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A Little Bit Bad by Cassandra Neyenesch review
With its echoes of Miranda July’s All Fours, this tragicomic tale of an American woman’s illicit romance is also a gripping murder mystery
TL;DR
- A Little Bit Bad is the debut novel by Cassandra Neyenesch.
- The story follows Perdita, a 39-year-old mother, who begins an affair with 25-year-old roofer Nando in 2009.
- A parallel plot strand, set in 2010, follows Perdita as she tries to solve Nando's murder.
- The novel explores themes of societal injustice, including the military-industrial complex, the "good Obamaverse," and the carceral system.
- It questions the structural violence of a culture that privileges the normative nuclear family.
- The book is noted for its dark humor, surreal elements (like a talking owl), and sharp insight, drawing comparisons to Halle Butler's heroines.
- The plot structure intersperses the affair storyline with the murder mystery, making it compelling.
- The novel is described as tragicomic, with a touch of satire that balances the dark themes.
- The central couple, Perdita and Nando, are depicted as "sparkling and adorable."