This book was quirky and charming but at times a little raw with a whole lot going on. There’s magical realism, messy family dynamics, a small town, a missing person mystery, humor and heart.

The collective voice of the dead of the local cemetery was a creative workaround to be given glimpses into minor characters and their viewpoints through. I especially liked the themes of family, friendship and forgiveness and there were many personal connections that made it an enjoyable reading experience. There were so many dynamics that I felt like it could have been made into two different books but I did enjoy all the pieces.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc. All views expressed are my own.

I was initially attracted to Unlikely Animals because of the animal/human relationships described. There was the "long-dead naturalist, Ernest Harold Baynes, once known for letting wild animals live in his house." - what fun! Then Clive Starling (great name) began hallucinating small animals as well as seeing the ghost of the naturalist. It was when I realized who the narrators, or commentators, of the novel were that I knew this was a book for me. The narrators are the souls residing at the Maple Street Cemetery and they are an insightful, witty group. "We were all glad we weren't cremated. There's too much walking involved, with no final resting place." The novel is not all fun and whimsy, though. It deals with real life problems such as the opioid crisis, people slowly dying and people who are lost, both literally and figuratively. The wonderful juxtaposition of sober matters and the absurdist makes this novel a huge success in my eyes. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms. Hartnett and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy.

Oh my goodness I loved this book so much! "Unlikely Animals" by Annie Hartnett is the lovely story of a man suffering from a degenerative brain disease and facing the end of his life. As the residents of the town's cemetery look on, Clive and the other quirky characters of this novel solve the mystery of a missing girl, befriend unusual animals, overcome addiction, and learn to love each other, despite their flaws. This book is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart wrenchingly poignant. It perfectly balances humor and serious subjects such as dying, the opioid crisis, infidelity, and loss. "Unlikely Animals" is so thoroughly delightful that I wish I could read it again and again for the first time. Clive and his family touched my heart. I liked the writing style, which made the characters truly come alive for me. This book is charming and witty and compulsively readable; I absolutely could not put it down and read it in just a few hours. "Unlikely Animals" is my first book by Ms. Hartnett, but it definitely will not be my last. I'm sure it will be considered one of the best works of fiction in 2022.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book, in exchange for my honest review.

~*Happy Book Publishing Day!!*~

This is like saying “I love you” to all the past “loves” and then “the one” comes along making those three words spoken before sound meaningless now so I don’t have the words this book needs to hear, but I love it. Like I’m holding you (book) with my arms pulled to my chest and I’m twisting back and forth while looking up at the sky all dreamy, kind of love. There are tears in my eyes from this book……still! And I closed the last page about a week ago.

I’ll never forget this book. I’ll always love this book. I laughed with it. I smiled with it. I cried with it. Oftentimes I laughed, smiled and cried all at once with it. We had wonderful moments together and it was all because of this book. I had nothing to do with the creation of these emotions. My job was just to enjoy the emotions and I did. I totally, absolutely, wonderfully did enjoy every word in this book and the cover. It was cover love at first sight.

Clive, Ingrid, Auggie, Emma, Harold, the animals, all the ghosts!! This book is love. It’s sweet, hilarious, heart breaking, touching, unforgettable love. It’s family and arguments and forgiveness and self discovery and amazing family love and it’s hilarious. Wonderfully hilarious.

I will always love this book. I need a print so I’ll always have it within view. This book is quirky and hilarious and crazy and tear jerking. Every part of me had zero idea how much every part of me needed to read this. All this probably sounds as crazy as the book sounded but I don’t care because I loved and love it so much and where better to express this craziness than to a bunch of other awesome and crazy readers who are the only ones who would understand……’this’!

I’m finished. I’m stepping away from my keyboard because I’m just making a fool of myself. If I was a character in this book it would be adorable and endearing, but unfortunately I’m not so it’s just…..craziness! I should be embarrassed and I am, but my love for this is so much stronger so here I am and I’ll never stop gushing over this book. My God! The writing and the photographs and the characters and the family and the illness that Clive has………it’s the craziest book I’ve ever read and it’s one of the most favorite books I’ll always remember.

Thank you so much, Netgalley, Random House and to the author Annie Hartnett, for creating such a joy of a story for all of us. One that is truly heart breaking and heart warming at the deepest part of the soul. I needed this desperately.

I usually send thoughts right off to Goodreads and to Twitter then post to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on publishing day. Since that’s today I’m going to send them all off to those places after I’ve created some sense out of my thoughts to share them.

Thank yo so so much for the gift it was to read this book. After closing this book, I immediately purchased a copy of the authors book “Rabbit Cake”. Looking forward to reading that too! This one was fantastically wonderful!

Unlikely Animals was quirky, original, heartwarming, and engaging. One of the most fun reads of the year that perfectly captures the complexities of family life, and anticipatory grief, while creating mystery and identifiable characters. I definitely recommend it!

“At Maple Street we knew those four words - “I’m proud of you” - outrank “I love you” in terms of how much we need to hear them, especially from our parents.”

Unique and quirky in all the best possible ways - I simply loved this book and all it’s characters. This story set in fictional small town Everton, NH was narrated by the town’s dead chatting about the current news from their front line seats at the town’s Maple Street cemetery. These dead love their little town fiercely and hope the living make sensible choices, they narrate tenderly even through tough problems: the opioid crisis, parental neglect and changes in relationships where and when caretaking is needed.
The book is a beautiful, heartwarming and at times hilarious exploration of rising to the occasion even when doubting our abilities to be a caregiver, a teacher, dying or confronting the death of a loved one and the bargains we are willing to enter and the length we are willing to go to stave off death unavoidable as it is.

I highly recommend this book !

Intriguing premise, original writing style, fun cast of characters.

This book was just what it set out to be: "tragicomic." Our MC returns to her small hometown after deciding not to go to medical school. Her father is dying and has started hallucinating, her brother just got out of his second stint in rehab, her high school best friend is missing, and she feels like her life is falling apart.

With town ghosts as the encouraging Greek chorus line for the rest of the characters, this book was silly and fun while battling a lot of hard topics: finding yourself, life, death, infidelity, addiction. I only think it had too many things shoved into the storyline for it to have felt fully fleshed out and done. I was so interested in everything going on but a lot of it felt half done or like it could have used more space since the novel itself isn't that long.

The book and all it's characters are unbearably charming. The chapters are short and quick and fun and strange. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great coming-of-age story put together in a new way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

This book owes a big nod to Thornton Wilder's Our Town, as the townspeople in the Maple Street Cemetery keep a watch over everything that goes on in their small town of Everton, New Hampshire.

As the story begins, Emma Starling is returning home from California where she was supposedly attending med school. It seems her father, Clive, a poetry professor, is dying from some strange brain disorder which causes hallucinations. He's been released from his teaching position at Meriden College and kicked out of the rock band he'd helped form.

Emma was born with 'healing hands' and she knows it is hoped that she can perform a miracle on her father, but when Emma went off to college, she seemed to lose her 'charismata iamaton' or gifts of healing. Now she has to tell her family that she hasn't been attending med school these past several months and has no clue what she wants to do with her life.

The family has other issues to deal with as well: their son Auggie has just finished a second stint in rehab for drug addiction and Clive has admitted to an affair with a visiting professor. He is befriending the ghost of the naturalist Ernest Harold Baynes, who once lived in the caretaker's cottage where the Starling family now lives and is preoccupied with the whereabouts of Emma's best friend, Crystal Nash, who has gone missing. When he orders a pet fox from Russia at a cost of $18,000, that's the last straw for Ingrid who goes off to live with Clive's doctor, leaving Emma in charge of her father. How will things work out for this broken family?

I thoroughly enjoyed this cast of goofy but loveable characters, including all the voices we hear from the graveyard. The author juggles several issues, including the epidemic of drug abuse even in small town America, and ties everything together nicely at the end of the story. I enjoyed seeing actual photos of the naturalist Baynes and his wife with their various wildlife friends.

I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful for the opportunity.

This book is an absolute delight. Well written story with a superb group of off beat characters, it pulled me right in. Annie Harnett takes a tragic story, and makes it funny and very enjoyable. It is hard to tackle unpleasant topics, but Harnett has managed to do so in a way that makes you want to come back for a reread. I highly recommend this beautifully creative story!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I cannot say enough good things about Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett!

When Emma Starling healed a nurse's sciatica when she was born, her parents knew she was special and destined for greatness. But as a medical school dropout who has lost her "magic hands," Emma's not sure she believes that. After returning home to her small New Hampshire town to care for her dying father, Emma realizes there was a lot her family wasn't telling her: her father is hallucinating small animals and the ghost of a famed naturalist, her brother is back home from a stint in rehab, and her childhood best friend has gone missing. The police aren't looking for Crystal, saying they don't spend much time looking for drug addicts. But Emma's father is convinced she isn't dead. And as the two of them search for Crystal, they find the thing the town needs - a miracle.

Hartnett has done an amazing job creating a realistic small town in the throes of an opioid crisis full of flawed but lovable characters. The characters feel like real people who you might know. Through the perspective of the "residents" of the Maple Street Cemetery, an omniscient Greek chorus of sorts, Hartnett is able to switch seamlessly between the Starling family's points of view to give the reader an account of every day life in a small town that's both heartbreaking and laugh out loud funny. While I didn't always like each of the Starlings, I was always rooting for them to be happy.

Hartnett doesn't shy away from hard topics like addiction, grief, death, infidelity, and caring for a dying parent. But she navigates them all so well, winding in happy and sometimes ridiculous moments, that it felt very honest.

Unlikely Animals is a unique book - I've really never read anything like it. It's equal parts sad and uplifting, and I loved my time in Everton, NH with the Starlings, Moses and Rasputin.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Annie Hartnett for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to get the opportunity to read and review this book - I just knew from the cover and the description that I would love it. Unlikely Animals is one of those books that is difficult to categorize or describe. It is a one-of-a-kind story about acceptance, family, and coming home. The characters are engaging, and the small New Hampshire town they live in is lovable. I read this book slowly, not because it was hard to get through, but because I enjoyed it so much. In many ways, Unlikely Animals reminds me of Katherine Heiny's Early Morning Riser, which I read and loved last year. If you enjoy small town quirk, with engaging characters of all ages, you will not want to miss this one.

How to describe this book? Unlikely Animals takes place in a small New Hampshire town and follows the story of Emma who is able to heal with her touch. Will Emma be able to heal her father even though she has suppressed her healing powers? Best to go into this book not knowing much about the story. The narrators make this book and I loved this quirky and original read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

Trust me when I tell you this book is a true gem. Mystery, magic, ghosts, and animals make up this quirky, heartwarming and frankly, brilliant novel. It was so tender and exactly what I needed. Every character, especially the dead townspeople narrating the story (they have lots of opinions), serves a unique purpose and plays an important role. I fell in love with them all. Moses the dog and Rasputin the fox were particularly delightful.

Hartnett’s inspiration for this novel is the life and legacy of naturalist, Ernest Harold Baynes, who was known as a real-life Doctor Dolittle. He opened his home to many animals, including foxes, birds and even bears! Baynes plays the role of one of the dead townspeople. I enjoyed doing some of my own research on him as I read the book.

Hartnett tackles some heavy topics like, opioid use, infidelity, caring for an aging parent, death, and while these subjects are present, they never overwhelm and we are able to see the beauty in the breaking, so to speak.

This one is not to be missed!
Thank you @netgalley for the digital ARC!

(Review live on Instagram now; see attached link)

It’s not every day that I come across a book that completely warms my heart and makes me want to tell every person I cross paths with that they must read it…but this is one of those books and I’m here to tell you that you need to read Unlikely Animals.

With the perfect balance of humor and drama, Unlikely Animals puts you smack dab in the middle of an opioid crisis, a missing persons case, a court trial, a Titanic musical performed by 5th graders, and a whole lot of animal sightings, both real and hallucinated.

I especially loved reading about Emma’s growing relationship with the children she finds herself teaching after their teacher gets mixed up in some bad drug business. It was also nice to read about the ones she forms outside the classroom with her dying father and a brother who lives in the shadow of drugs and rehab.

Though there were a lot of heavier aspects throughout the book, it had so many quirky moments that made me want the book to never end. Much of the story is seen through the eyes of various townspeople who are buried in the local cemetery, which had me smiling throughout. The addition of Ernest Harold Baynes (a very real person who I originally assumed was fictional!) and his love for animals and his influence on Emma’s father stuck with me as well, being an animal lover myself.

I think there is a little something for everyone in Unlikely Animals, and you all need to get your hands on it once it’s officially published (2 more days!)

Thank you thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for bringing this lovely book into my life. 🦊

"Unlikely Animals" by Annie Hartnett, is one of the most creative books I've ever read. Addressing tough topics is never easy, but Hartnett's use of humor is spot on. The characters are refreshingly different from anything I have ever experienced. The pictures are a treasure trove of visual joy and add so much depth to the story. I am giving this a 4.5 rating bumped to 5. However, the dark humor and sensitive content may not be suitable for everyone.

Emma Starling, returns to her small hometown of Everton, NH. Her dad Clive Starling, has a terminal brain disease and is in the end stages of his life. Clive is a colorful character who is having vivid illusions of animals. Curiously, Clive develops a (ghost) imaginary friend named "Ernest Howard Banes". Clive and Ernest's adventures are laugh out loud funny.

This story reached out to me in a personal way. Dementia type illnesses are a dark difficult subject matter that Hartnett handles with heartfelt grace. The surprise POV's are pure comedic gold. I loved every page of this book! " Unlikely Animals" will be published April 12th.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine, for the honor of reviewing this outstanding e-book. I can't wait to read more from Annie Hartnett!

How do you tell your parents that you have been living a lie? Emma was born with a healing touch. Her mother always assumed that she would be a doctor. When Emma left her small New Hampshire town for medical school in California, she never showed up for orientation, or the next day, or the next week. She discovered that she never wanted to be a doctor. Now she dreads going home for the holidays and facing her family but she has no choice. Her father Clive is suffering from a degenerative brain disease that is fatal. Her brother has spent time in rehab for his drug use and her mother is finding it difficult to cope.

Ernest Harold Baynes was a naturalist whose ghost regularly visits Clive and entertains him with stories of the animals that he kept. One of the manifestations of Clive’s illness is visions of animals, such as the rabbits that he sees filling the kitchen. Clive knows that his time is limited and he is determined to spend it searching for Crystal, Emma’s best friend in high school. She disappeared one day and the police have done nothing to find her because she had a history of drug abuse. It is a search that binds Emma with her father.

Annie Hartnett has written a story about starting over. Emma was adrift in California but chances on a position as a long term substitute teacher and discovers satisfaction in her new role. Her brother finds himself involved with the local theater production of Titanic, the Musical, which also leads to new opportunities. His production also provides scenes that will have you laughing out loud. Watching over the town and commenting on everyone’s actions are the spirits in the local cemetery. They observe and comment, but rule number one is that they must not meddle in the lives of the living or they will explode. They bring humor to a story that is tinged with sorrow whenever Emma reflects on her father’s upcoming death. Hartnett’s story will have you shedding tears of sorrow while also shedding tears for the pure joy and comedy. When the end inevitably comes you will hate to put Unlikely Animals down. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for providing this book for my review.

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett is one of the most anticipated books of the year and it does not disappoint. Billed as a tragicomedy, it’s a whimsical novel about a girl who returns to her hometown after college because her father is dying of a mysterious brain disease causing him hallucinations. To make matters worse, her best friend is missing, feared to be another casualty of the opioid crisis. While Emma Starling is coping with family complications, joining the search for any trace of her missing best friend, and becoming a long-term substitute teacher to a group of precocious fifth graders, she also connects with her high school crush. And as if that isn’t enough drama for one book, the entire tale is seen through the collective eyes of the town’s cemetery residents.

Ghosts of those buried in the Maple Street Cemetery watch over the town of Everton, New Hampshire, and whenever one particular ghost has some comment of insight on the events throughout the novel, their full names and their life dates, presumable inscribed on their tombstones. These tidbits are sprinkled like confetti throughout an otherwise dark story about a girl whose dreams of medical school in California are dashed, her future unknown, her family falling apart, to find her hometown stranger than when she’d left it four years before. The ghosts want Emma to stay in Everton, and when she stumbles upon her temporary employment at the local school, they cheer.

Unlikely Animals has a weird, light-hearted mood despite all of the serious subject matter regarding addition, loss, and family. While Emma’s circumstances are engaging enough, the mystery of her missing friend and her father’s deteriorating mental state pull the reader ever onward. It has the charm of Mauve Binchy’s books, where you slowly get to know more people, with little pieces of personal information about the town and its residents unfolding throughout the book.

To top it all off, Unlikely Animals circles around the ghost of Mr. Ernest Harold Baynes, the historical figure dubbed the closest thing to a real-life Doctor Doolittle. His ghost is the constant companion of Emma’s father, and photos of the naturalist, along with stories from the life of the late Mr. Baynes. So while this is absolutely a work of fiction, with a fictional town and a delightful lack of realism, it started with a real home, expanded into a semi-biographical tale of a very interesting American naturalist and writer, and became this unique piece of fiction guaranteed to keep readers engaged.

Emma Starling comes back home to spend time with her dying father. She has a lot to face; her failures, her fathers poor health, family issues and then to add to it, her long time best friend has gone missing! I absolutely loved this book, I was hooked after the first chapter! I was pulled through chapter after chapter with eagerness. The flow of the book is perfect, keeps me interested and pulls on my heart without inducing so much drama that I can’t stand to read it. Absolutely loved it and will recommend it any given chance!

I absolutely loved this book and how quirky the cast characters were. There was a lot going on, but surprisingly everything came together perfectly in the end. I would recommend this book if you’re looking to read a truly original book that is unlike anything I’ve ever read!

Written from the perspective of the dead from a local cemetery, this story is about Emma Starling, born a natural healer, and her odd, interesting family including her father who is deteriorating from a brain disease that causes him to hallucinate animals and communicate with a dead naturalist, her unsympathetic mother who is trying to deal with it all and her brother who has just returned from another stint in rehab for an opioid addiction. Emma returns home having lost her natural powers and hidden that she didn't start medical school as planned. She finds that her childhood friend is missing and her father is hanging posters to help find her. Everyone else thinks she is dead.
This book is so different from anything I've ever read (I mean, seriously, narrated by cemetery residents who love the town)! While it takes a minute to get going, it is so worth it.. It is sad, tender, funny, poignant and the characters are memorable and fully developed. I want to read her first book, 4.5/5

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House & Ballantine for the eARC. I really appreciate it!