Unlikely animals is a story unlike any other. The synopsis is only a small bit of the wonderful story that Annie Hartnett has developed into a community and cast of characters that will stay with you for a very long time. A story that seems to have no direction, ends with everyone exactly where they need to be, arriving by a path that was just for them. This is one of those books you'd like to read again for the first time so you can savor the discovery.

This is a very quirky book that I needed to read until the end to find out how it wrapped up. The characters are unusual. The circumstances are unusual, too. Overall, it was a good story including ghosts as characters with a point of view. This is worth a read.

This was a cute, fun read for me! The characters were interesting and quirky, the humor was prevalent throughout, and the plot was unique. It was a little over the top at times, but ultimately an entertaining read.

This was such a unique and sweet story. Not your typical story for sure. I wanted it to be more like other stories of animals and humans but it was its own.

I didn’t love it as much as I hoped but enjoyed it.

I loved this one and all of its quirkiness. It did not feel over the top but did feel like a warm hug. I will read more by this author.

An interesting book about grief, end-of-life care, and families. Makes you think about mortality and a greater meaning to life

Thank you very much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett, released April 12, 2022. Emma is returning to her hometown in New Hampshire as her father is in poor health. She had a healing gift as a child, and medical school seemed like the perfect career path. But that did not work out very well. The most important characters in this story are the dead people residing in the town graveyard. They see and comment on everything.
And her parents are struggling, and her estranged best friend from childhood is missing, presumed dead. A lot going on in this story. #unlikelyanimals #anniehartnett #netgalley #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

I found this story interesting. It had quirky humor, took me in different directions and lots of family drama. The title is perfect for the storyline.

Thank you #NetGalley, #BallantineBooks, #AnnieHartnett for the ebook for my honest review.

I am on the fence about this novel. It is quirky (not a bad thing). And because it's magical realism, I realize that it's not going to be very realistic. I didn't care for any of the characters and I usually develop a connection to the people in the story, but it just didn't happen here. But while the story eventually came together, it was hard to get there. I lost interest often which made it hard to pick up again later. The author describes afterwards how she chose this subject matter in the first place which is actually very interesting. But the overall story fell flat for me. Other readers will surely feel differently.

This is a one of a kind book and I learned a lot about life and death, Thanks for the review copy. I liked the imperfect friendships.

I really enjoyed this book! There were tough themes in the book as Emma has come back home. Her father is ill. Her friend is missing. There’s family dynamics as they all try to keep their relationships together. But there was something comfortable about the characters journeys, especially Emma’s. And there was humor in the story as well, adding a little lightness to it all.

This was such a cute whimsical story about #smalltownlife and the drama it can cause. Author Annie Hartnett expertly weaves this tale from the perspective of a variety of characters and you can’t wait to see how they all intertwine. I must come confess I looked up if having a fox as a pet is possible! Pick up this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book to read a heartwarming tale about a girl finding her #waybackhome. 📚📚📚 #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookrecommendations #unlikelyanimals #netgalleyarc #netgalley #netgalleyreads #vacationreads #my2023readingchallenge

Hartnett is a master at combining the heavy and the light. This tragicomedy deals in the heaviest subjects while handling all with a light touch. Insightful and delightful.

A solid 3.5 quirky read! Intriguing perspective throughout. A mystery, family drama, romance all wrapped up nicely.

This book was utterly delightful! Unlikely Animals is a wild ride in so many ways, a ghost story, a death tale, a where is she mystery, a warning of the opioid crisis, a romantic comedy and the heartwarming story of a family. I tried explaining this book to a friend a few days ago and she said “I’m sold. This sounds amazing.” I was attached to all of the characters, the only think I would have changed was adding a list of ghosts or having more steady ghosts who were narrating like only 3-4.

This was a light hearted read that I demolished at a beach weekend. It was nice for what it was but I do not think I would recommend it.

This is an enjoyable if slight novel. I read it quickly and found it a pleasant enough reading expereience.

Very cool and quirky concept of a choir of ghosts narrating, and I love the exploration of the messiness and uncertainty of being in your early 20s (or 20s in general). I did prefer RABBIT CAKE to this novel simple because even though the craft of UNLIKELY ANIMALS is a tour de force, it didn't make me feel like her previous novel did.

This book was so refreshing. The characters - both living and dead, animal and human - are whimsical and downright funny even when they're not trying to be. At times, the story bordered close to the unbelievable but was able to remain just grounded enough to make it relatable. This heartwarming novel was truly one-of-a-kind. Highly recommend!

This was a very interesting, quirky novel. It was a little slow at the beginning, but I grew to love all the characters, especially the gallery of dead citizens who still very much have a strong opinion of what the living people are up too. And while some parts were very emotional for me, I really enjoyed reading this story.