Warning: Look up the trigger warnings before reading.

Julie returns to her hometown island to care for her father, Marty, for a few months. The trip begins with a blue whale beaching itself on the beach and slowly decaying over the summer. This sets off a chain of strange events as more animals seem to commit suicide. Marty’s PTSD and suicidal thoughts have become to overwhelm him and Julie must face the grim truth.

I find it really hard to describe magical realism books. They are slow burns you read to just relax into and forget the world. No grand adventure, no true conflict. All the characters are quirky and strange. Even the town evolves into a weird mob, probably affected by the whale’s rotting stench.

I’m heartbroken for Julie and cried for Marty. This book touches on such a sensitive topic I’m not sure how to continue this review.

I tried reading this book a couple of different times. I just couldn't get into it. I found myself getting bored and thinking about other things while reading. I think there are people who would like it, it was just not for me.

This takes a bit of patience as it meanders through meditations on animals people, and PTSD. That said, it's well written and will resonate with many. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Jumping between random, fascinating, well-written scenes, this novel was at first hard to get into because it moved around so much. It sometimes seemed like too much plot packed into one book, but I had no hesitations about carrying on because of the quirky well-developed characters and the intriguing overall storyline. I did really enjoy this and would love to read more by this author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I was more prepared for this book. My little problem didn't quite understand this. I had to skip between lines. The synopsis is so promising as it combines magical realism, a seaside setting and grief. But unfortunately despite the potential, this book felt flat. The main aim of the author was to talk about death in all the strange ways possible but I think the author went too far with it. The plot of the book was unpredictable at least that helped me to read it till the end. But the characters were poorly done and I eventually lost interest in the book sooner than I expected.

An enjoyable read, of a bit long. I would recommend this to people who like a slow building novel and character growth.

A story of love, grief, animals, lone adventures, and strange friendships. This story tells the tale of PTSD suffering Marty, his recently returned daughter Julie, and the strange celebrity impersonator who turn up in a small town in BC.

I am not too sure what to think about this book. While I enjoyed many of the philosophical and moral debates about animals, humanity, and suicide that are scattered throughout the story I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. I liked them enough that I kept reading and wanted to know what would happen to them, but I didn't find myself drawn to any of them emotionally.

"Everyone Is Already Forgotten"

What with the PTSD, the difficult characters, the magical realism, and that big rotting blue whale - it takes a little while for this book to make its intentions known and for the reader to open up to it. But then it becomes a fascinating ride.

Marty, a wounded Gulf War vet with PTSD, is depressed and intermittently suicidal in a vague, understated, but imminent and inexorable fashion. His daughter comes home to stay with him so that he can stare silently at her, or tell her old stories from his distant past. A mystery woman appears; she has some past history with Marty that it disclosed fairly early on. Everything goes downhill to a not entirely unexpected, but surprisingly liberating, conclusion.

Here's the thing - you can read this on a lot of different levels and purely as your own inclinations dictate. It's loaded with symbolism and it rides a wild wave of magical realism, but you can buy into as much or as little of that as you want. You can take the plot to heart and become invested in the characters' fates, or you can stay above the fray and enjoy and admire this purely as an example of writerly craftsmanship. You can enjoy all of the little bits and pieces of dialogue and throwaway observations and humor, or you can look for the big message behind it all. As I say, reader's choice.

Bottom line - I saw a blurb somewhere describing the author's "sharp humor and emotional honesty", and that's exactly what you get from this book. It is brutally funny in a dark but authentic way. It is also perceptive, sometimes penetrating, always honest, and not manipulative. It's not a Lifetime Movie and it's not dreary kitchen sink drama. There are moments of great insight and some marvelous set pieces. And, after you've forgotten the details or the gist of some of the best lines, there are aspects of the book that will pop into your head long after you've finished it. I can't ask for much more than that.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I tried multiple times, but could not get thru this book. The writing was disjointed and the story just never came together. Don't waste your time

I received a free copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really really struggled to get through this one. I just couldn't get into the story because it felt really disjointed to me and jumped around a bit too much. I couldn't identify with any of the characters and half the time their actions seemed a bit over the top. I felt like I was missing something important, that there was some deeper meaning that I was missing. Maybe it's just me. It was a interesting look at PTSD though.
It was a short novel, but a really long heavy read.

This book deals with a lot issues such as PTSD, love, and grief. This was an easy read but it was not light. The subject matter is heavy and I felt I needed to read slowly to really grasp the story the author was telling.

I was very excited when I received a copy of this book. I lost my dad last year and I felt this book might be a good read for me.

I struggled to write a review - there were times I enjoyed the book and other times it was a struggle.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley & ECW press.

I don't normally give up on a bookI but tried and could not stick with this book.

Julie Bird has returned to her hometown and things become interesting. Initially it is the day of boating which ends with a whale breaching itself and dying on the beach. As the whale decays, things in her life take interesting turns. Her father, Marty, is a Gulf War Veteran who is dealing with PTSD. His ptsd consumes him. He is depressed and going about his life. He tells Julie about his past in small parts giving her a glimpse into him. As this is occurring a new person has arrived in town. A blast from her father's past. A young woman named Jamie lee Lewis. She is a musical impersonator and tells Julie she has come to town to help Julie's father die. UMMM What!?! Thinks Julie. Jamie mentions that Marty did not recognize her when he gave her a job singing in his restaurant/bar, The Halibut. Marty should remember her, she has ties to his trip to New Mexico 25 years earlier. hmmmm

That is not all...more animals are turning up dead...Suicide. Marty has attempted suicide in the past and it is on his mind now. How will Julie live without her father?

"Self destruction can be a lot of things. Sad. Devastating. Quiet. Glorious. Sweet relief. Comfort."

This book deals with issues such as has love, ptsd, secrets, and grief. This is not a light book. It is also not a fast read and one that took some time to finish. In all honesty, it is barely a 3 for me. The story is depressing, which is normally not a reason for me to not like it, but I failed to connect with any character and at the end of the day, thought of other thins I would have rather been doing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from ECW press and NetGalley. My thanks to them.

As someone who suffers from PTSD it is nice to read about other people’s experiences with it. I enjoyed reading Julie’s journey. Stunning work about life and death.