A review by kribby
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

There are parts, characters, and moments of this book I loved. The cemetery chorus of ghost narrators and their observations, Clive and his moments of lucidity amongst his moments of confusion, and August with his frankness and vulnerability with his sister, were all favorites of mine. But the “we’re so whacky and zany and look how anything-goes we are!” in the last 25% of the book got tiresome for me. And though the author made a point of saying in her author’s note that she doesn’t worry herself too much about realism, we readers were asked too many times to not think too hard when she dropped stuff on us (like,

how would it be possible that August could have attempted suicide and her parents not to have told Emma?

), and there were just too many traumatic things happening in that story to have been treated with such glibness (

your parents just kidnapped and imprisoned a woman in your cabin and faked your death, but no worries! You get to live with your best friend now!

).