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It's Hard to Be an Animal: A Novel
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Expected 19 May 26Win a free print copy of this book!
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15 copies available
U.S. only
For readers of Shark Heart and Hollow Kingdom, a funny, magical, and tender debut novel following a lonely, conflict-averse man whose sudden ability to understand animals sends him on a wild romp around NYC, and ultimately helps him discover his own voice.
Strolling through Central Park on a blind date with the hilarious, irrepressible Molly Bent, Henry Parsons feels hopeful for the first time in years. He’s even daring to wonder if he and Molly might have a future together... when a migratory warbler, the sweetest of little birds, tells him to f*** off.
A gentle soul, troubled enough by the unkindness of fellow humans, Henry tries to brush the moment aside as a hallucination. But soon he’s hearing voices dogs mocking their owners, sparrows fat-shaming each other, police horses profiling attendees at a street fair — even a pontificating, misogynistic snake. The man who never speaks up for himself is now besieged by animals who do.
When (inevitably) he overhears three rats discussing a corpse in the New York subway, he lets it slip to Molly. She’s keen to investigate, and Henry’s desperate for a second date, so he follows her nervously into an abandoned tunnel under the West Fourth Street Station. There, sure enough, they find a body... and the murderers find them.
Cue the most terrifying week of this cautious man’s life. Inspiration and courage arrive, unexpectedly, from a pair of feuding betta fish and the neighbor’s yapping Pomeranian — whose wisdom will transform both Henry and Molly forever.
Strolling through Central Park on a blind date with the hilarious, irrepressible Molly Bent, Henry Parsons feels hopeful for the first time in years. He’s even daring to wonder if he and Molly might have a future together... when a migratory warbler, the sweetest of little birds, tells him to f*** off.
A gentle soul, troubled enough by the unkindness of fellow humans, Henry tries to brush the moment aside as a hallucination. But soon he’s hearing voices dogs mocking their owners, sparrows fat-shaming each other, police horses profiling attendees at a street fair — even a pontificating, misogynistic snake. The man who never speaks up for himself is now besieged by animals who do.
When (inevitably) he overhears three rats discussing a corpse in the New York subway, he lets it slip to Molly. She’s keen to investigate, and Henry’s desperate for a second date, so he follows her nervously into an abandoned tunnel under the West Fourth Street Station. There, sure enough, they find a body... and the murderers find them.
Cue the most terrifying week of this cautious man’s life. Inspiration and courage arrive, unexpectedly, from a pair of feuding betta fish and the neighbor’s yapping Pomeranian — whose wisdom will transform both Henry and Molly forever.
288 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 19, 2026
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1298 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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February 2, 2026I was about to add this to my TBR when a goldfinch outside my window told me, Don't f*cking bother. Certain that I had hallucinated, I clicked to-read. As the goldfinch departed, I thought I heard it call me a weirdo with odd taste in books. But surely I was mistaken, right?
January 31, 2026
Full disclosure: I'm a guy with anxiety that loves "anthropomorphized animal" stories (e.g. 101 Dalmatians, Beasts of Burden) and romanticizes the hell out of NYC, so this book was basically made for me. I don't read much romance, though, but even my least favorite miscommunication trope couldn't stop this book from grabbing hold of me and wrapping me in a warm and "seen" embrace.
It's Hard to Be an Animal has a lot going for it: a cozy romance, tense mystery, fun and inexplicable magic, and an accurate (to my experience) depiction of anxiety. What makes it special, I think, is just how grounded and balanced it all feels. Stories like these can sometimes get a little too wrapped up in their fantastical premises and forget that they're supposed to be about actual humans. Henry and the people in his life feel real and react appropriately to things. For example, Molly is very spontaneous and devil-may-care, but when things get a little too dangerous she realistically takes a step back. Henry's life is nuanced, and the narrative does a great job of juggling his work, social life, mystery "investigation", and new relationship. No single aspect takes over, and each one is viewed through the lens of his new powers.
The animals steal the show, though, and the sheer variety that the author created are a delight. Foul-mouthed birds, Shakespearian Betta Fish, and a philosophical Pomeranian bring humor and depth in equal measure. I was surprisingly not moved to tears, but I came awfully close, and often had to take a break to let particular passages resonate.
The novel is also a love letter to New York City. Much like The Unsleeping City, it's chock full of references and details about the city that never sleeps. A particular subway platform is visited throughout the novel, and Isaacs' descriptions of the different patrons at different times of day are beautiful and capture the magic of the place.
Overall, the story is really about what it means to be human, and in the style of classics like Hook and The Wizard of Oz, Henry's powers are (no spoilers, we're talking metaphor here) really just an exploration of his psyche. What are the choices that you make when no one's watching, and how does that affect the way you interact with the world? That answer is going to be different for everyone, but we can all agree: it's hard to be an animal.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy!
It's Hard to Be an Animal has a lot going for it: a cozy romance, tense mystery, fun and inexplicable magic, and an accurate (to my experience) depiction of anxiety. What makes it special, I think, is just how grounded and balanced it all feels. Stories like these can sometimes get a little too wrapped up in their fantastical premises and forget that they're supposed to be about actual humans. Henry and the people in his life feel real and react appropriately to things. For example, Molly is very spontaneous and devil-may-care, but when things get a little too dangerous she realistically takes a step back. Henry's life is nuanced, and the narrative does a great job of juggling his work, social life, mystery "investigation", and new relationship. No single aspect takes over, and each one is viewed through the lens of his new powers.
The animals steal the show, though, and the sheer variety that the author created are a delight. Foul-mouthed birds, Shakespearian Betta Fish, and a philosophical Pomeranian bring humor and depth in equal measure. I was surprisingly not moved to tears, but I came awfully close, and often had to take a break to let particular passages resonate.
The novel is also a love letter to New York City. Much like The Unsleeping City, it's chock full of references and details about the city that never sleeps. A particular subway platform is visited throughout the novel, and Isaacs' descriptions of the different patrons at different times of day are beautiful and capture the magic of the place.
Overall, the story is really about what it means to be human, and in the style of classics like Hook and The Wizard of Oz, Henry's powers are (no spoilers, we're talking metaphor here) really just an exploration of his psyche. What are the choices that you make when no one's watching, and how does that affect the way you interact with the world? That answer is going to be different for everyone, but we can all agree: it's hard to be an animal.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
for fans of Phenomenon
In this Urban Romantasy, Henry visits the park on a date, and then he hears birds, fish, crabs, snakes, and mammals talking. Sadly, most are jerks, even the rats who tell him about regular body dumps in the subway tunnels. Though Gracie, the dog he watches for a hospitalized neighbor, gives him a number of short philosophical nuggets to ponder. The flow and enjoyment level pick up during the dates with Molly. His choice of weapon was hilarious, very Monty Python. The story was sweet and finished very well.
Unfortunately, characters lack descriptions except on p89 and p163, even the critical dead body. The animal translation bit was funny until the one-ounce bird word used Jesus as a curse for no reason. This curse happens more often than the f bombs advertised on the cover. The comedy was also ruined by the overly erudite racial slur miscegenation and dated references. How would a dog with a ten-year lifespan know about Ray Charles who died in 2004? The words didn’t match what they were coming from.
I could suspend disbelief for the talking animals; however, several other events broke it. Henry leaves his door unlocked in NYC? He calls a phone days after its service has been discontinued with the provider. A woman doing the splits on NYC subway station floor would be utterly disgusting, especially for her hands and pants--not attractive on a date. I encountered too many other jarring interruptions to the flow.
In this Urban Romantasy, Henry visits the park on a date, and then he hears birds, fish, crabs, snakes, and mammals talking. Sadly, most are jerks, even the rats who tell him about regular body dumps in the subway tunnels. Though Gracie, the dog he watches for a hospitalized neighbor, gives him a number of short philosophical nuggets to ponder. The flow and enjoyment level pick up during the dates with Molly. His choice of weapon was hilarious, very Monty Python. The story was sweet and finished very well.
Unfortunately, characters lack descriptions except on p89 and p163, even the critical dead body. The animal translation bit was funny until the one-ounce bird word used Jesus as a curse for no reason. This curse happens more often than the f bombs advertised on the cover. The comedy was also ruined by the overly erudite racial slur miscegenation and dated references. How would a dog with a ten-year lifespan know about Ray Charles who died in 2004? The words didn’t match what they were coming from.
I could suspend disbelief for the talking animals; however, several other events broke it. Henry leaves his door unlocked in NYC? He calls a phone days after its service has been discontinued with the provider. A woman doing the splits on NYC subway station floor would be utterly disgusting, especially for her hands and pants--not attractive on a date. I encountered too many other jarring interruptions to the flow.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book has a little of everything. It's funny, sweet, philosophical, suspenseful. So many interesting and likeable characters. It has a structure or style I like, where it starts out with someone just going about their day with ordinary things happening (a blind date, an annoying coworker, a sweet neighbor with a yappy dog), and before you know it there are many intertwined plot lines.
*Given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Received pre-publication from Edelweiss and the publisher for my Booklist review. This book was SO good. I read it in a day. Protagonist Henry is just the nicest guy, if a little self-conscious, the kind of guy you'd want to date (really). And he fits so well with his would-be girlfriend, Molly, in such a sweet way. It's not all hunky-dory--there's a lot of really serious stuff too--but it's laugh-out-loud funny. I loved Henry's roommate Yaryk and his fish.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews