Feral Creatures of Suburbia - D. Liebhart - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: D. Liebhart

GENRE: Contemporary Drama

PUBLICATION DATE: July 27, 2024

RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A contemporary indie drama focussed on tricky mother-child relationships. As the title indicates, quite a few ‘feral creatures’ in this plot. Complex characters, interesting plotline with real-world issues, excellent ending. Much recommended!

Plot Preview:

Albuquerque, USA.

Underconfident Julie doesn’t know how to deal with her teenage son Logan anymore. Once an adorable child, he has morphed into a potential hazard for himself and the community.

Intellectual Varvara faces enough struggles in her job as a medical researcher, but her toughest task is knowing how to handle her “over-dramatic” daughter Myra.

Blunt-to-the-point-of-rudeness Crystal has had a long successful career as an emergency nurse. But when she receives a terminal diagnosis just around her son’s wedding, she knows she must do all she can to hide her illness from her son for as long as possible.

Three mothers. Three children. One crisis that brings all of them together.

The story comes to us in the third-persona perspectives of the three mothers and of Myra.

Bookish Yays:

😍 Three mothers with three teen/adult children, but three distinct mother-child storylines. One focuses on protecting others from their child, another is about protecting their child from hurt, and the third wonders whether their child needs protection or not. Tough love, blind love, overprotective love – each has its own complications. The individualistic nature of the three character perspectives keeps the novel interesting.

😍 The main characters: Most characters in this book are as endearing and loveable as the protagonists in a contemporary domestic thriller. 🥴 But when this is combined with a layered portrayal and an difficult dramatic situation, the proceedings become interesting. I loved the complex personae of the three mothers, who, though aggravating, have their strengths as well.

😍 Though there are four perspectives, their presentation is always in the same rotational order – no random shuffling. I love how the events interlink slowly over the course of the novel. It is initially tough to figure out why Myra was the only child to have her own narrative, but all becomes clear later. I did prefer the moms’ perspectives much more than Myra’s.

😍 Loved the plotline and the writing approach. The titular use of ‘feral creatures’ is justified through the plot, though it is tough to decide who is feral and who isn’t. I enjoy these kinds of novels where I can put myself in a character's position and wonder what I'd have done under similar circumstances.

😍 The ending is excellent. I love that there's no redeeming arcs or unrealistic behavioural turnarounds for those who are supercilious in their attitude towards others. Character personalities are maintained till the end. We see the added layers under their exterior façade as the story proceeds, but their core remains the same throughout. This is my favourite part of the writing – the believability of the people and their actions.

😍 The medical content in the book, whether through Crystal’s job or her illness or her SM channel, is excellent and enlightening. I later discovered that the author is a nurse. No wonder the information feels so real!

😍 The focus on the struggles of parenting today’s teens (Long sigh!) whose access to information is instantaneous and whose online lives are mostly unknown to parents. It also helps that each of the three women is in a different parenting situation, thereby giving us an insight into various parenting modes.

😍 The cover: stunning. Always love it when indie authors invest in the cover as well!

Bookish Mixed Bags:

😐 It is a little tricky to keep track of the numerous characters and their interconnections. The digital copy with its ‘Search’ facility helps. Of course, after a point, the relation across the people and their perspectives becomes clearer and easier.

😐 There’s inclusive rep across the major and minor characters in terms of race, gender and sexual preference. The racial reps aren’t forced in and don’t go over the top. However, Myra’s sexual preference seems to have been mentioned just for inclusivity points; it is never used in the story. Another character is trans; his arc is used much better.

Bookish Nays: (Might not be a nay to many.)

🙄 Myra was too much of a teen to be relatable, and also kinda annoying. I’m not fond of YA novels, and her track was YA to the core. The word ‘asshat’ comes too many times in her vocab. I didn’t get why that word had to be used when she was already throwing F-bombs regularly.

All in all, the yays far overpower the rest. The book has strong Jodi Picoult vibes, with its complicated characters, multiple perspectives, intense drama, and ethical dilemmas.

This indie novel never once felt indie. The cover, the writing, the plot development, the layered character detailing, the realistic drama – almost everything felt spot on. I enjoyed most of the book but the final few chapters truly elevated my experience. This is the author’s second novel, but the first time I’ve read her. Based on this experience, I’d love to keep an eye out for her future works.

Definitely recommended to those who enjoy contemporary drama with several relevant social themes. This isn’t for those who want a happy mommy-child story or who prefer likeable characters. Do check the triggers though – there are quite a few.

4.5 stars, happy to round up wherever applicable. (Go, indie authors!)

My thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing the DRC of “Feral Creatures of Suburbia” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Content warnings below: (THESE CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS.)

Homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism, racism, misogyny, mental health issues, self-harm, suicidal tendencies, bullying, terminal diagnosis, school shooting, cancer, death.