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Land Mammals and Sea Creatures
A startling, moving magic realist debut
Almost immediately upon Julie Bird’s return to the small port town where she was raised, everyday life is turned upside down. Julie’s Gulf War vet father, Marty, has been on the losing side of a battle with PTSD for too long. A day of boating takes a dramatic turn when a majestic blue whale beaches itself and dies. A blond stranger sets up camp oceanside: she’s an agitator, musician-impersonator, and armchair philosopher named Jennie Lee Lewis — and Julie discovers she’s connected to her father’s mysterious trip to New Mexico 25 years earlier. As the blue whale decays on the beach, more wildlife turns up dead — apparently by suicide — echoing Marty’s deepest desire. But Julie isn’t ready for a world without her father.
A stunning exploration of love and grief, Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is magic realism on the seaside, a novel about living life to the fullest and coming to your own terms with its end.
Almost immediately upon Julie Bird’s return to the small port town where she was raised, everyday life is turned upside down. Julie’s Gulf War vet father, Marty, has been on the losing side of a battle with PTSD for too long. A day of boating takes a dramatic turn when a majestic blue whale beaches itself and dies. A blond stranger sets up camp oceanside: she’s an agitator, musician-impersonator, and armchair philosopher named Jennie Lee Lewis — and Julie discovers she’s connected to her father’s mysterious trip to New Mexico 25 years earlier. As the blue whale decays on the beach, more wildlife turns up dead — apparently by suicide — echoing Marty’s deepest desire. But Julie isn’t ready for a world without her father.
A stunning exploration of love and grief, Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is magic realism on the seaside, a novel about living life to the fullest and coming to your own terms with its end.
300 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2018
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782 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 25, 2019
2/5 stars
“Selfdestruction can be a lot of things. Sad, devastating, quiet, glorious. Sweet relief. Comfort.”
I should have been a little more prepared for this, based on reviews by other readers I trust, but this nonetheless was my biggest disappointment of the year so far. Combining magical realism, grief and a seaside setting, this hád to be a new favorite, right? Unfortunately, despite having all the potential to be (both in ways of the premise as well as the writing) the novel as a whole felt a little too disjointed to work for me.
We start off with a powerful scene: whilst on a boating trip a father and daughter witness a blue whale beach itself intentionally on the shores of their hometown. The story continues from the perspective of three witnesses of the event: father Marty, a war veteran suffering from depression and PTSD. Julie, his loving daughter trying her best to help her father in every way she can. And Jennie Lee Lewis (JLL), an eccentric musician impersonator who mysteriously arrived that day in town, hellbent on stirring the pot in their normally peaceful village. What follows is a plethora of equally beautifully set- and written scenes, with equally powerful imagery, that ultimately lack the required cohesion to form a plot.
I can’t express how much of a shame this was, as many of the chapters on their own were very powerful. Jen Neale clearly is a very talented author with a good eye for setting a scene and a great feeling for language. What was missing for me however, was an equally powerful main plot to serve as the backbone of the novel, from which the other scenes could branch.
Because this was lacking for me, I kept feeling I might have enjoyed this novel more had it been a collection of short stories, instead of a novel.
My second problem lies with the characters: I really don’t think they were as developed as they should have been. Marty by far is the best and most interesting: I think his struggle with PTSD was believable. The scenes where he is alone with just his dog and his thoughts were some of my favorite. My problem lies with Julie and JLL, who both try to help Marty, albeit in very different ways. Julie was okay for a side character: a little “vanilla” with the occasional cynical joke. JLL however, acts as the “antagonist” to Julie and is pretty much just despicable. I think the author was trying to portray her as a type of nihilistic liberal, who mostly just wants to have fun before things come to an end, but it ends up coming out as selfish destructiveness without any redeeming quality.
I disliked the way she was written more so than I did her character in itself, which is never a good sign.
The topic of suicide is woven clearly throughout this novels every page. This is where the magical realism comes in, to varying degrees of success. Again, the idea was there but the integration in the storyjust left a lot to be desired.
There are passages that really hit home for me, yet others (mostly from the mouth of JLL) just grossly oversimplify things and miss the mark completely. It is possible that this was the authors intent, showing her own opinion towards JLL’s “nihilistic destructiveness”, but even if that’s the case I don’t agree with how it was handled. JLL’s behavior is a not uncommon coping mechanism in people after tragedy, and deserved a better portrayal than this.
Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is a book with a lot of potential, that clearly got me thinking about it a lot, but unfortunately wasn’t all I wanted it to be. Despite the disappointment I will keep Jen Neale on my radar for a while, as all the signs of a very talented author are there and I really want to see what she comes out with next.
“Selfdestruction can be a lot of things. Sad, devastating, quiet, glorious. Sweet relief. Comfort.”
I should have been a little more prepared for this, based on reviews by other readers I trust, but this nonetheless was my biggest disappointment of the year so far. Combining magical realism, grief and a seaside setting, this hád to be a new favorite, right? Unfortunately, despite having all the potential to be (both in ways of the premise as well as the writing) the novel as a whole felt a little too disjointed to work for me.
We start off with a powerful scene: whilst on a boating trip a father and daughter witness a blue whale beach itself intentionally on the shores of their hometown. The story continues from the perspective of three witnesses of the event: father Marty, a war veteran suffering from depression and PTSD. Julie, his loving daughter trying her best to help her father in every way she can. And Jennie Lee Lewis (JLL), an eccentric musician impersonator who mysteriously arrived that day in town, hellbent on stirring the pot in their normally peaceful village. What follows is a plethora of equally beautifully set- and written scenes, with equally powerful imagery, that ultimately lack the required cohesion to form a plot.
I can’t express how much of a shame this was, as many of the chapters on their own were very powerful. Jen Neale clearly is a very talented author with a good eye for setting a scene and a great feeling for language. What was missing for me however, was an equally powerful main plot to serve as the backbone of the novel, from which the other scenes could branch.
Because this was lacking for me, I kept feeling I might have enjoyed this novel more had it been a collection of short stories, instead of a novel.
My second problem lies with the characters: I really don’t think they were as developed as they should have been. Marty by far is the best and most interesting: I think his struggle with PTSD was believable. The scenes where he is alone with just his dog and his thoughts were some of my favorite. My problem lies with Julie and JLL, who both try to help Marty, albeit in very different ways. Julie was okay for a side character: a little “vanilla” with the occasional cynical joke. JLL however, acts as the “antagonist” to Julie and is pretty much just despicable. I think the author was trying to portray her as a type of nihilistic liberal, who mostly just wants to have fun before things come to an end, but it ends up coming out as selfish destructiveness without any redeeming quality.
I disliked the way she was written more so than I did her character in itself, which is never a good sign.
The topic of suicide is woven clearly throughout this novels every page. This is where the magical realism comes in, to varying degrees of success. Again, the idea was there but the integration in the storyjust left a lot to be desired.
There are passages that really hit home for me, yet others (mostly from the mouth of JLL) just grossly oversimplify things and miss the mark completely. It is possible that this was the authors intent, showing her own opinion towards JLL’s “nihilistic destructiveness”, but even if that’s the case I don’t agree with how it was handled. JLL’s behavior is a not uncommon coping mechanism in people after tragedy, and deserved a better portrayal than this.
Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is a book with a lot of potential, that clearly got me thinking about it a lot, but unfortunately wasn’t all I wanted it to be. Despite the disappointment I will keep Jen Neale on my radar for a while, as all the signs of a very talented author are there and I really want to see what she comes out with next.
November 2, 2017
Julie Bird has returned to her hometown and things become interesting. Initially it is the day of boating which ends with a whale breaching itself and dying on the beach. As the whale decays, things in her life take interesting turns. Her father, Marty, is a Gulf War Veteran who is dealing with PTSD. His ptsd consumes him. He is depressed and going about his life. He tells Julie about his past in small parts giving her a glimpse into him. As this is occurring a new person has arrived in town. A blast from her father's past. A young woman named Jamie lee Lewis. She is a musical impersonator and tells Julie she has come to town to help Julie's father die. UMMM What!?! Thinks Julie. Jamie mentions that Marty did not recognize her when he gave her a job singing in his restaurant/bar, The Halibut. Marty should remember her, she has ties to his trip to New Mexico 25 years earlier. hmmmm
That is not all...more animals are turning up dead...Suicide. Marty has attempted suicide in the past and it is on his mind now. How will Julie live without her father?
"Self destruction can be a lot of things. Sad. Devastating. Quiet. Glorious. Sweet relief. Comfort."
This book deals with issues such as has love, ptsd, secrets, and grief. This is not a light book. It is also not a fast read and one that took some time to finish. In all honesty, it is barely a 3 for me. The story is depressing, which is normally not a reason for me to not like it, but I failed to connect with any character and at the end of the day, thought of other thins I would have rather been doing. There are also so many animal suicides in this book which made it lose some of it's message for me and turned into overkill - no pun intended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from ECW press and NetGalley. My thanks to them.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
That is not all...more animals are turning up dead...Suicide. Marty has attempted suicide in the past and it is on his mind now. How will Julie live without her father?
"Self destruction can be a lot of things. Sad. Devastating. Quiet. Glorious. Sweet relief. Comfort."
This book deals with issues such as has love, ptsd, secrets, and grief. This is not a light book. It is also not a fast read and one that took some time to finish. In all honesty, it is barely a 3 for me. The story is depressing, which is normally not a reason for me to not like it, but I failed to connect with any character and at the end of the day, thought of other thins I would have rather been doing. There are also so many animal suicides in this book which made it lose some of it's message for me and turned into overkill - no pun intended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from ECW press and NetGalley. My thanks to them.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
May 1, 2020
Humans are strange animals. For one thing, we like to deny that we are animals, that we are connected to the natural world, or that death is a normal and necessary part of life. I saw a cartoon once of various animals thinking, *Eat, survive, reproduce.* They were clear on their purpose. The next panel was a person wondering, *What's it all about?* We make life so complicated for ourselves. Jen Neale explores these complications, denials, and inevitabilities in this novel.
In the first chapter, we witness the beaching of a blue whale, self-destruction in action. Every year, whales head for land and strand themselves, dying a horrible death, but no one yet has deduced why this behaviour exists. Surely the self-destructive genes should be weeded out of the population by now? This foreshadows much of the action ahead in the book. Marty, Ian, Julie, Nancy, they are all dancing around the self-destructive impulse. Neale mirrors that in the natural world, with the decaying whale carcase, a lost dog, a road killed racoon. Is it as normal as the impulse to live?
It made me think about depression, PTSD, suicide, and how one responds to those things. In a society where we can order anything on the internet except happiness, where war, hunger, and disease are everyday life for many people, where we are busily damaging our environment to satisfy economic goals.
Julie is to Marty as Marty was to his dog, Midge. Like Julie with the little racoon, Bert. Hanging on, unwilling to let go. Desperately wanting the other creature to want the same thing that they do. Part of life is learning that it doesn't work that way, but it's a difficult lesson and not everyone absorbs it. Is Jennie/JLL/Victoria representing how the arts can help us when life gets ugly? Not necessarily to make things better, but to make the path clear? To assist in processing emotions that we've denied, pushed down, avoided? How easy it is to seek comfort, how burdensome it is to face realities.
Marty has made a small B.C. town into his own personal hell. The miasma of decaying whale permeates the community, telling us exactly how much his life stinks. As Milton wrote, *The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.* We each need to decide where it is we live, not necessarily the physical location, but the psychological one. Every living thing dies eventually, individual or species. It's awful, it's necessary, and it also has its own beauty.
In the first chapter, we witness the beaching of a blue whale, self-destruction in action. Every year, whales head for land and strand themselves, dying a horrible death, but no one yet has deduced why this behaviour exists. Surely the self-destructive genes should be weeded out of the population by now? This foreshadows much of the action ahead in the book. Marty, Ian, Julie, Nancy, they are all dancing around the self-destructive impulse. Neale mirrors that in the natural world, with the decaying whale carcase, a lost dog, a road killed racoon. Is it as normal as the impulse to live?
It made me think about depression, PTSD, suicide, and how one responds to those things. In a society where we can order anything on the internet except happiness, where war, hunger, and disease are everyday life for many people, where we are busily damaging our environment to satisfy economic goals.
Julie is to Marty as Marty was to his dog, Midge. Like Julie with the little racoon, Bert. Hanging on, unwilling to let go. Desperately wanting the other creature to want the same thing that they do. Part of life is learning that it doesn't work that way, but it's a difficult lesson and not everyone absorbs it. Is Jennie/JLL/Victoria representing how the arts can help us when life gets ugly? Not necessarily to make things better, but to make the path clear? To assist in processing emotions that we've denied, pushed down, avoided? How easy it is to seek comfort, how burdensome it is to face realities.
Marty has made a small B.C. town into his own personal hell. The miasma of decaying whale permeates the community, telling us exactly how much his life stinks. As Milton wrote, *The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.* We each need to decide where it is we live, not necessarily the physical location, but the psychological one. Every living thing dies eventually, individual or species. It's awful, it's necessary, and it also has its own beauty.
November 19, 2018
Everyone is already forgotten. She could relax. Even the mass extinction humans were creating, paring down the things worth remembering, trimming diversity into manicured homogeneity, running out of space while surrounded by an infinite vacuum, even this is forgotten as the galaxy moves to collide with its neighbour, as the stars accelerate out of eyeshot.
Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is certainly well written, but it's kind of like a needlepoint sampler; a bunch of showy scenes that display their creator's talents without really making one cohesive picture. There's so much good and interesting, creative and kinetic, in Jen Neale's writing here, but without making me care about any of her characters, and without making me engage in any kind of plot, I'm left wanting something more.
Twenty-five years after serving in the Gulf War, Marty Bird is still suffering the effects of untreated PTSD, and something tells his daughter that it's time to quit her job in Vancouver and head five hours up the coast to make sure her Dad doesn't do something rash. Not long after Julie settles back into her hometown, a strange woman sets up a campsite on the beach, and soon, animals start committing suicide around her: hawks divebomb into the rocks, a moose impales itself on a wrought iron fence, and a massive blue whale beaches itself right at the woman's feet.
The whale's blubber opened like a blossom. A bubble of exhumed insides appeared in the centre of the gash, its split mouth widening. The opening hissed. Blood emerged not as a liquid but as a mist. A spray of gas slapped Julie and painted her face. She scrambled back, shielded her eyes, the taste of aspirin and iron infecting her mouth. The whale's intestines crowned in the opening, then spooled out of its body, looped in the air. Snakes of it twisted and spun. The seagulls screamed louder. Whale guts slapped the beach in coils. The intestines piled out in impossible masses, blood and thick muck carving new paths in the sand, digging trenches of decay down to the lapping water. Julie's hands slid into the ditches. Tears flooded her eyes and she yelled for help.
It turns out this woman knew Marty many years ago (although he doesn't remember this), and not only does she seem to have appeared at this moment in order to give him permission to exit his life if it's no longer worth living, but she is also a Jerry Lee Lewis impersonator, here to excite a frenzy in the sleepy village of Port Braid.
Jennie Lee Lewis' head wove side to side like a horse bored in its stall. Her voice dipped and hovered in unexpected places and when the song was over, the people clapped hard. Marty nodded ferociously. Next, she sang “Great Balls of Fire”, which was the one Jerry Lee Lewis song that Julie remembered. Kids at her elementary school used to giggle scream the lyrics whenever they wanted to reassert to their peers that they, in fact, knew what balls were. JLL gave no hint of the comedy, though, and no one in the audience had so much as a smirk. JLL stopped playing the piano each time she sang the main line, then leapt back with her key-pounding. She lifted her foot onto the keys, stepping down and releasing a crush of sound.
Naturally, Julie doesn't want this piano-playing death whisperer influencing her fragile father, but something about her presence allows Marty to share with his daughter all the personal stories that he had held back from her over the years. And something about having this JLL around (gosh, how I hate that name) brings Marty something like peace.
Speaking with JLL about death these last weeks had made him hopeful. Like some people desired sports cars or country villas, he desired to die. For his heart to stop seizing. For his blood to settle in his veins. For his synapses to stop shrieking. To be still and permanent, trustworthy and even. Death was shiny and smooth. A warm and still lake.
This book is crammed with well-written and fascinating scenes, and I believed Neale's portrayal of Marty's PTSD, but as interesting as the device is, I don't understand the suicidal animals – or the point of the orgy-and-riot-inducing Jerry Lee Lewis impersonation. Julie is presumably the foil meant to react to the odd goings on, but her actions and reactions weren't identifiable to me, either. Swing and a miss for me.
July 26, 2018
On the back cover of this book, the synopsis says, "Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is magical realism..." I don't really agree, simply because it was executed SO poorly. Had I not read that description before reading the book, I'm really not sure I would've been able to distinguish that magical realism was the underlying metaphor.
The plot of this book... is all over everywhere, and honestly I'm still a little confused. I felt like I just kept waiting for it to get to the point already, and the unrelenting whispers and secrets with little to no reveal of them until the end just drove me absolutely mad! The character development was almost a tease; quality over quantity. In some cases I might cherish that, but not here. The prose seemed cold and somewhat haunting. The setting... wait... where was this all happening again? I actually don't remember and I finished this 20 minutes ago...
The main theme of this novel was death, and the following passages really resonated with me.
"Speaking with JLL about death these last weeks had made him hopeful. Like some people desired sports cars or country villas, he desired to die. For his heart to stop seizing. For his blood to settle in his veins. For his synapses to stop shrieking. To be still and permanent, trustworthy and even. Death was shiny and smooth. A warm and still lake."
"No. It's the saddest fucking thing in the world. No teenager should kill themselves. But people should be able to say 'I really want to kill myself' without being called a pu**y. That's why your shit about 'being a man' is vile, Marty. Don't spout that shit. People need to be able to say it out loud. Stating a fact, not admitting a weakness."
Aside from those two passages, I'm almost certain I won't remember much of anything about this book except that it had a whale on the cover (I love whales) and a really cool design and beautiful font. Like... that's literally it. It's already fading from my mind... Julie, who?
Thank you to NetGalley, ECW Press and Jen Neale for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Published May 8, 2018.
The plot of this book... is all over everywhere, and honestly I'm still a little confused. I felt like I just kept waiting for it to get to the point already, and the unrelenting whispers and secrets with little to no reveal of them until the end just drove me absolutely mad! The character development was almost a tease; quality over quantity. In some cases I might cherish that, but not here. The prose seemed cold and somewhat haunting. The setting... wait... where was this all happening again? I actually don't remember and I finished this 20 minutes ago...
The main theme of this novel was death, and the following passages really resonated with me.
"Speaking with JLL about death these last weeks had made him hopeful. Like some people desired sports cars or country villas, he desired to die. For his heart to stop seizing. For his blood to settle in his veins. For his synapses to stop shrieking. To be still and permanent, trustworthy and even. Death was shiny and smooth. A warm and still lake."
"No. It's the saddest fucking thing in the world. No teenager should kill themselves. But people should be able to say 'I really want to kill myself' without being called a pu**y. That's why your shit about 'being a man' is vile, Marty. Don't spout that shit. People need to be able to say it out loud. Stating a fact, not admitting a weakness."
Aside from those two passages, I'm almost certain I won't remember much of anything about this book except that it had a whale on the cover (I love whales) and a really cool design and beautiful font. Like... that's literally it. It's already fading from my mind... Julie, who?
Thank you to NetGalley, ECW Press and Jen Neale for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Published May 8, 2018.
April 7, 2018
Land Mammals and Sea Creatures is a deeply engaging debut novel by Jen Neale about the living, the dying and all the complications in between.
The story begins with twenty-something Julie Bird and her father Marty witnessing the simultaneous arrival of a stranger and a whale on a beach near where Marty lives. Before long, the stranger shows up at Marty’s fish-and-chip shop and makes him a proposition: let her play six gigs on a piano he keeps at the back, a piano that no one is ever allowed to touch. Marty isn’t good with change but something he senses about this Jenny Lee Lewis makes him relent.
The adventures that ensue involve a halibut, a cat, a sole and an arctic hare, to name but a few, and a baby raccoon too. JLL’s first concert, coming roughly at the mid-point in the novel, is a triumph, not only with the locals but as a compulsive page turner, a masterpiece of action writing. Clear, lively, varied, absorbing, funny, and life-affirming.
Where there is life affirmation there is also life rejection, where the story takes us to difficult experiences and the scars they have left. This is the journey Land Mammals and Sea Creatures takes us on.
I was given an advance reading copy of Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by publisher ECW Press in exchange for posting an honest review online. In summary: memorable characters, vivid scenes, superb use of verbs and great counterpoints between light and dark.
Highly recommended. Well done, Jen Neale!
The story begins with twenty-something Julie Bird and her father Marty witnessing the simultaneous arrival of a stranger and a whale on a beach near where Marty lives. Before long, the stranger shows up at Marty’s fish-and-chip shop and makes him a proposition: let her play six gigs on a piano he keeps at the back, a piano that no one is ever allowed to touch. Marty isn’t good with change but something he senses about this Jenny Lee Lewis makes him relent.
The adventures that ensue involve a halibut, a cat, a sole and an arctic hare, to name but a few, and a baby raccoon too. JLL’s first concert, coming roughly at the mid-point in the novel, is a triumph, not only with the locals but as a compulsive page turner, a masterpiece of action writing. Clear, lively, varied, absorbing, funny, and life-affirming.
Where there is life affirmation there is also life rejection, where the story takes us to difficult experiences and the scars they have left. This is the journey Land Mammals and Sea Creatures takes us on.
I was given an advance reading copy of Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by publisher ECW Press in exchange for posting an honest review online. In summary: memorable characters, vivid scenes, superb use of verbs and great counterpoints between light and dark.
Highly recommended. Well done, Jen Neale!
February 19, 2018
What an incredible debut! This one's going to stay with me for a while.
April 27, 2018
"Everyone Is Already Forgotten"
What with the PTSD, the difficult characters, the magical realism, and that big rotting blue whale - it takes a little while for this book to make its intentions known and for the reader to open up to it. But then it becomes a fascinating ride.
Marty, a wounded Gulf War vet with PTSD, is depressed and intermittently suicidal in a vague, understated, but imminent and inexorable fashion. His daughter comes home to stay with him so that he can stare silently at her, or tell her old stories from his distant past. A mystery woman appears; she has some past history with Marty that is disclosed fairly early on. Everything goes downhill to a not entirely unexpected, but surprisingly liberating, conclusion.
Here's the thing - you can read this on a lot of different levels and purely as your own inclinations dictate. It's loaded with symbolism and it rides a wild wave of magical realism, but you can buy into as much or as little of that as you want. You can take the plot to heart and become invested in the characters' fates, or you can stay above the fray and enjoy and admire this purely as an example of writerly craftsmanship. You can enjoy all of the little bits and pieces of dialogue and throwaway observations and humor, or you can look for the big message behind it all. As I say, reader's choice.
Bottom line - I saw a blurb somewhere describing the author's "sharp humor and emotional honesty", and that's exactly what you get from this book. It is brutally funny in a dark but authentic way. It is also perceptive, sometimes penetrating, always honest, and not manipulative. It's not a Lifetime Movie and it's not dreary kitchen sink drama. There are moments of great insight and some marvelous set pieces. And, after you've forgotten the details or the gist of some of the best lines, there are aspects of the book that will pop into your head long after you've finished it. I can't ask for much more than that.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
What with the PTSD, the difficult characters, the magical realism, and that big rotting blue whale - it takes a little while for this book to make its intentions known and for the reader to open up to it. But then it becomes a fascinating ride.
Marty, a wounded Gulf War vet with PTSD, is depressed and intermittently suicidal in a vague, understated, but imminent and inexorable fashion. His daughter comes home to stay with him so that he can stare silently at her, or tell her old stories from his distant past. A mystery woman appears; she has some past history with Marty that is disclosed fairly early on. Everything goes downhill to a not entirely unexpected, but surprisingly liberating, conclusion.
Here's the thing - you can read this on a lot of different levels and purely as your own inclinations dictate. It's loaded with symbolism and it rides a wild wave of magical realism, but you can buy into as much or as little of that as you want. You can take the plot to heart and become invested in the characters' fates, or you can stay above the fray and enjoy and admire this purely as an example of writerly craftsmanship. You can enjoy all of the little bits and pieces of dialogue and throwaway observations and humor, or you can look for the big message behind it all. As I say, reader's choice.
Bottom line - I saw a blurb somewhere describing the author's "sharp humor and emotional honesty", and that's exactly what you get from this book. It is brutally funny in a dark but authentic way. It is also perceptive, sometimes penetrating, always honest, and not manipulative. It's not a Lifetime Movie and it's not dreary kitchen sink drama. There are moments of great insight and some marvelous set pieces. And, after you've forgotten the details or the gist of some of the best lines, there are aspects of the book that will pop into your head long after you've finished it. I can't ask for much more than that.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
May 19, 2019
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this from ECW Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
It took me a long time to pick this up... No really a LONG time. I think mostly I was scared that the animal deaths would make this terribly tragic. But I am so very glad that I finally powered through it.
I suppose my finding animal deaths more tragic than the loss of human life is a symptom of many of us have, and maybe it comes from our perceived dominion over all other animals... I'm not a sociologist I can't really tell you where this comes from. But I can say that Neale's writing just doesn't support that kind of thinking in readers; animal death is just a natural occurrence in these pages.
Though I say that Neale doesn't inspire us to grieve for dying and dead animals, I would say that a, or the central theme of the novel is grief. But the grief we feel specifically as a result of a lost one, and the grief from the realization of the impending loss of those we love.
It's a quiet and beautiful novel. Port Braid and the landscape play a big role, as do the nostalgic music of the 70s and Golden Girl reruns. I look forward to reading what Neale writes next.
It took me a long time to pick this up... No really a LONG time. I think mostly I was scared that the animal deaths would make this terribly tragic. But I am so very glad that I finally powered through it.
I suppose my finding animal deaths more tragic than the loss of human life is a symptom of many of us have, and maybe it comes from our perceived dominion over all other animals... I'm not a sociologist I can't really tell you where this comes from. But I can say that Neale's writing just doesn't support that kind of thinking in readers; animal death is just a natural occurrence in these pages.
Though I say that Neale doesn't inspire us to grieve for dying and dead animals, I would say that a, or the central theme of the novel is grief. But the grief we feel specifically as a result of a lost one, and the grief from the realization of the impending loss of those we love.
It's a quiet and beautiful novel. Port Braid and the landscape play a big role, as do the nostalgic music of the 70s and Golden Girl reruns. I look forward to reading what Neale writes next.
September 28, 2021
“He was, as always, too slow, too withdrawn, too preoccupied with keeping himself safe from self-harm to tend to the people left drowning in his wake.”
At first the stakes for this book are high - a bittersweet journey through exploration of grief and what it means to be human. It contains a few beautifully written quotes as protagonist Julie Bird struggles to adopt a much needed perspective of acceptance, particularly of her father’s desire to leave this world. The initial plot setup is great, made even better by reappearing stories from the past to introduce more characters.
However, the second half of the book felt utterly disappointing to me, thus worsening my feelings towards the story overall. The plot starts to feel heavy and sluggish and lacking, like a bunch of pages added to reach a word count. What bothered me immensely was a forced parallel between humans and wildlife, hence the name of the book and the hidden message that on some accounts animals and humans are not so different after all. In the beginning this concept is made quite interesting with the appearance of a dying whale on the shore, but the book resumes filled with what feels like terribly unnecessary animal encounters, like a moose stuck in a fence, a beady-eyed creature at the cemetery or a pet raccoon that amounts to nothing except a subject for filler conversation. They are forced and fail to drive the plot forward or add much to character development to the point where the only thought you could have reading them is “Hmm, there sure is a lot of wildlife in Canada”.
On top of this, the writing style didn’t feel fitting or satisfactory or of equal worth to the story it’s trying to tell - about the meaning of life and death and suicide. The constant cursing in every other paragraph takes away a lot more than it brings to the table. Surely it is realistic for people to curse, but all it accomplishes in this book is subtract from an already plain writing. While there are a few intriguing conversations, most of the dialogue throughout feels colourless.
The writing fails to do the characters justice too, and it’s very hard to care about people with subpar personality or significance as characters. Marty Bird is a war veteran with PTSD and inability to reconcile his wrongs. Julie Bird is caring and unprepared to lose her father. While admirable, her love for him is just about the only trait to colour in her character. Jennie Lee Lewis is foul-mouthed, inconsiderate, downright rude and all around obnoxious. Throughout the whole story I found it very difficult to care about any of the characters’ fates as the narration prevented me from being able to form emotional attachment towards them.
The fact that I had to motivate myself several times to finish it is a red flag to me, although I don’t regret reading this book. At the very least it’s a source for a few good quotes and some food for thought.
At first the stakes for this book are high - a bittersweet journey through exploration of grief and what it means to be human. It contains a few beautifully written quotes as protagonist Julie Bird struggles to adopt a much needed perspective of acceptance, particularly of her father’s desire to leave this world. The initial plot setup is great, made even better by reappearing stories from the past to introduce more characters.
However, the second half of the book felt utterly disappointing to me, thus worsening my feelings towards the story overall. The plot starts to feel heavy and sluggish and lacking, like a bunch of pages added to reach a word count. What bothered me immensely was a forced parallel between humans and wildlife, hence the name of the book and the hidden message that on some accounts animals and humans are not so different after all. In the beginning this concept is made quite interesting with the appearance of a dying whale on the shore, but the book resumes filled with what feels like terribly unnecessary animal encounters, like a moose stuck in a fence, a beady-eyed creature at the cemetery or a pet raccoon that amounts to nothing except a subject for filler conversation. They are forced and fail to drive the plot forward or add much to character development to the point where the only thought you could have reading them is “Hmm, there sure is a lot of wildlife in Canada”.
On top of this, the writing style didn’t feel fitting or satisfactory or of equal worth to the story it’s trying to tell - about the meaning of life and death and suicide. The constant cursing in every other paragraph takes away a lot more than it brings to the table. Surely it is realistic for people to curse, but all it accomplishes in this book is subtract from an already plain writing. While there are a few intriguing conversations, most of the dialogue throughout feels colourless.
The writing fails to do the characters justice too, and it’s very hard to care about people with subpar personality or significance as characters. Marty Bird is a war veteran with PTSD and inability to reconcile his wrongs. Julie Bird is caring and unprepared to lose her father. While admirable, her love for him is just about the only trait to colour in her character. Jennie Lee Lewis is foul-mouthed, inconsiderate, downright rude and all around obnoxious. Throughout the whole story I found it very difficult to care about any of the characters’ fates as the narration prevented me from being able to form emotional attachment towards them.
The fact that I had to motivate myself several times to finish it is a red flag to me, although I don’t regret reading this book. At the very least it’s a source for a few good quotes and some food for thought.
November 28, 2017
3.5 stars.
This book deals with a lot issues such as PTSD, love, and grief. This was an easy read but it was not light. The subject matter is heavy and I felt I needed to read slowly to really grasp the story the author was telling.
I was very excited when I received a copy of this book. I lost my dad last year and I felt this book might be a good read for me.
I struggled to write a review - there were times I enjoyed the book and other times it was a struggle.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley & ECW press.
This book deals with a lot issues such as PTSD, love, and grief. This was an easy read but it was not light. The subject matter is heavy and I felt I needed to read slowly to really grasp the story the author was telling.
I was very excited when I received a copy of this book. I lost my dad last year and I felt this book might be a good read for me.
I struggled to write a review - there were times I enjoyed the book and other times it was a struggle.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley & ECW press.
May 8, 2018
Well, Well!
I wish this book make a little more sense to me. Magical Realism is either being taken for granted, or my stupid brain needs to read between the lines (something I hate doing, especially when the book isn't a classic).
Julie's dad- a Gulf war veteran, has PTSD. He lost one of his arms in the war, but that isn't the worst that has happened to him. He saw his favorite dog die, and couldn't do anything to save her. He also saw his wife die. All of which left his brain exposed to suicidal thoughts, but he raised Julie responsibly.
In a parallel world, dead animals are showing up, out of nowhere. Which (supposedly) means that they choose to die rather than suffer (something Marty, Julie's dad should do too).
While Julie tries to convince her dad to live, another woman from Marty's past tries to tell him that it takes a great deal of courage to kill oneself and that Marty should do it.
The central goal of this book is to talk about death in all the strange ways possible. The author went ahead and killed some animals (quite terribly) to prove her point.
I give the book 3 stars because of the unpredictability of the plot. The one thought I held throughout the book was "where is the plot headed?"
I couldn't love any of the characters, but I couldn't hate them either because they acted like confused chickens right from the start.
Magical Realism lovers can give it a go, but definitely at your own risk.
I wish this book make a little more sense to me. Magical Realism is either being taken for granted, or my stupid brain needs to read between the lines (something I hate doing, especially when the book isn't a classic).
Julie's dad- a Gulf war veteran, has PTSD. He lost one of his arms in the war, but that isn't the worst that has happened to him. He saw his favorite dog die, and couldn't do anything to save her. He also saw his wife die. All of which left his brain exposed to suicidal thoughts, but he raised Julie responsibly.
In a parallel world, dead animals are showing up, out of nowhere. Which (supposedly) means that they choose to die rather than suffer (something Marty, Julie's dad should do too).
While Julie tries to convince her dad to live, another woman from Marty's past tries to tell him that it takes a great deal of courage to kill oneself and that Marty should do it.
The central goal of this book is to talk about death in all the strange ways possible. The author went ahead and killed some animals (quite terribly) to prove her point.
I give the book 3 stars because of the unpredictability of the plot. The one thought I held throughout the book was "where is the plot headed?"
I couldn't love any of the characters, but I couldn't hate them either because they acted like confused chickens right from the start.
Magical Realism lovers can give it a go, but definitely at your own risk.
December 11, 2018
This book was SAD. And funny at times, but yeah, sad, heavy, weird. I like weird though. It got a little fuzzy for me in some places, and I have some questions that I feel weren't answered or fully explained even by the fact that it's magical realism.. and I wish JLL hadn't had sex with Marty, even though I guess it was in-character. It was already a dark, stomach-turny book without that detail, and I don't think it added much to the story.
Some scenes swept me away: JLL's concerts, Marty and Nancy's suicide attempt, Midge's imagined breakdown. And Julie felt believable, if a little blurry around the edges (maybe that helps to put yourself in her shoes?).
Sad, weird, heavy, with a dash of nihilistic humor.
Some scenes swept me away: JLL's concerts, Marty and Nancy's suicide attempt, Midge's imagined breakdown. And Julie felt believable, if a little blurry around the edges (maybe that helps to put yourself in her shoes?).
Sad, weird, heavy, with a dash of nihilistic humor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2018
Melancholy + magical realism + animals should have been a winner for me, but alas, this book did not hit the right notes for me.
Also: I bet the Instagram-swirly-handwriting-script cover art and chapter title fonts will seem very dated in a very short amount of time.
Also: I bet the Instagram-swirly-handwriting-script cover art and chapter title fonts will seem very dated in a very short amount of time.
August 8, 2023
Skimmed the last half of the book, so kind of a dnf.
It was weird, and not in a good way. A whale breaches, Marty fries things at his restaurant, his daughter tries to help him cope with his life, his former lover’s daughter comes into town to help him die. Marty also tells a story about a dog he once had. It does not end pleasantly. Animals die in strange ways.
This sad little town seems as awful as the stench of the rotting whale carcass that permeates the air. A lot of heavy topics, yet seemingly devoid of emotion.
It was a chore to pick it up and read.
It was weird, and not in a good way. A whale breaches, Marty fries things at his restaurant, his daughter tries to help him cope with his life, his former lover’s daughter comes into town to help him die. Marty also tells a story about a dog he once had. It does not end pleasantly. Animals die in strange ways.
This sad little town seems as awful as the stench of the rotting whale carcass that permeates the air. A lot of heavy topics, yet seemingly devoid of emotion.
It was a chore to pick it up and read.
June 14, 2018
Wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but it turned out to be heartbreakingly lovely.
October 24, 2017
An interesting look at ptsd. There were moments I l liked, but overall this just didn't speak to me. I pushed through only out of obligation. I otherwise would have stopped around halfway.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2019
I came across Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale when I received a copy of it in a ‘loot bag’ from a bookish event here in Calgary last year (yes, they exist, although these super fun events are few and far between!). It sat on my shelf until recently, but I had been meaning to pick it up for a few months now after it appeared on the shortlist for the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize. Sadly, it didn’t win, but I’m hoping it did enjoy a boost in sales because this novel surely deserves the attention.
The story begins with a somewhat momentous event-a large blue whale beaches itself, then dies. Thus begins a torrent of animal suicides; birds flying into buildings, racoons throwing themselves under cars, even a moose running straight into a glass storefront! While this is happening in the background, the reader is focused on Julie Bird and her ailing father Marty Bird. He fought in the Gulf War and has suffered debilitating PTSD ever since, and Julie has left her busy life behind to move back in with her father in an attempt to help. Strangely, a woman named JLL, who is also a Jerry Lee Lewis impersonator has also swept into this small town, performing at Marty’s fish and chips shop to an incredibly rabid and increasingly large group of fans. While we follow Julie, Marty and JLL during this strange time in their lives, we also experience Marty’s flashbacks to his younger years before Julie was born, which gradually explain JLL’s appearance in the present.
Although this novel verges on the realm of magic realism when considering the strange animal behaviour, it continually pulls us back to a strong literary atmosphere that centers on the complicated relationship between father and adult daughter. JLL comes to Port Braid with some shocking insight about Marty, and Julie struggles with this newfound knowledge, resistant to giving in to what Marty truly wants. Their treatment of each other is at times unbelievable, but this is true of most families, so I think their interactions are realistic and will ring true for many readers.
One thing that I found myself nodding my head to was Julie’s observation that she tends to revert to her younger self, completing only one chore a day while home, yet being an extremely busy and efficient person otherwise. I’m the exact same way-when I go home to visit my Dad time slows down, I find myself sitting (or more likely lying down) on the same couch I wasted hours of my teenage years on. Why does this happen? Can anyone else relate to this?
While the family interactions are jarring, the writing is anything but. I love this one line that describes Julie’s thoughts while observing the ill-fated blue whale swim beneath the boat she’s on:
“Julie had the urge to jump over the railing and ride the whale to the bottom of the sea, swinging a seaweed cowboy hat over her head” (p. 7 of ARC).
Good writing, introspective yet engaging plot and a magical tale that’s firmly rooted in reality; no wonder this book was shortlisted for a major award last year!
To read my other reviews please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
The story begins with a somewhat momentous event-a large blue whale beaches itself, then dies. Thus begins a torrent of animal suicides; birds flying into buildings, racoons throwing themselves under cars, even a moose running straight into a glass storefront! While this is happening in the background, the reader is focused on Julie Bird and her ailing father Marty Bird. He fought in the Gulf War and has suffered debilitating PTSD ever since, and Julie has left her busy life behind to move back in with her father in an attempt to help. Strangely, a woman named JLL, who is also a Jerry Lee Lewis impersonator has also swept into this small town, performing at Marty’s fish and chips shop to an incredibly rabid and increasingly large group of fans. While we follow Julie, Marty and JLL during this strange time in their lives, we also experience Marty’s flashbacks to his younger years before Julie was born, which gradually explain JLL’s appearance in the present.
Although this novel verges on the realm of magic realism when considering the strange animal behaviour, it continually pulls us back to a strong literary atmosphere that centers on the complicated relationship between father and adult daughter. JLL comes to Port Braid with some shocking insight about Marty, and Julie struggles with this newfound knowledge, resistant to giving in to what Marty truly wants. Their treatment of each other is at times unbelievable, but this is true of most families, so I think their interactions are realistic and will ring true for many readers.
One thing that I found myself nodding my head to was Julie’s observation that she tends to revert to her younger self, completing only one chore a day while home, yet being an extremely busy and efficient person otherwise. I’m the exact same way-when I go home to visit my Dad time slows down, I find myself sitting (or more likely lying down) on the same couch I wasted hours of my teenage years on. Why does this happen? Can anyone else relate to this?
While the family interactions are jarring, the writing is anything but. I love this one line that describes Julie’s thoughts while observing the ill-fated blue whale swim beneath the boat she’s on:
“Julie had the urge to jump over the railing and ride the whale to the bottom of the sea, swinging a seaweed cowboy hat over her head” (p. 7 of ARC).
Good writing, introspective yet engaging plot and a magical tale that’s firmly rooted in reality; no wonder this book was shortlisted for a major award last year!
To read my other reviews please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
December 22, 2017
I received this ARC free through NetGalley in exchange for my review. This one didn’t work for me, and I struggled to finish it. The story was very disjointed and the plot did not make sense to me overall. I wasn’t sure if this was a story about a man’s struggles with PTSD or his daughter’s return home. The magical realism elements didn’t seem central to the story but only thrown in for effect. Characters were somewhat underdeveloped.
June 15, 2018
I love magic realism. I don’t like it when there isn’t logic to it. That may seem antithetical, but within whatever world you create, there has to be internal logic that makes sense to the characters, the world itself, and the characters. I’m not sure that Land Mammals and Sea Creatures possesses that. It is in full-force... I don't want to call it absurdity, but maybe just convolution??... which is quite relentless on the reader to a point of fault. There is no return and no explanation - and that explanation doesn’t have to make sense to our reality, but it DOES need to make sense in the book’s fantastical reality. Disappointing. 🐋 and a half whales out of 5.
March 31, 2019
Strange and a bit dark, this book falls a little short for me of the four stars I've here given it -- there's some undefinable quality about the really polished books that this one's missing, though it's close -- but it was well worth a read.
July 27, 2018
Do you have a book club? Does it like to read those kind of obscure books that put metaphors and symbolism over...say, making sense and calls itself meaningful? Yea, that's Land Mammals and Sea Creatures. I can see some literary book clubs that appreciate teasing out nuances liking this.
Me? I really just wanted to know what was happening with the animals and why no one seemed to investigate it, why JJL was so all knowing as a child and then as an adult, what was happening at the shows, and why no one ever tried get Marty into therapy if he'd been suicidal for almost 30 years. I actually really like Magical Realism, but I'm not willing to let it explain away everything. I still want answers in of some sort in the end.
I thought the writing was pretty. I love the cover. I liked some of the characters, especially Alan (the probably gay friend of Marty who'd spent Julie's whole life stepping up to father on the side). But overall this book was a bust for me.
Me? I really just wanted to know what was happening with the animals and why no one seemed to investigate it, why JJL was so all knowing as a child and then as an adult, what was happening at the shows, and why no one ever tried get Marty into therapy if he'd been suicidal for almost 30 years. I actually really like Magical Realism, but I'm not willing to let it explain away everything. I still want answers in of some sort in the end.
I thought the writing was pretty. I love the cover. I liked some of the characters, especially Alan (the probably gay friend of Marty who'd spent Julie's whole life stepping up to father on the side). But overall this book was a bust for me.
January 13, 2024
I urge everyone to look up the triggers before reading this book. Oh and also read the description that’s with the book. Unfortunately this book is a DNF for me. Just because this book wasn’t for me does not mean that it may not be the book for you.
I mainly picked up this book because it stated it was in the magical realism sub-genre (my favorite genre). For reading roughly 40% of the book I can tell you that none of it was magical realism. Also although suicide is not so triggering for me but the amount it was mentioned and watching a characters demise was too much for me. And the act and thought of suicide was not just 1 character, it was a couple. I had to draw the line somewhere. I found myself forcing myself to read the book and that’s why I had to stop. I really wanted to like the book and I love to support new authors but I will have to try her next book she will put out eventually.
I mainly picked up this book because it stated it was in the magical realism sub-genre (my favorite genre). For reading roughly 40% of the book I can tell you that none of it was magical realism. Also although suicide is not so triggering for me but the amount it was mentioned and watching a characters demise was too much for me. And the act and thought of suicide was not just 1 character, it was a couple. I had to draw the line somewhere. I found myself forcing myself to read the book and that’s why I had to stop. I really wanted to like the book and I love to support new authors but I will have to try her next book she will put out eventually.
January 25, 2021
In this novel, a blue whale beaches itself near a small town in British Columbia where Julie has come to try and help her father Marty who is suffering from PTSD. The whale is only the first (and biggest) creature to turn up dead, and the characters seem to trail suicidal wildlife wherever they go. The whale brings together Marty, Julie, and JLL, a Jerry Lee Louis impersonator whose performances at Marty's bar unleash all kinds of impulses among the townspeople.
This was a strange book, with characters that spent a lot of time being unpleasant, getting drunk, trying to save people or animals that might or might not want saving, and trying to avoid stepping on emotional land mines from the past.
The premise of the story was intriguing, but after a while, the sheer number of dead critters made the book feel surreal.
This was a strange book, with characters that spent a lot of time being unpleasant, getting drunk, trying to save people or animals that might or might not want saving, and trying to avoid stepping on emotional land mines from the past.
The premise of the story was intriguing, but after a while, the sheer number of dead critters made the book feel surreal.
April 21, 2024
Warning: Look up the trigger warnings before reading.
Julie returns to her hometown island to care for her father, Marty, for a few months. The trip begins with a blue whale beaching itself on the beach and slowly decaying over the summer. This sets off a chain of strange events as more animals seem to commit suicide. Marty’s PTSD and suicidal thoughts have become to overwhelm him and Julie must face the grim truth.
I find it really hard to describe magical realism books. They are slow burns you read to just relax into and forget the world. No grand adventure, no true conflict. All the characters are quirky and strange. Even the town evolves into a weird mob, probably affected by the whale’s rotting stench.
I’m heartbroken for Julie and cried for Marty. This book touches on such a sensitive topic I’m not sure how to continue this review.
Julie returns to her hometown island to care for her father, Marty, for a few months. The trip begins with a blue whale beaching itself on the beach and slowly decaying over the summer. This sets off a chain of strange events as more animals seem to commit suicide. Marty’s PTSD and suicidal thoughts have become to overwhelm him and Julie must face the grim truth.
I find it really hard to describe magical realism books. They are slow burns you read to just relax into and forget the world. No grand adventure, no true conflict. All the characters are quirky and strange. Even the town evolves into a weird mob, probably affected by the whale’s rotting stench.
I’m heartbroken for Julie and cried for Marty. This book touches on such a sensitive topic I’m not sure how to continue this review.
June 13, 2024
Boo. I gave this book the benefit of the doubt after reading some mixed reviews but honestly the entire book was so bad. So so bad. I got through three quarters of it and almost had to stop but told myself that it had potential to redeem itself in the last 70 pages. It did not redeem itself. It fell fat on its face.
The book romanticized suicide which I don't think is something that should be done. Many people struggle with mental illness and need help. The unnecessary sex scenes between some guy and a woman then years later he sleeps with that woman's daughter right before he kills himself. It didn't add to the storyline or character development. It just felt gross and unnecessary.
I hate to put such a poor review on someone's piece of work but there are millions of other books that would actually be worth the time reading. I'm sorry but this book wasn't worth the time.
The book romanticized suicide which I don't think is something that should be done. Many people struggle with mental illness and need help. The unnecessary sex scenes between some guy and a woman then years later he sleeps with that woman's daughter right before he kills himself. It didn't add to the storyline or character development. It just felt gross and unnecessary.
I hate to put such a poor review on someone's piece of work but there are millions of other books that would actually be worth the time reading. I'm sorry but this book wasn't worth the time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2021
Hmm...what to say...so the book is about animal suicides. Each chapter (per the title) is about an animal that 'commits suicide'. The story revolves around a twenty something Canadian who visits her somewhat estranged father at the small hometown fishing village. The whole book you know he has PTSD from some tragic event, he's a war veteran, but the story is spliced with a trip with his dog in the Southwestern United States in 1992.
Anyways the theme and author's viewpoint are not subtle at all- in fact I'd say they are as obvious and unavoidable as a decaying blue whale. Some of the passages are well-written, however I personally wish the story was a little more fleshed out (pun intended). If you don't like graphic animal deaths---this is definately not for you.
Anyways the theme and author's viewpoint are not subtle at all- in fact I'd say they are as obvious and unavoidable as a decaying blue whale. Some of the passages are well-written, however I personally wish the story was a little more fleshed out (pun intended). If you don't like graphic animal deaths---this is definately not for you.
February 5, 2018
*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review*
A story of love, grief, animals, lone adventures, and strange friendships. This story tells the tale of PTSD suffering Marty, his recently returned daughter Julie, and the strange celebrity impersonator who turn up in a small town in BC.
I am not too sure what to think about this book. While I enjoyed many of the philosophical and moral debates about animals, humanity, and suicide that are scattered throughout the story I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. I liked them enough that I kept reading and wanted to know what would happen to them, but I didn't find myself drawn to any of them emotionally.
A story of love, grief, animals, lone adventures, and strange friendships. This story tells the tale of PTSD suffering Marty, his recently returned daughter Julie, and the strange celebrity impersonator who turn up in a small town in BC.
I am not too sure what to think about this book. While I enjoyed many of the philosophical and moral debates about animals, humanity, and suicide that are scattered throughout the story I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. I liked them enough that I kept reading and wanted to know what would happen to them, but I didn't find myself drawn to any of them emotionally.
December 12, 2017
I received a free copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really really struggled to get through this one. I just couldn't get into the story because it felt really disjointed to me and jumped around a bit too much. I couldn't identify with any of the characters and half the time their actions seemed a bit over the top. I felt like I was missing something important, that there was some deeper meaning that I was missing. Maybe it's just me. It was a interesting look at PTSD though.
It was a short novel, but a really long heavy read.
I really really struggled to get through this one. I just couldn't get into the story because it felt really disjointed to me and jumped around a bit too much. I couldn't identify with any of the characters and half the time their actions seemed a bit over the top. I felt like I was missing something important, that there was some deeper meaning that I was missing. Maybe it's just me. It was a interesting look at PTSD though.
It was a short novel, but a really long heavy read.
August 18, 2018
This book was difficult to read. I felt that the flow was off and that the connection to suicidal animals was never addressed fully. I did not like the message the author was clearly communicating by the way she choose to end the story. The novel was meant to address real life, but the ending did not end the way it should have in that context. Definitely felt like some sort of spiritual or metaphysical aspect was attempting to be addressed, but never quite got there fully for me.
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