A story about a reckless young Venezuelan woman who is equally obsessed with her quite frankly obnoxious waste-of-space rock climbing boyfriend and the dangerous sport of rock-climbing itself. They both thrive on risk, danger, jeopardy and challenge and both are free spirits, but Rafael is rather more free than Julia and leads her a merry dance. This troubled and destructive relationship is at the heart of the novel, but it is also a novel centred around the climbing community, a community completely alien to me, but into which I found myself inextricably drawn by the power of the writing in this strangely compelling tale of adventure and misadventure. Well-written, well-paced, well-crafted and a vivid portrayal of rock-climbing and its adherents.

This was a book that was unexpected. I was not able to read it completely, since it was not the book for me. The concept was intriguing but I was not as vested in the romantic relationships that formed the first half of the narrative as I should have been.
The lifestyle choices and their discussions did not appeal to me. i tried a couple of times but did not finish it.
I think people looking for a different type of narrative would find this more appealing.

I wanted to get into this story and at some point I may eventually finish it, but the jumping in and out of timelines, the confusing sets of characters, it was hard to find the flow and purpose of the story. I suppose if I read it in the original language it would work better but this didn't work for me.

I enjoyed this story, it was well written, had good narrative and good pacing and the characters were well developed and relatable. I read this quickly and would definitely recommend it

Between unfamiliar parts of the world, the abrupt shifts in time, different groups of characters in different episodes, and the rock-climbing technical details, it’s easy for an English-speaking reader to feel lost in The Animal Days. Then again, perhaps it has nothing to do with language and a reader is absolutely supposed to feel lost, along with the main character, Julia, who is struggling with the grief of losing her mother, the stress of finishing her collegiate studies, and the navigation of relationships and identity.

The Animal Days depicts a global a citizenship that is truly foreign to most Americans. As Julia travels across her continent and then across the ocean to the other side of the world, author Keila Vall De La Ville lulls us with mundane details only to set up the impact of gut-punch lines and episodes. Understanding of the many elements comes together gradually as the sections layer upon one another. It is not a linear, clearly transitioned narrative that we have come to expect. Translator Robin Myers appears to convey the artistry effectively; she gives us fluid English syntax but does not create and English or American feeling work. There is never any question that it is a Venezuelan work by an author skilled in her craft.

Thank you to Keila Vall De La Ville, Robin Myers, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this one and read it in one day. Look forward to much more by this author.

This is a novel about being lost and being found. About urge to run away and urge to human connection. About our inner animals.

„Life goes silent when you talk.“

Julia loves, no, lives by rock-climbing. It gives her piece and solitude, but also connection to other humans, especially to Rafael. She and her climbing friends are free spirits, always climbing somewhere, whether it is homeland Venezuela, or USA, or other continents. Not quite following the society rules but trying to survive in it. Julia´s other life is waiting, with her college and sick mother.

Rafael on the other hand is a wild animal, always escaping, unstoppable wanderer (some may call him a d*ck). He is obsessed with flying, always going higher and higher, not even the highest mountains in the world can stop him; literally.
Julia´s relationship with Rafa is rough, even destructive, but what can you do, if you are strongly magnetized to each other? You would even flight through half of the world to see the other person, even if it destroys you; almost literally.

I wouldn´t say it´s a fast-paced novel as a blurb says; albeit it isn't slow; for me it´s mostly about Julia´s inner life through her life´s journey, her navigating through love & death, solitude & finding herself.

You can see Keila Vall´s own experiences and memories in rock-climbing (after all, she rock-climbed in both Americas, Europe, Asia and won some medails at rock-climbing championships).
I like the portrait of climbers´ community; they care for each other (if not, you simply die in mountains), but not only on the rocks, also when accommodating each other in their homes.

The Animal Days won 2018 International Latino Book Award; in 2021 was for the first time translated to English by Robin Myers. The book is definitely reading for 18+.

This is the story of a young woman who tests and pushes her own limits in sometimes frightening ways. She finds, over and over, pain and misfortune but also important self knowledge and an inner peace that may be solid or perhaps very fragile. The reader must decide. There is a troubled relationship with the man in her life who accompanies her over half the world. In this well written and translated book the reader is offered a travel chronicle and a metaphor of discovery.

There's some great writing here, including some excellent descriptions of nature, The story can get a bit emotional. Depending on how much the reader gets into it, the story may cause some introspection. I suspect this will be enjoyed by many literary fiction fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Would not open on my computer so cannot give a review which is a shame as I was looking forward to reading this title.

I loved the cover and I was drawn in by the description.