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okiecozyreader's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
Like everyone else has said, this is a very quirky book. There are multiple animal sections, each introduction by an animal (from the collection of Ernest Baynes, “the real-life Doctor Doolittle who was a naturalist for [Corbin] Park.”) from the Author’s Note. The author came upon a mansion in Newport, NH which spanned 26,000 acres and was filled with animals from all over the world.
Emma Starling returns home after deciding not to pursue a career in medicine and finds her dad suffering from dementia, her mother burned out, her brother recovering from addiction, and her best friend from high school missing. She realizes she has missed a lot of their lives, and there is a lot that she can do to help.
Through the story (told in 3rd person), random, sometimes humorous, discussion points are raised by those in the cemetery with their lifespans in parenthesis.
“…not knowing what happens next and the fear associated with the not-knowing, that uncertainty and anticipation is what makes us human.” Ch 6
“Oh man, we thought at Maple Street, how we missed the excruciating pain of being alive.” Ch 37
“Even if Crystal Nash was never found, she wasn’t forgotten in Everton. She wasn’t invisible. She was everywhere.” Ch 52
Emma Starling returns home after deciding not to pursue a career in medicine and finds her dad suffering from dementia, her mother burned out, her brother recovering from addiction, and her best friend from high school missing. She realizes she has missed a lot of their lives, and there is a lot that she can do to help.
Through the story (told in 3rd person), random, sometimes humorous, discussion points are raised by those in the cemetery with their lifespans in parenthesis.
“…not knowing what happens next and the fear associated with the not-knowing, that uncertainty and anticipation is what makes us human.” Ch 6
“Oh man, we thought at Maple Street, how we missed the excruciating pain of being alive.” Ch 37
“Even if Crystal Nash was never found, she wasn’t forgotten in Everton. She wasn’t invisible. She was everywhere.” Ch 52
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Terminal illness
Minor: Confinement
galexy_brain's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Never has a book made me cry in one paragraph and laugh in the next. Wish there was more payoff and explanation for why E.H.B. was able to/decided to haunt Cliff Starling in particular.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Chronic illness, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Drug use
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
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