By Carolina Moriello
Content warning: sex, drugs, addiction, suicide, death, depression
“Dark and violent but with a touch of vulnerability that shines with hope.”
Set in Montréal, Like Animals by Eve Lemieux tells the sad and complicated story of Philomena “Philly” Flynn. Philly self-destructs after having her heart broken and tries to fill the void and escape the pain with drugs, alcohol, and lots of sex. However, the more Philly tries to escape the pain, the worse it gets. In addition to this, her father becomes very ill and her relationship with her mother is as distant and rocky as ever. It feels as though Philly’s life is spiralling out of control, and the only way to stop it is to escape it all together.
It is difficult not to get frustrated with Philly and her destructive tendencies. The story almost reads like a vicious cycle of happiness, pain, numbness, and rock bottom, over and over again. As frustrating as it is, this story is a good reminder that sometimes people cannot be saved until they are ready to save themselves. Such is the case with Philly. She is a masochist at heart, who finds comfort living in the past. Any time things appear to go well in her life, she believes she is undeserving, and finds a way to ruin it and enter her cycle of pain once again. The ending of the story does send a clear message to the reader though, that no matter how hard things get, there is always hope for a better future if you believe in yourself and your self-worth.
If you are looking for an easy read, this is not the book for you. Eve Lemieux wrote a story that is heartbreaking it reads like poetry at times. There were moments when the book became so dark and heavy that breaks had to be taken. When Philly hits absolute rock bottom, the pain is felt so deeply within the pages that it is hard not to become emotional or empathetic to her pain. If you read this book, proceed with caution and be aware of the trigger warnings.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!