[We were lucky enough to receive an advance reader copy of Animal Instinct and thank Amy Shearn for sending it across the ocean to us. This book will be taking a place of honor on our Divorcée Bookshelf and we hope to interview Amy soon.]
Animal Instinct by Amy Shearn–released this month!–is a funny book about starting over in midlife and what that means when you’re doing it during the pandemic. This novel deals with the issues of a newly divorced mother, who is getting back into dating and down for anything. It brought back lots of pandemic memories about how we got through that time (including masks, outdoor hangs and balancing remote work with remote schooling), along with an exploration into what risks we were willing to take in order to survive it. Covid or not, life continued for those who were seeking companionship and sex. Meeting people under strict conditions, swiping on apps, and taking precautions to not contaminate anyone made dating that much more difficult, and yet Amy does an amazing job of balancing that stress with levity and humor. Not to mention those nervous and exciting feelings that go along with getting back into the singles scene when you’re over 40.
After dating lots of different people, both men and women, the main character, Rachel, decides to create an AI chatbot that will be able to meet all of her needs, since she is unable to find a human that can do that. She programs her chatbot based on what she’s been experiencing on her journeys through dating, keeping the good and getting rid of the bad. Her descriptions of working for a tech company were uncomfortably accurate (as someone who worked for a tech company during the pandemic can attest) but the idea that we can outsource our flirting doesn’t feel all that far-fetched these days. Rachel looks forward to texting with a computer program who only feels emotionally available because it’s been built that way.
One of the reasons I loved Animal Instinct was because of the strong female friendships and how important these relationships were to the story. Rachel and her best friend Lulu are navigating post-divorce dating together, providing support and laughter among the horror stories and misadventures. The dialogue makes it feel like we’re eavesdropping on these two women who are dishing the tea and it made me wish I had more girlfriends like Lulu.
And can we talk about the sex scenes? Amy does an amazing job of describing lots of sex, both with men and women, and the thrill of an initial hookup. And because the novel is set in Brooklyn, we also get to meet lots of interesting NY characters and get a peek into their apartments. Sex scenes in a novel hit differently when a woman is writing them.
I also appreciated the way that the Amy handled the divorce proceedings in Animal Instinct, from what it’s like to be the one to initiate to managing co-parenting. She describes the journey that Rachel and her ex-husband go on, from a relationship filled with resentment to one in which they’re able to move forward in a somewhat friendly way. Rachel files for divorce, not because she’s cheating or in an abusive relationship, but because she wants to be happy and believes she deserves more. This can be hard for outsiders to accept – that a woman can decide, that she doesn’t have to accept the way things are, and she can want to change things for the better. Even when her husband begs her to take him back, Rachel stands her ground, believing that she’s worth more.
Amy Shearn has created a wonderful story and one that I didn’t want to end. No matter where you’re at in your divorce, this novel is an excellent way of stepping into the shoes of another divorcée and reminding yourself of all the adventures you have in store for you (and how important your girlfriends are)!
