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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
*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.
I revived them all.
Imagined them coming to life
with the magic of taxidermy,
which didn't just preserve--
but brought them back
from the dead.
The Art of Taxidermy is a novel written in free verse about grief and loss and death, and its depiction of these topics is so raw and honest. There's a lot of morbidity in this book--how could there not be when it's about amateur taxidermy?--but ultimately it offers optimism and healing and the idea that life can come from death, in a way. The Art of Taxidermy is real and beautifully written.
One of the things I appreciated about this book is that it discusses the complexities of grief and how much it can twist your entire world upside down. After the death of her mother and sister, Lottie develops a morbid fascination with dead animals. It doesn't stem from violence; it stems from her need to understand death.
There's lots of interesting discussions of binary thinking in this book: masculinity vs. femininity, death vs. life, black vs. white, and the author tries to break these down through showing Lottie's opposition to her aunt, who keeps trying to steer her away from her fascination with science and dead animals and onto more "girlish" things like sewing (but unknowingly gives her the tools to proceed in amateur taxidermy). Lottie gives life to dead animals through trying to preserve them. Also, her friendship with an Australian Aboriginal boy factors into this as well, but a he's a minor character in the whole scheme of things.
Even though this book was beautifully written and raised a lot of interesting questions, I didn't find myself interested in what was going on most of the time. A lot of the book seems repetitive--Lottie sees dead animals, brings them home, and her aunt gets angry at her and her father encourages her. While this is meant to show a longstanding fascination with death it gets tiring after a while.
All in all I think this is a well-written free-verse book that will probably be enjoyed by those who like poetry and words more than the plot and characters.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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So not I'm not going to lie, this book was. beautifully written but I didn't enjoy that it was written in verse. Now this is a personal preference, I just have never really read a book in verse and realized I didn't like it. The story overall though was touching and explored grief and how everyone's expresses it differently. So while this book wasn't for me it was still a good book.
I started this less than 3 hours ago and I am already finished...
All I can say right now is that I absolutely loved this book. Exploring themes of death, family and what encompasses friendship, The Art of Taxidermy kept me enthralled from start to finish.
Beautifully written in verse, the story flows seamlessly, detailing Charlotte's journey through her world. On multiple occassions, I had to take a moment as my heart was ripped from my chest with sorrow.
Never having been a fan of poetry, I think this may be my favourite novel so far this year. I highly recommend it
All I can say right now is that I absolutely loved this book. Exploring themes of death, family and what encompasses friendship, The Art of Taxidermy kept me enthralled from start to finish.
Beautifully written in verse, the story flows seamlessly, detailing Charlotte's journey through her world. On multiple occassions, I had to take a moment as my heart was ripped from my chest with sorrow.
Never having been a fan of poetry, I think this may be my favourite novel so far this year. I highly recommend it
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
God this was amazing. This is exactly the type of atmosphere that I look for in creepy poetry collections or novels. I especially enjoyed the build-up towards the narrator's ultimate goal of becoming a taxidermist. The combination of grief and abandonment made this poetry collection incredibly moving.
Lottie is a girl who, in hindsight, has lost both her mother and her sister. To cope with their loss, she goes out and finds dead animals to keep in her room to watch as they turn to dust. Throughout the novel, we meet other characters such as her father, aunt Hilda and her grandmother, who all, except her father really, are opposed to Lottie's obsession with dead animals and taxidermy. Then there's also a boy in her school, Jeffrey, who turns out to be one of the few who isn't repelled by her interests.
As I said, the mix of life and death, of beauty and the macabre, turned out to be a really good match for me. However, do be aware that the author has used very vivid macabre imagery when describing the dead animals, so I'd say you need to be aware of this trigger warning while reading.
"It is only death.
It is not the end!
The dead are gone--
not forgotten.
We all die.
It's a part of life."
God this was amazing. This is exactly the type of atmosphere that I look for in creepy poetry collections or novels. I especially enjoyed the build-up towards the narrator's ultimate goal of becoming a taxidermist. The combination of grief and abandonment made this poetry collection incredibly moving.
Lottie is a girl who, in hindsight, has lost both her mother and her sister. To cope with their loss, she goes out and finds dead animals to keep in her room to watch as they turn to dust. Throughout the novel, we meet other characters such as her father, aunt Hilda and her grandmother, who all, except her father really, are opposed to Lottie's obsession with dead animals and taxidermy. Then there's also a boy in her school, Jeffrey, who turns out to be one of the few who isn't repelled by her interests.
As I said, the mix of life and death, of beauty and the macabre, turned out to be a really good match for me. However, do be aware that the author has used very vivid macabre imagery when describing the dead animals, so I'd say you need to be aware of this trigger warning while reading.
This book was strange and sad and wonderful, an odd subject matter and a sweet journey and not what I expected at all. The poetic sort of way it was set out was lovely and different, the characters were sympathetic and quietly complex, the descriptions were romantic even as they were about death and decay. I didn’t expect to love it, but I did.
maybe im just emotional rn but this made me cry so hard i felt like throwing up
A short story in prose poetry that can be read in one afternoon. The content includes WWII internment of Australians and family tragedy. It portrays a German migrant family. A pretty story in a pretty jacket and a novel, interesting format whose end message that taxidermy is spiritual as well as scientific in its attempt to resurrect the dead seems to fall short of the expected message. There's also a missed opportunity to bring attention to another historical injustice. The author stops at making the similarity between migrant and First Australians being othered by mainstream Australia, but doesn't mention the Stolen Generations like it does internment despite it being an important part of a supporting character's backstory. Maybe its common knowledge for Australian schoolkids, but it may show the author's disinterrest to go deeper into her theme because she doesn't know to avoid food similies when describing her First Nations character.
It could have been a stronger story by embracing its themes and taking it's message further to a more meaningful conclusion. However, the format, Australian setting, depiction of a migrant Australian family and gruesome taxidermological descriptions make this worth a read.
It could have been a stronger story by embracing its themes and taking it's message further to a more meaningful conclusion. However, the format, Australian setting, depiction of a migrant Australian family and gruesome taxidermological descriptions make this worth a read.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“In those delicate bones and teeth were the elements and minerals of stars and stardust and all of the people I ever loved.”
I enjoyed this book more than I thought. I appreciate its realistic outlook on death and grief and how there is beauty in death and love in grief and nothing macabre or to be ashamed of in honouring the dead.
It is interesting that it is set in australia, that there’s discussions of ww2, of indigenous australians, of all these things laced in amongst Lottie’s exploration of death and taxidermy.
The way we do not know about Annie until significantly far into the book. The way Lottie’s history is told to us in vignettes, like the photos.
I liked parts of it deeply, and feel like it does such justice to the complexity of grief and mourning. The poetic format of it doesn’t necessarily add much for me, sometimes wishing for longer chapters and more in depth paragraphs to find out more!!
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated