Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Memory of Animals

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller

8 reviews

brotestantethic's review

reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Given how this book begins, it was severely disappointing. “The Memory of Animals” tries very hard to get a point across; unfortunately, it takes on too many large tasks and achieves few. Memory is central to the story, as characters grapple with an unfamiliar world plagued by virus. However, it is not played out outside of the use of a “Revisitor,” which main character Neffy uses to relive memories. What frustrated me about this is that there was little to no tie in to what is happening in the main plot. The book feels disjointed with distinct and repetitive sections. It gets boring.

The writing is sporadic. There are beautiful environmental descriptions that serve as a love letter to life before the virus. The characters are very interesting to start, and I was excited as a reader for a good ensemble read. Sadly, when these characters fall into repetitive patterns, they lose their dynamic nature. The main character Neffy is most confusing. Her letters to H and memories clearly allude to poor mental wellbeing, yet she is the voice of reason among the pack. ~~She also wants to f*ck an octopus, but that is I guess besides the point.~~

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cc_shelflove's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I hate when you finish a book and say, “Well that’s x amount of hours of my life that I won’t get back.” 😅 I really thought this would be interesting based on the first chapter. Neffy arrived to a medical laboratory, Vaccine Bio-Pharm, to partake in an experimental vaccine trial during a global pandemic. The rest of the book really went off the rails, though. Instead of just focusing on the present timeline and the strangers holed up in the lab, the author decided to include Neffy’s random ass letters addressed to an octopus. That’s not all! Neffy also used a device to “Revisit” her memories, and I unfortunately had to read through those, too. The book was two storylines too many, as Neffy’s letters and memories did not contribute to the overall plot at all. And the ending? So terrible it’s not even funny—entirely abrupt and rushed. I would like to know who reviewed this woman’s outline and thought it was cohesive? 😅

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