Shortlisted for the The Center for Fiction 2026 First Novel Prize
2026 Best Book of the Year by VOGUE
2026 Most Anticipated Book by TIME
A 2026 Indies Introduce selection & Indies Next selection
STARRED reviews by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Shelf Awareness
As seen in The New Yorker, New York Magazine, PEOPLE, & Forbes
An epic and transformative novel following a young woman as she navigates three distinct romantic relationships, reckons with the false promise of family intimacy, and seeks connection with the sublime and natural worlds.
“Emeline Atwood’s Lucy is a marvelous, maddening, monstrous creation, and A Real Animal is an irresistible whirlpool of a novel.”
—Joy Williams, author of The Quick and The Dead
“Lucy is an unforgettable narrator; compelling, terrifying, lovable, surprising, human. She, and this book, are extraordinary.”
—Elizabeth McCracken, author of The Souvenir Museum
What Critics Are Saying
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"A beautiful and unflinching look into pain, healing, human nature, and what it means to be a person . . . A magnificent debut."
— Devyn Andrews, Chicago Review of Books
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“A powerhouse. Atwood’s book is simply one of the best books I’ve read since I started covering books."
— Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
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“A coming-of-age tale of Homeric Odysseian proportions, A Real Animal is a typhonic stunner of a debut. Not one to miss.”
— Southern Bookseller Review
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“Lucy’s human life is painted in exquisite detail, relatable for all, which grounds the magical realism without missing a beat, making for a cathartic and innovative construction.”
— Booklist
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"A Real Animal is as raw and visceral as an open-mouthed scream: you hear it in your bones. You can see its teeth."
— Julia Hass, Literary Hub
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“Brave and fantastic . . . This unforgettable first work is visceral, fearless, relentless and confrontational... A Real Animal is gorgeous, frightening and highly recommended."
— Sarah Rachel Egelman, Book Reporter