Whether stuck in a monorail on a Disney Vacation or improvising sex tips to avoid getting punched out, the heroes and heroines of these foxy stories find themselves in one unwieldy situation after another. Gawky, bemused, and (kind of) looking for love, these incipient adults stumble vulnerably through dates, deaths, and drugstores in search of some elusive wisdom.

Critics on The Best of Animals

Lauren Grodstein's acerbic first book of short stories, The Best of Animals , is about urbane, irony-happy 20-somethings who also happen to be wimps...[.] Only in her last two stories does Grodstein offer her characters much in the way of hope, and even then it's hard won.  That's the very quality - along with Grodstein's agile prose and clever observations - that makes her stand out.
- New York Times , September 2003

Lauren Grodstein's debut collection, The Best of Animals , shows remarkable promise.  Her writing has wit and irony, and she controls both, using them to great effect... Readers can look forward to hearing more from this young writer.
- The Charlotte Observer, December 8, 2002

Grodstein captures the uncertain nuances of the mating game in her impressive debut collection, consisting of 10 lively, smart stories that focus on 20-something men and women in urban settings who are trying to reconcile their ambivalent feelings for one another...[.]  Grodstein's quirky voice and sassy, ironic humor make these stories come alive, and she uses first-person narration to create unusual, believable characters.
- Publishers Weekly, May, 2002