional(?) novel. Hana as a character felt pretty real to me, and her journey was nothing if not entertaining. Now, who wants to play Dead Body with me?

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

love a story where the main character is a middle age woman questioning everything in her life. Because yes, it happens.

thank you netgalley for the copy

This is a smart and snarky coming of middle-age novel about a writer/professor facing the reality of real life vs. how we see ourselves. It's entertaining, thought-provoking, and sneakily heart-warming. But don't tell the protagonist I said that.

It's maybe autofiction but also not autofiction, I was very intrigued by the idea of who gets to tell the story in a breakup. I think this one didn't fully live up to it's potential though, maybe because things that happened were still recent? I think Pittard's tone was mostly funny and still entertaining. I enjoyed this one on audio.

Okay, I’ll be honest: I’m still not entirely sure what this book was—but I also kind of loved it for that exact reason.

If You Love It, Let It Kill You is like catching up with an old friend who’s unraveling, mid-catastrophe, but making it weirdly poetic. It’s meandering and offbeat, sometimes frustratingly so, but there’s something magnetic about the way Pittard captures the emotional texture of adult limbo. Especially if you’re a childless, thirty-something woman watching your life both plateau and combust in real time. This book gets that vibe perfectly.

There’s no big arc or twist—just a woman talking to a cat she may or may not have stolen, while quietly dissecting her identity, her regrets, and the low hum of existential dread that comes with getting older. Sounds strange? It is. But it’s also oddly comforting. Like a literary spiral that makes you feel a little less alone in your own.

It’s not for everyone. If you need a strong plot or tidy resolutions, you’ll probably be yelling “what is going on?!” halfway through. But if you’re in the mood for something raw, elliptical, and emotionally true, this book delivers. It reminded me a bit of All Fours—not in style, but in spirit. That same honest, slippery exploration of womanhood, time, and the quiet crisis of becoming yourself.

Weird? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

This is an odd book, but in a way I really, really like. When I started it, I didn't realize it was based on the author's life (and I've never read anything by Hannah Pittard previously) and once I learned that, I started enjoying it even more. I do highly recommend listening to this one as the narrator is great and makes you feel like she really could be the author.

So, why is this book weird? Well, for much of it, the narrator is having conversations with a cat. A cat that she, in a sense, cat-napped. It also doesn't have a lot of plot and jumps around a lot. This worked for me, but if you need a book with a strong plot and can't suspend your disbelief a bit, you might have trouble with this one.

I've seen comparisons to All Fours and while this book is very different, it does have some of the same themes of a woman inching closer to midlife and having a bit of a crisis. These types of books seem very popular right now. It also deals with blended families and aging parents and I think Pittard tackles these issues in very relatable ways.

I'll definitely be going back to read some of Hannah Pittard's previous works!

If You Love It, Let It Kill You by Hannah Pittard
Okay… let’s talk about this one. I love a quirky, unconventional read, so I went into this book ready for a wild time. And at first, I was intrigued. The writing? Punchy. Sporadic. A little chaotic, in a way that almost works. But then…

I hit a wall.

After a few chapters, I realized I wasn’t connecting at all. So I did what any confused reader does: I hit the Google machine. Turns out this book is being described as Creative Non-Fiction or Autofiction, both of which were new concepts for me. And honestly? Whatever this genre is, I don’t think it’s my vibe--or at least I don't know if I am interested in hearing this author's story.

This story felt like I was trapped at a dinner party I didn’t want to attend, listening to someone overshare family drama that felt more exhausting than enlightening. Neurotic characters, messy relationships, and a narrative that leaned heavily into self-indulgence without offering anything new to say.

And then...the cat thing. No. Absolutely not. I draw the line at pet theft. Stealing someone's cat? That’s where the quirky train derails. 🚫🐱

Themes:
Family Dysfunction
Messy Neurotic Narration
Identity Crisis & Midlife Meltdown
Possibly Pet-Napping?? 😬

Audiobook: I also had the opportunity to request the audiobook. After not loving the read, I thought maybe the audiobook would help me finish it. Update...it did. While it didn't change my opinion of the story, I thought the audiobook was expertly delivered. Brilliance Audio and Allison Ryan did a great job of providing an engaging performance-- I would definitely look for more books narrated by Ryan.

Would I recommend this book?
If you love autofiction or want to explore creative non-fiction with a literary flair, you might enjoy this. But if you're looking for compelling characters, emotional payoff, or at least one redeemable storyline, you may want to let this one pass you by. Take this review with a grain of salt; it's always possible that I'm not the intended audience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co., and Brilliance Audio. I appreciate the opportunity to read and provide my honest review.

I just finished this book and I couldn’t tell you what it is about. I was very much so confused for a large portion of this story. However there were some themes of what a “traditional woman” looks like vs how the FMC lives her life. That part felt very relatable. There are these expectations put on women about who we should be or how we should move through the world so it’s nice to read a book addressing that as unrealistic. Outside of that, I didn’t really connect with or understand much of the story.

I didn’t realize this was autofiction. It was my first.
I didn’t love it. Wish I could say this was worth the time spent, but it just wasn’t.
If I would have realized what I was reading, maybe that would have changed things. I came unprepared.
Someone who likes this genre CNF will probably love this. I just couldn’t get into it. 2.5 ⭐️

*Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance audio for early copy for review*

Listened to the audiobook and I would not recommend this way. The narrator was very monotone and added nothing to the story. I had to rewind the audiobook multiple times because my mind kept losing interest in the book.

The story was okay, but was not what I was expecting from the summary. Very middle of the road book.

I wasn't sure what to make of this one. It is categorized as fiction, but I don't think that is entirely accurate. I think it was more like speculative non-fiction or something like that.

I thought that the narrator did a great job, and the pacing made it very easy to listen to without getting distracted or having to repeat any sections.

The book was about the author's life, but was fictionalized... I think?

There were some parts that I liked and some parts that I just kind of found to be confusing. I didn't love the main character which was hard to wrap my head around when it was the author herself.

I would encourage others to still give it a try; I just think that I didn't fully understand it and it wasn't for me.

I tried mightily to get into this book, but it just never grabbed me. I listened on audio, and really enjoyed the narration, I just felt the story never popped.

I really loved this one, which feels weird to say because it confused the shit out of me. It’s the first time I’ve really heard of auto-fiction as a genre, and I think I’m about to go down one hell of a rabbit hole here.

The stories were like a train wreck where the train is full of popcorn kernels and the drama acts as sweet, delicious butter to pour out as the train crashes in a hot buttery mess, leaving fresh popcorn to feed the masses as we delight in the absurdity (and yet realism) of it all.

I picked up If You Love It, Let It Kill You because of the absurd cover and the promise of a talking cat. The voice is sharp and snarky, which I usually love, but the plot felt too loose to hold it all together. The characters are petulant, and the whole thing leans a bit too navel-gazey for me. I wanted to be charmed, but mostly I felt stuck in someone else’s spiral.

Thank you Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for this ALC!

As someone from Lexington, KY - this was an absolute treat! Not only did I love the story, but it feeling so close to home was an excellent bonus. Loved pretty much everything about this.

This was an intriguing, disturbing and, at times, intentionally confusing book. But I couldn't stop listening to it. The MC is not very likeable- though she doesn't need to be. The cat chapters went from whimsical to straight up bizarre. F0r a good portion of the book, my rating fluctuated between 3 and 3.5 stars. But the ending was really solid, so I'll bump it up to 4. Overall, the author's writing stands out to me as being unique and memorable.

I think other writers would really have a good time with this one.

As a childless millennial, If You Love It, Let It Kill You felt like a breath of fresh air—and a gut punch all at once. This book captured so many quiet, haunting truths about what it means to be stuck in that in-between stage of adulthood. It’s not flashy, not gimmicky, and it doesn’t try to turn existential dread into a punchline. It just is—raw, honest, and deeply relatable.

One of the strongest threads for me was how it handles the slow unraveling of identity. That creeping sense of dread when you realize you’re not where you thought you’d be by now. That familiar panic when you wake up one day and start questioning every decision you’ve ever made—your job, your relationships, your purpose. The book doesn’t shy away from the quiet chaos of a midlife crisis. It leans into it, and it made me feel seen in a way I didn’t expect.

What also stood out was the moment of reckoning with your parents—not in a dramatic, cinematic way, but in that slow, devastating realization that they’re just people. Flawed, selfish, scared. When the illusion of who they were collapses, and you’re left facing them as they truly are. That theme wasn’t the central plot, but it lingered for me.

This book doesn’t offer answers. It just holds a mirror up to all the questions so many of us are too tired to keep asking. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

If You Love It, Let It Kill You was my special kind of perfection! I love getting pulled into a character's chaotic life especially when they're doing nothing to make it better. This is the kind of story that's messy, raw, and wildly irreverent in the best way. It's sharply honest and absolutely delivers.

Allyson Ryan was perfect for this FMC, she added so much personality to this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

Without knowing who the author is outside of this book, I had no idea what to expect. That being, the writing was smart, but the protagonist just didn’t do it for me. I found her slightly insufferable. I’m sorry!! I value and respect the writer and all of her work, but I just didn’t vibe with this character’s perspective… on life.

The narrator was great, though!

(Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

This was being inside the head of the author/narrator. I am still not sure how I feel about it. I understand questioning your life but some of it was not for me. The side characters were interesting. This is just kind of a strange book. I would try it out and it might be for you.