Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by paisleygreen
The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot
4.0
"It is not macabre or ghoulish to hold on, to resurrect, to re-imagine, to re-create. It is a way of honouring beauty. It is a way to hold on to life."
The Art of Taxidermy is a novel in verse about family, loss, dealing with the past--and, of course, taxidermy. Lottie, an Australian of German descent, has lost her mother and baby sibling in one fell swoop. She's not entirely overthe death of her older sister , either. As Lottie navigates her grief, and her father tries to support her as best as he can through her own grief, she gravitates towards the body and bones of dead animals. For her, preserving and holding on to these bodies is a way to honor life, figuratively resurrect the dead, and cope with her grief. Even though this new hobby clashes with her aunt's idea of what healthy coping and teen-girl activities look like, she remains firm in her convictions and scientific inclinations.
This book has some great imagery, as well, and the parallels between taxidermy and processing sadness were really compelling without feeling contrived. There were a few twists and secrets in the book that I truly didn't see coming but that made me want to return to the book again just to catch the deeper layers. I really appreciated reading this book, and it'd be great for anyone processing loss in the family or coming to terms with difficult family history. My only major complaint was that my e-book format messed with the verse formatting.
[Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
The Art of Taxidermy is a novel in verse about family, loss, dealing with the past--and, of course, taxidermy. Lottie, an Australian of German descent, has lost her mother and baby sibling in one fell swoop. She's not entirely over
This book has some great imagery, as well, and the parallels between taxidermy and processing sadness were really compelling without feeling contrived. There were a few twists and secrets in the book that I truly didn't see coming but that made me want to return to the book again just to catch the deeper layers. I really appreciated reading this book, and it'd be great for anyone processing loss in the family or coming to terms with difficult family history. My only major complaint was that my e-book format messed with the verse formatting.
[Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]