Scan barcode
sashquatchsoup714's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
itputsthebookupontheshelf's review
4.0
This book was so interesting and crazy. I was highly entertained from start to finish.
First, we met Jo, who was raised by her aunt after her mother goes missing and is never found, just after she is born. I loved Jo's story and how she would always escape into the night to run the woods with the sister that no one ever knew existed and never believed was real. You almost don't really know if her sister is real through most of the book since everyone, including her aunt and best friend, keeps telling her she is crazy and to stop making up stories.
Lee has been living in the woods since she was born. She sleeps, eats, and survives on her own. She never even knew she had a sister until she was five years old. She just showed up one day.
Aunt Aggie, her grandmother, and the rest of the town have always believed that Jo's mother was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and brother. They turned on the brothers even though there was never a body and never proof of what happened.
I won't give away the rest of the story, but I loved how the girl's stories unfold and the truths that are found out on everyone's part. Even the pastor, who is always trying to "save" Jo from turning out like her mother.
This story is heavy and sad at times, but learning the truth and watching them find their way was well worth the crazy up's and down's. My heart raced and ached for these girls. But my heart also filled with joy at the unconditional love they had for one another.
**Audiobook Review**
Jenna Lamia was the perfect narrator for this story. I felt she portrayed the girls perfectly as far as age and the different voices she used for them. She also used different voices for other characters that really brought the story to life.
Lamia knew just when to up the anti, and it was a huge reason I enjoyed the book so much. Though I think my heart would have been pounding from the book alone, Lamia knew how to liven up the action and make you feel as if you were right there in it.
I look forward to listening to other books narrated by Jenna Lamia in the future.
First, we met Jo, who was raised by her aunt after her mother goes missing and is never found, just after she is born. I loved Jo's story and how she would always escape into the night to run the woods with the sister that no one ever knew existed and never believed was real. You almost don't really know if her sister is real through most of the book since everyone, including her aunt and best friend, keeps telling her she is crazy and to stop making up stories.
Lee has been living in the woods since she was born. She sleeps, eats, and survives on her own. She never even knew she had a sister until she was five years old. She just showed up one day.
Aunt Aggie, her grandmother, and the rest of the town have always believed that Jo's mother was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and brother. They turned on the brothers even though there was never a body and never proof of what happened.
I won't give away the rest of the story, but I loved how the girl's stories unfold and the truths that are found out on everyone's part. Even the pastor, who is always trying to "save" Jo from turning out like her mother.
This story is heavy and sad at times, but learning the truth and watching them find their way was well worth the crazy up's and down's. My heart raced and ached for these girls. But my heart also filled with joy at the unconditional love they had for one another.
**Audiobook Review**
Jenna Lamia was the perfect narrator for this story. I felt she portrayed the girls perfectly as far as age and the different voices she used for them. She also used different voices for other characters that really brought the story to life.
Lamia knew just when to up the anti, and it was a huge reason I enjoyed the book so much. Though I think my heart would have been pounding from the book alone, Lamia knew how to liven up the action and make you feel as if you were right there in it.
I look forward to listening to other books narrated by Jenna Lamia in the future.
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Some Kind of Animal was an okay book for me. At first, I didn't really have any expectations for this thing.. I just wanted to like it. Which I di.. I just wanted to like it more than I actually did. Ya know?
No idea if that makes sense, but when you meet Jolene you feel bad for her. Not going to lie, her life was completely messed up. Yet, she ends up meeting her twin during the book. Again, it was interesting but it was also really weird at the same time. I just feel like I wasn't truly connecting with the characters in this book.
Heck, even the entire plot of this book was hard to understand. Or maybe it was the lack of coffee/sleep for me? Don't really know but it was just a weird book overall.
Some Kind of Animal was an okay book for me. At first, I didn't really have any expectations for this thing.. I just wanted to like it. Which I di.. I just wanted to like it more than I actually did. Ya know?
No idea if that makes sense, but when you meet Jolene you feel bad for her. Not going to lie, her life was completely messed up. Yet, she ends up meeting her twin during the book. Again, it was interesting but it was also really weird at the same time. I just feel like I wasn't truly connecting with the characters in this book.
Heck, even the entire plot of this book was hard to understand. Or maybe it was the lack of coffee/sleep for me? Don't really know but it was just a weird book overall.
where_the_pages_bleed's review
2.0
So.. what in the fuckety childhood fantasies of running away did I just read???
mellabella's review
3.0
I went into this book expecting something different. I also went into it thinking that Jo would be suffering from a mental illness and her sister was imagined... Or maybe Jo's sister as an evil twin.
Welp!
Jo is 15. She is being raised by her aunt Aggie (even though her abusive, hard ass grandmother Margaret has legal custody) in a small town.
She has been failing classes because she has been "running" with her feral sister Lee at night. For years.
The best part of the book for me was Lee's story unfolding... What Really Happened to their mother - Although now deceased. Not murdered like everyone thought. A mother who obviously needed help even before getting pregnant at 15. I wish a little clarification about who their father was could have been slipped in there as well. But you can't win them all.
My issues were:
So, at 5 you peek out and see a little girl who resembles you a great deal, and you just kind of go with the flow and jump out of the window? 5 years olds are stealthy. But, maybe not that stealthy.
15 is very young. Poor life choices abound. But it's also old enough to know that Lee living in the forest flea and tick bitten with one meal compromised of squirrel or rabbit? A day (and seemingly malnourished) with no care and treatment (until we learn that she does have somewhat of a place to go if she chose) is a no go. She wasn't "free". She was feral.
If my niece told me she had a sister in the woods, we'd have to check things out. Why did it take Lee attacking the Reverend to get everyones attention? Am I the only one that initially got perv vibes from him or nah?
The middle (maybe a little after the middle) to ending... FFS! Savannah is an unsung hero in this book. At 15 I can remember saying to a friend "You're setting yourself up for failure.". But if she tried to involve me in illegal hijinks? It'd be a hard pass.
Also the phrase "You're weird" is grossly overused.
Don't go into this thinking it has a YA thriller/horror vibe. It doesn't. It's still an engaging read. So it might be up your alley.
Welp!
Jo is 15. She is being raised by her aunt Aggie (even though her abusive, hard ass grandmother Margaret has legal custody) in a small town.
She has been failing classes because she has been "running" with her feral sister Lee at night. For years.
The best part of the book for me was Lee's story unfolding... What Really Happened to their mother - Although now deceased. Not murdered like everyone thought. A mother who obviously needed help even before getting pregnant at 15. I wish a little clarification about who their father was could have been slipped in there as well. But you can't win them all.
My issues were:
So, at 5 you peek out and see a little girl who resembles you a great deal, and you just kind of go with the flow and jump out of the window? 5 years olds are stealthy. But, maybe not that stealthy.
15 is very young. Poor life choices abound. But it's also old enough to know that Lee living in the forest flea and tick bitten with one meal compromised of squirrel or rabbit? A day (and seemingly malnourished) with no care and treatment (until we learn that she does have somewhat of a place to go if she chose) is a no go. She wasn't "free". She was feral.
If my niece told me she had a sister in the woods, we'd have to check things out. Why did it take Lee attacking the Reverend to get everyones attention? Am I the only one that initially got perv vibes from him or nah?
The middle (maybe a little after the middle) to ending... FFS! Savannah is an unsung hero in this book. At 15 I can remember saying to a friend "You're setting yourself up for failure.". But if she tried to involve me in illegal hijinks? It'd be a hard pass.
Also the phrase "You're weird" is grossly overused.
Don't go into this thinking it has a YA thriller/horror vibe. It doesn't. It's still an engaging read. So it might be up your alley.
hitbooksnotgirlz's review
3.0
I really didn’t care for the first half of the story at all, but it got a lot more interesting throughout the second half. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t recommend it either.
onepageatatime's review
4.0
This book was very suspenseful. I loved reading it. I had no idea where Jo l energy and Lee would end up at the end of the book and that's what I really enjoyed about it.
Jolene has a secret twin sister that she met when she was 5 years old. The thing is... her sister lives in the woods and no one knows about her. One night Jolene is out with her friends and her sister attacks one of the boys from town that went with her to see a haunted bridge. Since no one has ever seen her twin sister, Jolene is accused of attacking the boy. Jo now needs to decide if she tells the world about her sister or does she ruun away with her?
The characters are a little hard to connect with just because Jolene doesn't make decisions that make sense all the time and the story is repetitive. But you never know what is going to happen next and what secret is going to be revealed. Overall I would recommend to someone who enjoys thrillers.
Jolene has a secret twin sister that she met when she was 5 years old. The thing is... her sister lives in the woods and no one knows about her. One night Jolene is out with her friends and her sister attacks one of the boys from town that went with her to see a haunted bridge. Since no one has ever seen her twin sister, Jolene is accused of attacking the boy. Jo now needs to decide if she tells the world about her sister or does she ruun away with her?
The characters are a little hard to connect with just because Jolene doesn't make decisions that make sense all the time and the story is repetitive. But you never know what is going to happen next and what secret is going to be revealed. Overall I would recommend to someone who enjoys thrillers.
unchainedreader's review
3.0
At night, Jo runs. She goes to the woods where her twin sister lives, and they run. No one else knows about Jo's sister.
It took me awhile to read this. The blurb is very compelling, but once the mystery of who Lee is and where exactly she came from is revealed, the story falls flat. It seems like it's supposed to be realistic, but the whole plot line is pretty out there at the same time. I think another reason it was hard to read was because Jo just seems so pathetic and whiny, like she can't do anything on her own; she wasn't exactly a character I wanted to get attached to.
It took me awhile to read this. The blurb is very compelling, but once the mystery of who Lee is and where exactly she came from is revealed, the story falls flat. It seems like it's supposed to be realistic, but the whole plot line is pretty out there at the same time. I think another reason it was hard to read was because Jo just seems so pathetic and whiny, like she can't do anything on her own; she wasn't exactly a character I wanted to get attached to.
tessa_talbert's review against another edition
3.0
**My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review**
Jolene(Jo) is an unhappy fifteen-year-old girl, haunted by the ghosts of her parent's sins and the agonizing reality of not knowing the truth of where she came from. She also holds another secret: Her sister, Lee. A feral child who runs the woods at night. When Jo's responsibilities force her to choose between her nightly runs with Lee and being able to grow into a position where she can finally provide for them both, Jo chooses to only see her sister once a week so that she can get her life back in order. Lee, however, does not agree with this. When she attacks a boy, the town thinks Jo is the culprit, and the secrets the girls have tried to desperately to keep start to unravel as new discoveries are made about their pasts and each other.
This book started out really well. Taut, edgy prose, and a protagonist with all the emotional turmoil of any young girl. I enjoyed the tight, choppy structure, the way it built tension and made the read quick and easy. The first third set itself up to lead into an eerie thriller and I was excited to continue, but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat and never quite recovered. Jo is obviously in need of help, but is not in an environment where she is going to get it. Often brushed off as plain rebellious or insane like her mother.
She is possessive of her best friend Savannah, obviously in love with her and unable to understand those feelings amongst the madness that is her life. The unrequited feelings are often there and brushed off and unexplored, and did not seem to fit into the story other than an afterthought. Lee is ruthless and fascinating; entirely more intelligent than one would be led to believe considering her upbringing. Every scene with her was enjoyable, if heartbreaking.
There were elements that took me out of the story entirely; odd descriptions that didn't seem to fit and left me staring blankly at the screen for a moment before moving on. Some instances were entirely unbelieveable, particularly as we limped our way into the finale. By that point the ending was, I'm assuming, supposed to be hopeful, but all I could think was that there was no way they would get away with that. No way that they wouldn't be found and separated in the end regardless.
Some Kind of Animal was a bizarre, twisty thing and if you enjoy ambiguity in your endings as well as tales of devotion between siblings — this one might interest you. But know that it is not really a happy tale.
Jolene(Jo) is an unhappy fifteen-year-old girl, haunted by the ghosts of her parent's sins and the agonizing reality of not knowing the truth of where she came from. She also holds another secret: Her sister, Lee. A feral child who runs the woods at night. When Jo's responsibilities force her to choose between her nightly runs with Lee and being able to grow into a position where she can finally provide for them both, Jo chooses to only see her sister once a week so that she can get her life back in order. Lee, however, does not agree with this. When she attacks a boy, the town thinks Jo is the culprit, and the secrets the girls have tried to desperately to keep start to unravel as new discoveries are made about their pasts and each other.
This book started out really well. Taut, edgy prose, and a protagonist with all the emotional turmoil of any young girl. I enjoyed the tight, choppy structure, the way it built tension and made the read quick and easy. The first third set itself up to lead into an eerie thriller and I was excited to continue, but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat and never quite recovered. Jo is obviously in need of help, but is not in an environment where she is going to get it. Often brushed off as plain rebellious or insane like her mother.
She is possessive of her best friend Savannah, obviously in love with her and unable to understand those feelings amongst the madness that is her life. The unrequited feelings are often there and brushed off and unexplored, and did not seem to fit into the story other than an afterthought. Lee is ruthless and fascinating; entirely more intelligent than one would be led to believe considering her upbringing. Every scene with her was enjoyable, if heartbreaking.
There were elements that took me out of the story entirely; odd descriptions that didn't seem to fit and left me staring blankly at the screen for a moment before moving on. Some instances were entirely unbelieveable, particularly as we limped our way into the finale. By that point the ending was, I'm assuming, supposed to be hopeful, but all I could think was that there was no way they would get away with that. No way that they wouldn't be found and separated in the end regardless.
Some Kind of Animal was a bizarre, twisty thing and if you enjoy ambiguity in your endings as well as tales of devotion between siblings — this one might interest you. But know that it is not really a happy tale.
dani17731's review
3.0
Jo has a lot of secrets, and her family's secrets cause her a lot of trouble. Even after her mother's disappearance fifteen years ago, the townspeople still talk. Her biggest secret? Jo has a twin sister who lives in the woods, and one day she does something that brings Jo into the spotlight.
The premise of this story was so interesting but it didn't grab me like I was hoping it would. I felt sorry for Jo and was a little confused at times.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
The premise of this story was so interesting but it didn't grab me like I was hoping it would. I felt sorry for Jo and was a little confused at times.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.