Unlikely Animals

I read this as part of a book club and I'm so glad I did! The characters are complex and endearing and more, and the author does a great job of interweaving their stories. This one has a mystery to solve, a dash of magical realism thrown in, themes of family and home and friendship and addiction and community. It is a good story that is well-crafted and there is so so much to discuss it is an excellent selection for a group!

First of all, I'm so thankful to Ballantine Books via NetGalley for letting me read Unlikely Animals before it comes out. This was one of my favorites of the year so far!

I tend to really enjoy books with quirkiness done well, and this one just hits that out of the park. I mean, it's narrated by the ghosts of people in the town who've died and are now buried in the town's graveyard. One of the main characters sees and interacts with a ghost (and not-real animals), and another main character is doing her job of teaching a group of endearing 5th graders without any prior experience (or education) in education.

All of that made this story so unique, fun, funny, and heartwarming. If you've read Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, I'd compare this book to that one in terms of quirkiness and endearing-ness.

I think my favorite character in this story was Clive. He continue losing some of his cognitive function to a brain disease as the book goes on, but he's just the most interesting guy with a heart of gold. I loved that he told his daughter to do a C-average job at teaching the kids so nobody expected too much of her. And of course, the fact that he interacts with a ghost on a daily basis makes him rather interesting.

Here's my full review: https://literaryquicksand.com/2022/03/review-unlikely-animals-by-annie-hartnett/