What do readers think of Bad Animals by Sarah Braunstein? Write your own review.

I really wanted to love this novel. There was much to enjoy. My favorite part was the obvious love letter to libraries, authors, and librarians. The author did a wonderful job describing the awe, joy and importance of libraries in our society. She also portrayed a nuanced and realistic Maine setting.
As a person who frequently visits Maine, her capture of the essence of the area was spot on.( I do realize she teaches in Maine, but still)

The part that fell flat for me was the plot. It seemed contrived, forced and lost my attention. I think the point she was trying to make with " bad animals" was too predictable. Perhaps if she wrote more on a complete descent into madness, or more detail with supporting characters , the novel could have been great. Also, in my opinion, the title is poor…seems like it is trying to be hip.

The bottom line is that I liked the novel but I was ultimately disappointed .

Maeve Cosgrove is a middle-aged woman who is married and the mother of an adult daughter. She has been employed in her city's library for some years and has created some interesting programs in her designated area. Her life, as she knows it, collapses when she is laid off from her job and she feels rescued when a well-known author arrives at his seacoast home and takes an interest in her. I am the kind of reader who can be hooked and reeled in either by a good plot or interesting characters that I can care about, but "Bad Animals" contained neither. Maeve is in a world of her own, in thrall to a famous writer while in denial about her lay off as a librarian. I kept waiting for a deepening of her character so I could root for her, but, unfortunately, I never really warmed to her. Indeed, I felt that none of the characters were fully formed and were forgettable. Even the plot seemed non-existent, and I felt the story line seemed to limp along. Altogether a forgettable book for me.

I didn't care for this book. I thought the characters weren't relatable at all and very unlikeable. The disgraced Maeve started out strong, but she deteriorated fast. Also I thought the ending was unbelievable.