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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
a sweet, melancholy little book. it’s amazing how much soul can be put into such a condensed form of story. really beautiful.
On the blurb I was told that The Art of Taxidermy was a book about grief. I didn't feel like it was over the top with it but it did talk about it a bit. Only by the end did I realise the reason why the main character was doing taxidermy was to connect with her mum. I wasn't really fazed by the book but then again I believe I never really connect to any poetry book. Or at least thus far. I'll keep this review as short as possible but I did enjoy the taxidermy and how that was portrayed. I just wish there was more substance to the characters. I didn't feel any connection to them which I must admit is the winning factor to any book in my opinion.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.2 STARS
ACTUAL RATING: 3.2 STARS
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
*Thank you NetGalley and Text Publishing for an advance digital copy.*
Simply put, this is a gorgeous story told in verse about a girl dealing with loss. However, I think it is so much more than that.
Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of poems or stories told in verse. I find them to be boring and try-hard or pretentious. However, this was not that. This read like a story but since it was told in verse, the word choices had to have more of an impact and be more meaningful. Sharon Kernot does a fantastic job with her word choice. The concept of taxidermy and the art of it in relation to dealing with death was spot on and there were some moments while reading that I thought were exquisitely and beautifully written.
This book has so much potential for use in English classes and opens up for ideas and discussions about verse writing, death, war, and family dynamics.
Simply put, this is a gorgeous story told in verse about a girl dealing with loss. However, I think it is so much more than that.
Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of poems or stories told in verse. I find them to be boring and try-hard or pretentious. However, this was not that. This read like a story but since it was told in verse, the word choices had to have more of an impact and be more meaningful. Sharon Kernot does a fantastic job with her word choice. The concept of taxidermy and the art of it in relation to dealing with death was spot on and there were some moments while reading that I thought were exquisitely and beautifully written.
This book has so much potential for use in English classes and opens up for ideas and discussions about verse writing, death, war, and family dynamics.
Beautiful writing, beautiful story of loss and steps the characters take to heal and find themselves again.
I LOVED this book! This is the first I've read that is written in verse so I had no expectations going in, especially as I don't usually enjoy modern poetry. However, I was really interested in the subject matter of taxidermy as I love nature and volunteer in the natural history exhibits at my local museum, so have an active interest in a career as a taxidermist. And this is what I ended up loving most about this book - the descriptions of nature and wildlife, especially as I have little knowledge of Australian natural history so it was really interesting to learn about the different birds they have there compared to my home country of Wales. I also loved how it shed light on a career that no one ever talks about and is usually shied away from as something cruel and barbaric - it shows that no, taxidermy is not cruel or barbaric at all, but important in terms of science, education, and at its base, as an art form. I enjoyed following the main character, Lottie's, journey to a career as a taxidermist, how she kept going despite others not believing in her and judging her for what she loved, and how she became a master of her art through sheer passion. The discussion surrounding grief, and how Lottie used taxidermy as a coping mechanism that eventually helped her to move on, was done really well. The family dynamics were also amazing - I felt connected not just to Lottie but to her father, aunt, and nan as well. I was also not expecting the discussions around German, Italian and Japanese internment camps in Australia during WW2, and how innocent people were treated terribly by the Australian government, which I never knew about but am glad to learn. The treatment of Aboriginal people disused through the character of Jeffrey was also treated brilliantly, specifically the removal of Aboriginal children from their families to foster parents who often treated them horribly. This book covered so many important topics so well in such a short number of pages AND in verse, which I usually find distances me from the characters, setting, and themes, but in this case did the opposite. It is a beautiful book, both in terms of the writing and subject matter, to the lovely illustrations of plants both on the cover and throughout the book itself. I would highly recommend, even if, like me, you do not read poetry, and especially if you are a nature lover, are currently grieving yourself, or are interested in Australian history. 5 out of 5 stars and I will be buying a physical copy of The Art of Taxidermy when it is released in August!
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A beautiful reflection on death and grief and finding beauty in unusual places.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs
This is one of the few non-SFF novels that will appear on this blog, but like the main character, I have a fascination with death and so when a title like The Art of Taxidermy appeared on NetGalley, I knew I just had to read it. What I did not expect was that this novel is actually a collection of poetry that together make-up one complete story: a story about a girl who experiences death too early in her life and finds herself inexplicably drawn to dead animals at a young age, much to the chagrin of her aunt. The book itself is a quick read, but it packs quite an emotional punch that I was not expecting to hit on a flight at 2AM. The cast of characters around Charlotte, our young taxidermist-to-be, become quite well fleshed-out and very realistic. Primarily, this book deals with grief, and how different people handle it, and how they let it change their behavior. I won't spoil anything, but this ending is happily ever after. Overall, I rate this book a 4/5.
Your dark eyes
Your dark hair
The ruby lips, the shape
Of your face
Your everything
is hers-
Your mother's.
You are a gift
And a curse.
I can't believe I finished this book so quickly. Once I got used to the style of verse, I just tore through the pages. This is not a long book by any means, but it delivers a rich story nonetheless. I identify with Lottie so much that I felt her anger at her aunt and her helplessness to stop the destruction of the animals.
People deal with death differently. People view death differently. And that's ok.
Your dark hair
The ruby lips, the shape
Of your face
Your everything
is hers-
Your mother's.
You are a gift
And a curse.
I can't believe I finished this book so quickly. Once I got used to the style of verse, I just tore through the pages. This is not a long book by any means, but it delivers a rich story nonetheless. I identify with Lottie so much that I felt her anger at her aunt and her helplessness to stop the destruction of the animals.
People deal with death differently. People view death differently. And that's ok.