The Last Animal

by Abby Geni

The Last Animal by Abby Geni is that rare literary find — a remarkable series of stories unified around one theme: people who use the interface between the human and the natural world to contend with their modern challenges in love, loss, and family life. These are vibrant, weighty stories that herald the arrival of a young writer of surprising feeling and depth.

“Terror Birds” tracks the dissolution of a marriage set against an ostrich farm in the sweltering Arizona desert; “Dharma at the Gate” features the tempest of young love as a teenaged girl must choose between man’s best friend, her damaged boyfriend, and a beckoning future; “Captivity” follows an octopus handler at an aquarium still haunted by the disappearance of her brother years ago; “The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr” details a Greek chorus of Jewish girls at a summer camp whose favorite counselor goes missing under suspicious circumstances; “In the Spirit Room” centers on a scientist suffering the heartbreaking loss of a parent from Alzheimer’s while living in the natural history museum where they both worked; in “Fire Blight” a father grieving over his wife’s recent miscarriage finds an outlet for comfort in their backyard garden and makes a surprising discovery on how to cherish living things; and in the title story, a retired woman traces the steps of the husband who left her thirty years ago, burning the letters he had sent along the way, while the luminous and exotic wildlife of the Pacific Ocean opens up to receive her.

Unflinching, exciting, ambitious and yet heartfelt, The Last Animal will guide readers through a menagerie of settings and landscapes as it underscores the connection among all living things.

Content:
Terror birds
Dharma at the gate
Captivity
Silence
The girls of Apache Bryn Mawr
Isaiah on Sunday
In the spirit room
Landscaping
Fire blight
The last animal.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Short Story Collection, Contemporary, The United States Of America

278 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Abby Geni is the author of The Lightkeepers, winner of the 2016 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award for Fiction and the inaugural Chicago Review of Books Awards for Best Fiction, and The Last Animal (2013), an Indies Introduce Debut Writers Selection and a finalist for the Orion Book Award. Her short stories have won first place in the Glimmer Train Fiction Open and the Chautauqua Contest and have appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Geni is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a recipient of the Iowa Fellowship. Her website is www.abbygeni.com.

Reviews

[shakespeareandspice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review originally posted on A Skeptical Reader.

The Last Animal is a collection of ten short stories that deal with human nature and in some ways our relationship to the animals around us. I barely managed to read the first four short stories (125 pgs out of 278) before deciding to give up on the rest.

I really enjoyed Geni’s novel, The Lightkeepers, but The Last Animal is everything I dislike about literary short fiction. It is flat, predictable, the tone is mostly monotonous, and the stories deal with the most tedious of everyday conflicts. Geni’s writing is still good and I will gladly pursue her future novels but these stories were a chore to get through.

For those who enjoy literary fiction, I have no doubt they will enjoy this collection. But as someone who struggles with short stories and reading books that deal with nothing but the everyday grainy noise of life, this is a nightmare to get through. I know I seem harsh but it is what it is.

Thoughts on the first 4 stories I managed to finished:
◗ Terror Birds - 3✨ | A nine-year-old Jack runs away from home while his mother tries to search for reasons why. A predictable story for the most part but the way Jack dealt with the situation was less predictable.

◗ Dharma at the Gate - 2✨ | Lucy is in a mentally abusive relationship struggling to fight for her future. I thought the connection between Lucy and Dharma needed just a little something more. I also thought the dharma bit was highly predictable (and basic), but then again I’m Indian.

◗ Captivity - 3✨ | A woman moves in with her mother after a series of unfortunate events and recounts the events of her brother’s disappearance. I liked this story more than the first two primarily because I’ve recently developed a fascination with Octopi intelligence. Again, the connection between the animals that don’t communicate and we who do just feels so obvious.

◗ Silence - 1✨ | A man with a tumor is fascinated with the concept of flight. Least likable and least relatable story that ultimately made me give up on this collection. The story is dry and thoroughly unimaginative.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many of the stories in this collection are absolute stunners that it’s easier to forgive the few stories that don’t quite make the grade. Reminiscent of Ms. Bergman’s Birds of a Lesser Paradise – yet (in my mind) much better executed, the finest stories interweave the immutable connection between humankind and the rest of the animal kingdom.

The opening story, Terror Birds, awes with its power. It’s set in an Arizona ostrich farm, told through alternating first person narrations of mother and son. When Jack’s childhood security is threatened by his father’s adultery, he reflects, “I had no interest in a superhero with a mind at work. I loved the ostriches – and all the other monsters—for what they were: sheer brute force, untempered by either conscience or consciousness.” These reflections are portentous and Ms. Geni keeps her readers on a tightrope as we watch how it plays out.

Dharma at the Gate has its own power, setting up a compelling triangle: an emotionally damaged teenage boy, his girlfriend who is desperate – but unable – to break away, and her loyal dog. As she fights for possession of her own future and her own soul, she recognizes what she must give up to attain the freedom that calls to her.

The eponymous The Last Animal centers on a middle-aged woman whose husband deserted her many years ago. She sets out on a journey of catharsis to Mexico, where he had mailed her a number of letters. As she witnesses rarely seen ocean life, she discovers something important about herself: “On the whole, she preferred in the realm of mystery and miracles. In the end, she preferred not to know.”

Captivity is beautiful in its terseness, focusing on a 31-year-old octopus handler living with her mother and struggling to make sense of her brother’s disappearance. She tells a co-worker: “When I started working here, he was furious at me. Mostly because of the dolphins. Unconscionable, he said. We had a big fight about it. I told him that at least they were alive in here. Out in the wild, they could be tuna.” Eventually, her definition of “being alive” shifts and changes.

And, in Flight Blight, Cosmo, a gardener grieving over his wife’s miscarriage tries to come to terms with his loss, surprising his returning wife with a “wild, blooming layout…a strange, new living thing” to give solace and a touch of hope.

The finest stories are those that most closely explore our bond with other animals; those stories are haunting and unforgettable. There are a couple of others that are less compelling, but Abby Geni is truly a writer to watch. When she’s good, she’s very, very good. In fact, she’s excellent.

[Liisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love reading short story collections that aren´t well know and that seem somehow peculiar and unique, but sometimes I go into them with false expectations. From the few things I´d heard about The Last Animal I thought it would have magical realism and focus heavily on wildlife, but that´s not quite what I got. Though I was able to enjoy the unexpected realism and studies on human nature, instead of actual nature. The stories were a hit or miss for me, few I didn´t get at all, but three of them were startlingly amazing, short prose on it´s best. Those are Dharma at the Gate, In the Spirit Room & Fire Blight. I will be reading them again and again, some of the other stories I don´t mind forgetting. Overall The Last Animal was a surprising and fascinating experience. Short story collections generally are like this, one´s interest rises and decreases between the stories, so I didn´t mind that. And Geni is without a doubt a talented writer who describes the workings of a human mind in an insightful way and links that to the other creatures living around us.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because this writer tells us more about the character's emotions, core, perplexity, (put whatever other emotional or motivational aspect in this spot) with less words and dialog than 90% of other modern writers. I like that. Immensely.

She does not have to say "she felt, she protested, she argued" and then another 3 paragraphs of emoting sighing or verbose explanations in the conversations to the other characters. It's similar to the skill of "the LOOK" some Mothers can give their kids with result. They get it. Yes, the reader gets it.

Short stories are not my first or second choice. But these read with depth. And the connection to the animals sublime. In the first two stories, you become embedded as much as in a novella or novel length for knowledge of connection. Context does it. And she can write description and action to nuance very well.

All of the stories were not 4 star. But her stories are good. I loved her novel. Hope she gets another one out on that level.

Most humans in moderns or best sellers don't sound at all like the people I know. Not how they speak, not how they reason, not how they hold connection with their family, and especially not how they work. Abby Geni's DO. Her people seem very much as people I know or have known. She has a gift for the regular person, IMHO. Not rich, not destitute, not ill, not anything more negative than being a bit lazy or short tempered- much like the majority of us who plug along as best they can.

Some of these situations are rather heavy, dark, and definitely not restful or happy times, but the people never felt artificial in reaction. Good collection.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! I always have some problem with short stories because they aren't long enough to flesh out characters, but this was a true exception. I loved some stories better than others, but everyone of them was definite and strong. I knew every character as if they were protagonists of much longer novels. I still preferred Abby Geni's full novel I read last year, but those short stories were lovely. "The last animal", the one who gives the title to the collection, was probably the one I loved more. Some were bittersweet, others were seductive. None was shallow or predictable.
I am now ready to buy "Wildlands", the new novel from the author!

[Phoenix Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, quiet, achey stories about nothing at all. I love how good literary fiction finds and illuminates the profound jn the mundane, and this is a stellar example.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Animal by Abby Geni is a wonder of a book. It consists of short stories that counter the natural world against the inner workings of the human mind. Some of the places that the book takes us are the human womb, an ostrich farm, a natural history museum, and the Mexican ocean. Most of the stories deal with the theme of loss and ways that we counter against it by our actions or using a talisman to try to ward off further danger or pain.

The stories are finely wrought and intricately written. The characters are as fine-tuned as ones you'd find in a novel. Geni has a rare gift, more apparent because this is her debut book. She is a master with words and each one is fraught with meaning.

Terror Birds takes place on an ostrich farm in the Arizona desert. A nine year-old boy sees something that he believes is a threat to his parents' marriage and he decides to run away. The story is told from alternating perspectives - the voice of the boy and that of his mother. This technique is very effective.

In Dharma at the Gate, we find Lucy trapped in a relationship with Xavier since her freshman year of high school. She is now a senior and applying to college much to Xavier's chagrin. She feels like the more she gives to him, the more she loses of herself. As she prepares to go off to college she wonders if there is a way to be free of this boyfriend who is so possessive of her and who she does not love. What can she give to him as a ransom to free herself?

Silence is about Jesse who is dying from a malignant brain tumor that is gradually stealing his neurological abilities. He is certain of one thing - he does not want to die in a hospital - he wants to die at home. He is working on building a full scale model of the Wright Brothers' plane that he hopes to fly before he dies.

I loved The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr, the story of twelve year old girls at a Jewish summer camp in the midwest who are in awe of their 'shiksa' counselor, Danielle. When she suddenly disappears under mysterious circumstances, they think they know what happened to her but lack the courage and wherewithal to follow up on their suspicions.

Isaiah on Sunday is about Isaiah who left home at seventeen to work full-time as a cashier at a supermarket. Living at home with his missionary parents and all their foster children was too much for him, especially after he lost his own faith in god. One night, Frances, his fourteen year-old sister, bicycles to his apartment in the middle of the night. She has run away from home. What can Isaiah do to make things right with his family?

In The Spirit Room, a brother and a sister each deal with their mother's death from Alzheimer's in their own unique way. Jolene is organized and goes through the commonly held stages of grief. Max is completely unmoored and spends his days and nights at work at the Museum of Natural History in D.C. where he works and his mother used to work. Seeking to unclutter his mind, he sleeps in a different office of the museum every night for three weeks trying to find a way to start life anew.

My favorite story in the book is the title story and last story in the collection, The Last Animal. Delilah, deserted by her husband thirty years previously, follows in the footsteps of where she last received letters from him in Mexico about thirty years ago. Lew had returned from the Korean War with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and was emotionally unbalanced. While she was waiting in a doctor's office for him to pick her up, he never returned. She was pregnant at the time with one child at home. She raised two children alone. In Mexico, where she last heard from him, she visits all the places that were postmarked on his letters and ritually burns each letter. At the same time she is privy to seeing some remarkable things that no one will likely believe she's seen - a manatee, a sting ray, and a huge ocean animal with a boy holding on to its fins.

All the stories deal with loss but they also tackle the ways we try to find our ways back from the depths of despair; how we search for our North Star and when we find it, how we hold on to it. Ms. Geni is a writer to be watched and I certainly hope she comes out with another book soon. I will be one of her first readers.

[Karl Bunker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy of this book, and before I was halfway through it I knew I'd found an author to add to my top tier of favorites. This collection is absolutely wonderful.

If it weren't for the publisher's description, I'm not sure I would have noticed that animals and nature were a common theme in these stories. But that piece of marketing was what piqued my interest in the book, so I'm not going to criticize it. A more obvious common theme might be loss; loved ones are missing or deceased, marriages are defunct, a baby is lost through miscarriage, families are estranged. But pointing to that as a common theme sounds dreary, and these stories are anything but dreary. There is life and hope in all of them; their characters are undefeated by their pain and loss. But that isn't to say that these stories are saccharine or self-consciously "uplifting," either. Geni's writing is intelligent, hard-edged, artistic, boldly creative, and a delight to read.

In terms of comparing Geni to other authors, nothing comes to my mind beyond some of the "usual suspects" of great short fiction: Chekhov, Hemingway, Katherine Mansfield, Raymond Carver, Lorrie Moore, and so on. Geni certainly has her own voice as a writer, but I wouldn't say there's anything pyrotechnically unique about her style. Rather, the strength of her work is in its execution; in all the fine points of plotting, character, setting, description, elegant prose. She has a flair for descriptive phrases that had me smiling at the page again and again, and she also has a wonderful skill at balancing the sometimes contradictory forces of inventiveness and realism.

I don't think capsuled plot descriptions would do justice to the stories in this book (and those have been done elsewhere anyway), so I won't take you on a march through the table of contents. A couple of stories do beg for some comment, however:

In "Captivity," as with several other stories, Geni explores the connections that bond people and animals. The protagonist is dealing with the unexplained disappearance of her brother, and she finds neither comfort nor even a basic level of communication with the people who share the tragedy with her. Instead, her solace comes from her relationship with what would seem the least likely of animal companions: an octopus she cares for at a public aquarium. In a completely charming scene, she takes the octopus from its tank and carries it around, giving it a tour of the outside world:
"Out in the hallway his attention was thoroughly absorbed by a fire alarm box, its plastic surface, the handle he couldn’t reach through the glass. I allowed him to trail one tentacle over the dusty carpet. He would not let go of me, and the red didn’t entirely leave his skin, but his eyes didn’t stop roving for a moment and his tentacles were hungry for every new surface."

"Landscaping" is a story of only six pages, and yet is a work of stabbing intensity. Flying through decades of a woman's life, it touches down for brief moments, showing us those moments in precise, exquisitely drawn detail, and then flying on. The story told is a tragic one, but the first person narrator tells it without the tiniest grain of self-pity, and the effect is simply devastating.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Crystal Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

the first two stories were slow to start but really amazing. I liked how she tied the animals in. The ones that followed, long, dry, boring. hard time finishing because I had no tie to the characters. she should have focused on the first two as the only stories since the rest felt rushed.

[Story · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for these enjoyable stories.

[Nathalie (keepreadingbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I really like Abby Geni’s writing. Her nature descriptions especially are gorgeous, and the writing just generally feels very considered and skilled. And considering the through line of human-animal connections, I fully expected to love this one. Mainly, though, it was just okay.

All the stories have a sense of tension, of a dam waiting to break. Sometimes it does break, but other times the tension disappears and a drama-free resolution develops. I enjoy both, when done well, so I didn’t mind that I couldn’t count on getting one or the other, but perhaps some of the stories ended up feeling slightly too anti-climactic.

The collection as a whole feels very cohesive, which is generally good, but perhaps veering into too similar? Or too distanced? Not entirely sure if that’s what it is, but for some reason, though all of the stories were really well-written and spoke to many of the things I like, I had no true favourites. They were all good, and almost equally good, but not spectacular. There were a few that perhaps stood out a bit more for me; Terror Birds, Dharma at the Gate, The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr, and particularly Landscaping, for its complete break with the style of the other stories – but I have a feeling I could forget them in just a few months’ time.

I am keen to read more by Geni, though, just because her themes are so up my alley.

[Jenna Goldblatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So emotional about this!! The majority of this was overwhelmingly excellent. Although some of the stories were less compelling each one had a strong impact on me and the power of the overall collection.

As the review by “Shelf Awareness” states “A rare short story collection that’s as coherent and powerful as a well-constructed novel… Reading The Last Animal is like glimpsing a distant, hauntingly familiar shore illuminated by the rotating beam of a lighthouse.”

[chan]

DNF at 44%

I read four stories in this collection and liked none.

content notes so far:
◦ graphic: cancer, infidelity, suicide attempt, toxic relationship
◦ moderate: injury/injury detail, self harm, sexual content
◦ minor: alcoholism, animal death, blood, death (parent), domestic abuse, vomit

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an electronic advanced reading copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley.

Two of the stories in this collection immediately recalled fond memories from when I first read them in Glimmer Train, so I was eager to read more of Geni's short stories. I not only enjoyed those stories new to me, the collection gave me new insight and appreciation of those two pieces I'd already read. The Goodreads description for these stories and their unifying theme at the interface of humans with the rest of the natural world, particularly animals.

Literary fiction, particularly short stories is grounded in personal tragedy and social conflict, failures to communicate, and profound losses. Geni's work falls easily into that cliche. However, what makes it specially unique is her juxtaposition of those personal conflicts onto humankinds relationship between the natural world and the fabrications of civilization and social nature. In each of these stories an organism (mostly animals) is used as a proxy for some role normally occupied by a human in the life of the protagonists (or a proxy for some aspect of the protagonist themselves). In this way the theme of 'no man is an island' is extended biologically to 'humanity is not an island', it exists in some sort of relationship with the natural world. This natural world is necessary, and it has the power of healing and support in the spiritual being of an individual.

Geni accomplishes this with masterful subtlety, never is the linking theme of these stories allowed to become overpoweringly overt, never is it preachy, it is an aspect linking the stories whose simple repeated presence begs for contemplation and analysis. Some readers may even come across with completely different insight into this theme of the natural world than I did, and this is the power of these stories. Her writing is precise and flowing, never convoluted or calling attention to its own cleverness, allowing the reader to ponder the themes and emotions of the story rather than cleverness of style.

Although the natural world appears as a symbol of connection, strength, and healing, many of the stories here are profoundly sad, and potentially 'triggering' for people who have faced the demons and losses that the characters in the story go through. The mature handling of the darker plots, (managing to powerfully convey empathy in the reader without driving them to utter despair and depression) is achieved through these connections to the natural world and the life that shares Earth with us, inviting the reader to consider how the beauty of life can similarly influence us for the better.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I'm a little bias when it comes to this book, seeing as Abby is my Creative Writing teacher in school right now! Personally, I think she's a great teacher, and definitely knows her stuff. And I did like this collection of stories, but as with most collections of short stories, I only liked about half of them.

Captivity was definitely one of my favorites, simply because the MC walked a freakin octopus. And I adored Landscaping; it wasn't so much a short story as a long poem. It was that beautiful.

I liked Silence, The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr, Isaiah on Sunday, and Fire Blight, but not enough to actually explain why, because there was still some elements that I did not enjoy.
Terror Birds, Dharma at the Gate, In the Spirit Room, and the Last Animal were stories I did not like, and mostly because I didn't agree with the MCs. In a way, each of these stories had the same character with a different name and lifestyle, but they all exhibited the same soft, almost submissive personality. They chose to be alone and do nothing, rather letting others influence there decisions. Actually, most the MCs in all the stories seemed to have this quiet nature about them. This is no teen fiction, of course, but even the child MC in Terror Birds seemed too adult. It felt like there was almost no dialogue, because every character had these deep, mature thoughts, rather than speaking plain and true.
In addition to that, I felt as if a lot of the endings were left vague and unfinished. A lot of things seem implied rather than explained, as with Fire Blight. Elaine returns home to a house that feels abandoned, and a tree in the old nursery. Does this mean Cosmo left her? Or was he taking a "break," too? There was no indication from Cosmo that he planned on leaving. There's a small paragraph where he expresses his anger towards Elaine, but that anger did not seem strong enough to merit abandonment, especially when he talked to Art and said he felt much better afterwards, which I assumed meant he was now ready to confront Elaine about his feelings, not leave her. But maybe I was meant to see his intentions; the fact that the house was abandoned really wasn't ambiguous at all, and I just hoped that it would have ended differently.

Overall, Abby does have a great style. Her descriptions are lovely, and she has those special sentences that pop at out you in a way only special sentences can. She turns words in a way I admire, and is definitely a writer that I am lucky to have as a teacher.

Now I can only hope that she never reads this and confront me in class.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many short story collections some were incredibly entertaining while others had me regrettably bored. The Last Animal is a collection that I have owned for over a year now and have been desperately wanting to read (enamoured by the excellent cover and rave reviews) and have never gotten around to (I partly blame George R.R. Martin). I liked it. I don't think I would recommend it until I have read more short story collections in which to compare The Last Animal. This is my second short story collection, my first being Jhumpa Lahiri's Pulitzer-prize winning Interpreter of Maladies. I do prefer The Last Animal for Abby Geni's writing style I find more eloquent in that it flows and certain words have been chosen specifically for this effect. Although I was a big fan of her writing style while reading, I am not quite sure whether I will read her latest work (which is a novel) The Lightkeepers. But besides, The Last Animal was a short read that I felt dragged in some stories and had me wanting more for others but I feel that this is the general consensus with short story collections. I am officially beginning my hunt for a masterpiece collection where I enjoy all the stories, if such a collection exists.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a connection between humankind and the world of animals and nature that is beautifully described in this series of short stories by Abby Geni. Each story conveys a deep sense of loss and at times, despair. However, there is also a sense of hopefulness and optimism which encourages the reader onto the next story in anticipation.

Two stories stood out for me. In “Captivity”, one of the earlier stories, a young woman is trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her brother. She is able to rely on the octopus she cares for in a way that she cannot rely on the other characters in the story - her mother and her brother’s girlfriend. “Terror Birds” is a touching story about the end of a marriage and the heartbreak felt by all involved.

As with all collections of short stories, there will be some that stand out and some that are forgettable. But Geni’s ability to capture and portray brief glimpses of her character’s lives, makes this collection a joy to read.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will say straight away that despite the amazing praise I heard about this short story collection and the gorgeous cover, I found this to be incredibly disappointing.

I had to force myself to finish this book which isn't something I was expecting at all. I found that although the writing style was beautiful in places, all of the stories had a very similar tone and although they were all different stories, they seemed to blend together in my mind.

The one story that stood out for me was the second to last one, 'Fire Blight'. I found this story to be emotionally engaging and I felt like a learnt a lot about the characters throughout. Sadly apart from this story, I'm finding it difficult to pin point any of the other characters or plots as they were all quite forgettable for me.

Overall I can understand why a lot of people really love this collection but in the end it wasn't my cup of tea.

[Wes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first five stories made such a strong impression that I couldn't shut up about them, really bugling the hell out of one in particular. Then I read the sixth. And the seventh. And the rest. It's a fantastic debut that just seems to get a little winded on the last lap. Geni's correlative thread is a conceit that is far more subtle and interesting than the publisher synopsis would lead you to believe and I enjoyed reading it a great deal...I simply wish I'd enjoyed finishing it for reasons other than to move on to the next book by the bed.

[Kasey Cocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming and touching stories written with an understanding of the world around us in a delightful delicate way. Guaranteed to reach even the coldest heart so bring your tissues as you enjoy these stories. Well balanced and skillfully delivered with a bit of flair. This book comes highly recommended.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some very heavy themes in these lovely stories, to the point where the collection should maybe come with a warning label. If you have an emotional trigger, it will probably be hit by one of the stories.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful debut collection - each story has great emotional depth, each protagonist is different (a surprising rarity in collections), and whilst there is nothing tricksy here, every story gives the reader something to think about. Abby Geni is clearly a writer to watch.

[Iva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly observant, balanced stories often informed by the connection between man and animals. Many involve sibling and family relationships (good and bad). Each story is a surprise--either the range of subjects she commands, or the direction it takes. Geni is certainly a writer to watch.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some nice stories. Well crafted, imaginative, and emotional. I was hoping for a lite more weirdness when I picked up the book, but this was good too.

[Ernest Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! I love this book; each story is a joy to read.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Last Animal is a collection of ten short stories exploring loss and grief and hope. All these stories are focused on people and emotion, but they all include an aspect of nature, whether animals or the natural world, to help communicate and deal with the emotions.

Terror Birds - One of my favourites. Set on an ostrich farm, exploring family relationships and dynamics, and the struggles a young boy faces amidst the possibility of a broken home. The ostriches are beautifully portrayed in this story, and although it is very much centered around the family, they play an important role. Heart wrenching and touching but joy to read,

Dharma at the Gate - AMAZING. I think this was my favourite. About a teenage girl and her bond with her dog, while she yearns for independence from her suffocating suicidal boyfriend. Absolutely brilliant. Very impactful, very empowering, and very sad.

Captivity - Also enjoyed this one although it wasn't quite as emotionally hitting. It's about an octopus handler who is still dealing with the disappearance of her brother from years ago. She's living with her mother, who insists he is dead and that they need to move on. P.S. The octopus is a delight to read about.

Silence - About a man suffering from a brain tumour, living in isolation. We see the decline of his health as he interacts with his natural surroundings and attempts to build a plane. Tragic but also full with a sense of freedom and acceptance.

The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr - A story about a group of girls at summer camp when one year their favourite counsellor goes missing. I found this really interesting and definitely had a more mystery/thriller vibe to it.

Isaiah On Sunday - This is about a young man who having left home, much to the fury of his parents, finds his sister at his place having run away herself. It explores family dynamics but I didn't really feel anything about this story. I'm not sure where the nature really came into it either. Maybe my least favourite.

In The Spirit Room - Follows a man struggling with death of his mum who had been suffering with Alzheimer's disease. He works in a museum looking at creepy crawlies and after the death he starts sleeping there not wanting to go back to the empty house. Again, very emotional.

Landscaping - Fucking weird. I don't even know what this was.

Fire Blight - About a gardener who is coming to terms with his wife's latest miscarriage, while his wife goes camping to get some space? Bit odd, very heavy on the nature aspect, but still moving in parts.

The Last Animal - Also, very weird. About a 60 year old following the last known movements of her husband after he left her and disappeared years ago. Weird shit happens on holiday.

Right. That's all of them I think. Overall, I thought it got of to a really strong start but the stories just went downhill. There's a few exceptional and truly moving stories included and they are definitely worth reading; but then there's some I would just skip all together, either boring or just fucked up (landscaping, wtf). The first 3 are definitely the best.

[Tattooed Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been entranced lately by octopuses. In my endless search for tattoo subjects, octopuses come up quite a lot because of their regenerative capability. Like a starfish, an octopus can regrow a limb if it is lost or damaged. The symbolism here isn't hard to ascertain - as humans, we are knocked down, cut, bled, ripped apart by life, and yet we continue. Emotionally, we can be the octopus.

So I was intrigued with this little book. I actually picked it up in a used book shop, thinking it was a novel, and hypnotized by the sultry cover. I'm suck a cover sucker! When I finally made my way around to it, I wished I'd read it sooner, because it's a collection of short, easy-to-read-in-one-sitting stories about the connection between the relationships between humans and animals helping them contend with sources of grief and loss in their lives.

"Terror Birds" is the story of a broken marriage from the perspective of the child. Animal subject: ostriches

"Dharma at the Gate" is the story of a teenage girl trapped in an emotionally enslaving relationship. Animal subject: a dog

"Captivity" was close to my heart, it’s a story of loss; a woman whose brother went missing years ago under suspicious circumstances. Animal subject: an octopus

"Silence" is the freeing story of a man dying of cancer. Animal subject: birds

"The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr" is a summer camp ghost story about a missing camp counselor from the perspective of one of the campers. Animal subject: this one didn't have an "animal" theme per se, unless you count the lake.

"Isaiah on Sunday" is a story about a young man who leaves his home because of differences between him and his parents. His sister runs away, to him. Animal subject:

“In the Spirit Room” is a story of a woman who lost her mother to Alzheimer’s and loses a bit of herself too. Animal subject: bugs, butterflies

"Fire Blight" is the story of a couple’s miscarriage from the perspective of the husband. Animal subject: plants. (Ok, not truly an animal, but this story was one of the most poignant and I can see why she included it.)

“The Last Animal” is a story of an elderly woman who follows the last letters of the husband who abandoned her, burning each letter as she reaches the place he wrote it from. Animal subject: whale

Ambiguous enough to relate to every reader, but distinctive and even poetic enough to have emotional depth, this book is a must-read for anyone who, like me, has experienced great loss. The healing process is unique for everyone, and this collection of stories revealing the healing of a broad assortment of people from a wide range of hurts was comforting to my soul, and I hope it will be for yours. This is one of those that you read and re-read and get something more out of it every time.

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Room upon room details our obsession to know and name everything, as though by labeling it we can come to own it, its nature no longer mysterious at all. And yet I am certain -- for it brings me a steady rejoicing -- that the task will never be finished, that we are up against nothing less than the full, chaotic measure of a limitless world."

This collection of stories features individuals in various states of turmoil, all for different reasons. In most of the tales, an animal is featured as a prominent character, though sometimes they are merely ornamental. I thought this series was nothing short of extraordinary. Even if you knew what the person's problem might be, how they reacted to it, the way in which it affected them, was uniquely their own. If there is a unifying "theme" to the work, it is that we all suffer -- the depths and breadths of which all differ. But there is also something comforting in the knowledge that your fellow humans ache alongside you. It is this collective suffering that can bring us together. However, we should also be open to allow the world itself to heal us -- to balm and care for our wounds.
Dark, observant, beautiful.

[DeeDee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up. What an amazing collection of short fiction that examines how we as humans relate to nature, animals, and most importantly each other. This book made me feel grounded in the world, so connected in the best way possible.

Even though there were a couple of stories that were just okay, the rest were beyond excellent, including a few that will stick with me for quite some time - which is why I couldn't justify giving it a lower rating. Besides, I can already tell I'll be re-reading this within a few months, and if that doesn't merit 5 stars I don't know what does.

Here are all the stories with my rating for each:

Terror Birds - 4.5 stars
Dharma at the Gate - 5 stars
Captivity - 4 stars
The Girls of Apache Bryn Mawr - 5 stars
Silence - 3 stars
Isaiah on a Sunday - 3.5 stars
In the Spirit Room - 3 stars
Landscaping - 3.5 stars
Fire Blight - 4 stars
The Last Animal - 5 stars

[Kara Demetropoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, twisty, and tender collection of short stories, all of which at least mildly include an element of human-interacts-with-nature.

Some I loved, and I know will leave an impression on me for a while to come. Some I couldn't get enough of, and found myself wishing for a full-length novel version, so I could spend more time with the characters. Some were mediocre, and left me scratching my head, wondering if I missed something.

But all were beautifully written. The author has a unique voice, intelligent, sharp, and sometimes shocking. There was a haunting quality to the works, a hollow sadness ringing through many of them that was also hopeful, somehow. The animals that appear scattered throughout are delightful, and it becomes almost like a little scavenger hunt, to see how which creatures will show up in each story.