Winter Animals: ‘Remarkable – think THE SECRET HISTORY written by Raven Leilani’ Jenny Mustard

In the novel "Winter Animals," Elen, a thirty-eight-year-old woman, meets four English teenagers who are wealthy squatters. They invite her into their fold, and she senses a violent secret that fuels their never-ending disappearing act. The book is a dark meditation on the dangers and seductive power of youthful idealism, friendship, desire, and excess.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 01 February 2024
Publisher: Dialogue

Excellent...
Ashani Lewis is a superbly talented writer. Katherine Rundell praised her work, stating that it was thoughtful, intelligent, and beautifully written. Rundell also noted that Lewis is definitely a new talent to watch.

Marie Claire, one of the leading publications in the book industry, included Lewis's debut novel in its list of the Best Books of 2024. The review highlighted the book's decadent and addictive nature, describing it as a must-read for fans of The Secret History and The Guest.

In one of America's Happiest Cities, thirty-eight-year-old Elen finds herself trapped under the shadow of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. Her husband has left her, and her belongings are in the boot of her car. Her days are filled mostly with silence and drinking. When she meets four English teenagers in an empty bar, she is enamoured.

Luka, Clover, George, and Lyn are wealthy squatters, drifting between ski resorts and breaking into empty AirBnBs. When they bring Elen into their fold and into their messy, entangled relationships, she senses a violent secret that fuels the four's never-ending disappearing act.

Dazzling, cultish, and intensely committed to creating their own utopia, they force Elen to ruminate on the irresistible pull of bright young things. She doesn't understand what they want from her, but how can she leave when she has nowhere else to go?

Winter Animals is an extraordinary debut examining freedom, friendship, desire, and excess. It is a dark meditation on the dangers and seductive power of youthful idealism, and the slippages between friendship and love.

A dreamlike, piercing examination of privilege, youth, and freedom. Cecile Pin, the author of Wandering Souls, praised the book, stating that it was atmospheric as hell, beautiful, and delightfully intelligent. Jenny Mustard, the author of Okay Days, also praised the book, describing it as a dreamlike, piercing examination of privilege, youth, and freedom.

Weight: 368g
Dimension: 145 x 224 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780349703299