I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!

This was a really fun and fast paced read! Based in a small town in New Hampshire, Emma is born with 'gifted' with hands that can heal at a touch. As the golden child, she is sent off to college and medical school in California. Her brother, after a high school football career ending injury, gets hooked on opioids and is in and out of rehab. Her parents work for the local university with her dad being an eccentric poetry professor. Fast-forward to Emma being called home to say goodbye to her dad who is suffering from dementia, and Emma gets to take stock of her life and deal with a little family business.

I will admit that, in re-reading the above synopsis of this book, the book is not a serious, heavy read but is at times irreverently funny, kooky, and altogether enjoyable read that is not dull! Yes, it deals with a couple of sad topics but it does so in the very unconventional way of the Starling Family. I caught myself staying up late to finish this and occasionally just bursting out in laughter. Highly recommend!

Eccentric Apparitions

Ingrid, who is the fourth wife of Clive Starling, is mother to Emma and Auggie. Emma was the pride and joy with aspirations to become a doctor. However, she quit med school and went back to her hometown in New Hampshire. Along the way, she picks up a lone, white dog and names him Moses, who lived up to his name throughout the novel. Auggie is a sometime drug addict and/or in drug recovery. Upon her return, Emma discovers her good friend, Crystal Nash, has been missing and feared dead. Emma and Crystal were fast friends in high school capitalizing on Emma's talent to cure with hands-on touching. Emma, however, could not cure her father, Clive, who is dying from some brain disease. The disease prompts hallucinations of animals, particularly rabbits in the house . Instead, she become a substitute teacher for fifth graders in her hometown. The descriptions and intellect of these children is the most poignant part of the book. The story is whimsical but did not always hold my attention. Its originality is clever and the presence of ghosts of dead people in their town has an impact on the plot and conflicts among the characters.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Random House for this pre-published book.

Full disclosure, I did not finish this book. I got about 25% of the way through. Admittedly, this type of novel is not what I would normally read, but the description sounded interesting and some authors that I respect provided blurbs.

Overall, the story has nice pacing and is well-written, it just wasn't that interesting to me. I felt that the characters were pretty flat and cliched and although there are some heavy themes (drug addiction, terminal illness, death), they are treated at the surface-level and in a tone that is too light and dismissive. Maybe that is the intent of the writer, but it did not work for me.

Ultimately, I could not finish this book because I did not care where the story ended and felt that there wasn't enough nuance or excitement to keep me attached to the story.

An absolute treasure of a book! Annie Hartnett combines historical fact with whimsical fiction, woven in with contemporary issues (opioid addiction, missing persons, memory loss and hallucinations), relationships between the living and the dead, love, healing and forgiveness. Lots of big themes, one compelling read.

Emma Starling, born with the gift of “healing hands,” returns to her hometown of Everton, NH, after an extended escape to California, ostensibly to study medicine. Summoned home by her mother who is hoping she will mend her broken relationship with her father, and perhaps mend him in the process (he’s been hallucinating small animals and having conversations with his invisible friend, the ghost of Ernest Harold Baynes, a writer and naturalist who’s home was always open to wild animals). Upon arriving she learns her best friend from childhood, Crystal Wise, has gone missing and Emma’s dad is leading the effort to find her, while the rest of the town has long given up on Crystal.

What follows is a beautiful story and a very satisfying read, unfolding under the capable hands of the residents of the town’s cemetery, who make it their business to look after the living.

“Both funny and sad, it is the kind of story we love best.” A quote from said narrator. I would echo this opinion.

Thank you to #BallantineBooks and #NetGalley for the digital arc of #UnlikelyAnimals. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book deals with some heavy topics like addiction and degenerative brain disease, but it doesn't feel heavy. Hartnett has created a quaint little New England town filled with quirky characters including the residents of the town cemetery. It's about family and friendship and finding your way home.

Emma Starling is not eager to return to NH for a few reasons. The power to heal she was born with has disappeared and she quit med school. But her family has been hiding the truth as well. Her dad's brain disease is worse than she thought and her childhood best friend has disappeared and no one but her dad is looking for her. Emma stays to help with her dad and things go awry quickly.

This is a heartwarming book about second chances and finding your place in the world.

This quirky, quick-witted tale blends magical thinking with an old-fashioned ghost story. While the ending was a bit much to swallow, the cadence and originality of the writing left me feeling satisfied.

What a sweet, funny, endearing story! I used this book as a palate cleanser mixed in with some more difficult reading. Highly recommended and would read more by this author.

Loved every minute of this quirky book. If you like Fredrik Backman’s a Man Called Ove I think this one is right up your alley. Charming book about the trials of
Life and overcoming them and a little mystery inside.

This quirky story is told from the POV of the denizens of Maple Street Cemetery. If that doesn’t sound like fun, you should probably skip this. Ghosts tend to divide readers – I’m thinking Lincoln in the Bardo and Himself, specifically. I find them loads of fun. Others…not so much. As far as plot goes, the book follows natural-born healer Emma as she returns to her small-town home to see her dying father through his last days. Clive (her father) hallucinates small animals and a dead naturalist who famously lived with small animals. He has become obsessed with the recent disappearance of Emma’s good friend from her school days, putting up “missing” signs on every tree he finds. Set against the backdrop of a town knee-deep in the opioid crisis, this is a story of family and friends…and small animals. Unlikely small animals. I enjoyed it, but it won’t be for everyone.

A quirky book with a big heart! I will admit when I read the description of Unlikely Animals, I thought I might be in for a depressing read…this is a story about a young woman who was born with a ‘healing gift’ that she loses, who drops out of med school and moves back home to take care of her dying father, in a town that is deep in an opioid crisis, where her best friend has gone missing, and the story is narrated by the spirits of the local cemetery. Sounds like a downer, right? Amazingly, there is nothing depressing about this book. Annie Hartnett somehow manages to weave a story with so much humor and compassion, with many wonderful surprises along the way, and with characters we love and cheer for. I think I smiled throughout the whole thing, and I couldn’t put it down. An absolute delight of a book!

Have you ever felt like a book was written for you? I felt like that with Unlikely Animals. As I read the book I kept thinking wow this has so many topics that I’m interested in.

Unlikely Animals has a lot going on. Emma has returned from California where she was supposed to start med school. Oh, and she used to have healing abilities that have now run out when her dad may be about to kick the bucket. Her dad, Clive, has become obsessed with finding Emma’s old best friend, Crystal, who everyone believes has run away or overdosed on drugs.

The deceased townsfolk of Everton are narrating the story! Being dead they get to show us things that the living cannot know about. I love that the author put this in the story because it added a whimsical aspect. In addition, you can learn so much from the past. I loved reading that the ghosts were still rooting for people in town. I teared up when they said that they longed to be remembered.

One of these ghosts is Ernest Harold Baynes, an almost constant companion to Clive. I am not sure what rock I have been living under that I have never heard of him! Baynes was an American naturalist and is often referred to as the closest to a real life Dr. Doolittle. The book includes excerpts and photos from his personal journals. I loved hearing about Jimmie the bear and his beloved friend fox, The Sprite. At the end of the book you can learn more about how the author was inspired to write this book.

The heart of the story is the relationships between characters. I think we can all relate to Emma’s relationships with her parents and brother. You fall in love with each character. Emma for her sense of failure and fear because who hasn’t felt like they were making a huge mistake. Clive for entertaining us while in the grip of death. Crystal reminds us of our first true friend and how we miss them even if we have grown apart. Even the animals are amazing characters because they are loyal and want to protect the family.
I have found new author to love and I look forward to reading Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett. If you are looking for a fun, soul touching book I highly recommend Unlikely Animals. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars. Might be a 5 star after I sleep on it. Wow. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the early copy.

I put this book on my watch list for upcoming releases after reading the synopsis earlier this year but by the time I picked it up, I couldn’t tell you what it was supposed to be about. And honestly for the majority of the book that stood true haha. But in the best way!

This story follows a girl Emma from a small New Hampshire town who returns to help care for her ailing father who sees imaginary animals and beings. Throw in a childhood friend who has gone missing, an opioid crisis, a mysterious woods area, a group of 5th graders and some family drama with comic relief - and you get this book. I was laughing, I was crying, and I was along for the ride from page 1. I absolutely enjoyed this book and the omniscient narrator(s) was a genius touch.

If you get the chance to read this book this year, do it. There might be times where you stop and wonder “what is going on?” But that just means you’re doing it right and keep going.

I really loved this book. It’s creative, imaginative and heart warming. It’s the story of a place and a family. Clive, the father, suffering from a brain disease who sees ghosts, forgets things and has adventures that leave his family breathless. Ingrid, the long suffering mom. Emma, the daughter, born with a gift of healing yet, as a young adult, has no idea who she is. Auggie, the son, recovering drug addict also struggling to find his identity. There is also the ghost of Ernest Baynes who constantly torments and challenges Clive. There is Emma’s best friend, missing, Clive’s never ending project to find her. And the animals, a gorgeous, anxious dog , a fox named Rasputin , and a host of others who pop in to create havoc. ( I really want a fox now!) . The icing on the story is that it’s told through the eyes of the dead in the town graveyard always keeping watch on their beloved town. I was sorry it ended!

A delightful read, though hard to get into at first. I recommend the reader stick with it. The meta narratives are of that very 1990s style that captured so many novels. Wild that was so long ago that it’s retro here. Thank you for the ARC.

4.5⭐️ rounded up!

The ghosts of the Maple Street Cemetery in the fictional town of Everton, New Hampshire are governed by a strict set of rules and restrictions for its occupants and the most important ones are as follows:
Rule#1: No Meddling in the affairs of the living.
Rule#2: If you stop caring about the events of the living, you’re in direct violation of the rules of the cemetery, and your soul shrivels up before it disappears.
However, the rules do not prevent the ghosts from seeing everything that is going on in the lives of the residents of the Everton. With wit, wisdom, humor and a healthy dose of sarcasm woven into their commentary, they proceed to narrate the story of the Starling family of Everton and their community.

We meet twenty–two–year–old Emma Starling, returning home from California, where she was attending college, on account of her father's illness. Unbeknownst to her family, she has dropped out of medical school and has been living in a vegan commune while trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. She was born with “charismata iamaton” – healing hands, a gift that her family thought would prove useful in the medical profession. However, her powers have dissipated to almost non-existent as she has grown older. Her father, Clive Starling, retired poetry professor, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness affecting his brain, causing cognitive and motor problems. Clive experiences hallucinations (mostly of cats, rabbits and other animals) which lead to some strange incidents in his classroom forcing him into retirement. He can also see and regularly interact with the ghost of long-dead official naturalist of Corbin Park, Ernest Harold Baynes, who lived with a number of wild animals in his home in the course of his lifetime. Clive's association with "Harold" leads to quite a few humorous incidents, much to the dismay of his family (like ordering a pet fox from Russia for an exorbitant sum of money, who Clive names Rasputin). Despite his illness, Clive refuses to stop actively searching for Emma’s high school friend Crystal Nash who has disappeared without a trace and was also an addict and involves Emma to assist in his efforts. Emma’s mother Ingrid, also employed at the college where Clive worked, is dealing with Clive’s illness and the cracks in her marriage while also taking care of Auggie, Emma’s younger brother and recovering addict. It is clear that this family needs time and effort to deal with so much going on and what follows is a series of events that test their endurance, loyalty and love for one another.

The novel focuses on family, community, marriage, relationships and infidelity while also addressing many serious issues such as age-related illness and the challenges of caregiving as well as substance abuse and opioid addiction and its effects on addicts and their loved ones. Emma’s efforts to bond with her fifth-grade class, in the elementary school where she takes a substitute teaching position, lead to some heartwarming moments and emphasizes the importance of teachers and schools in the community. Love for animals and the difference our animal friends can make in our lives is a running theme in this novel. (“That’s why we like living with animals so much; they exhibit their joy so outwardly, remind us how to be better alive.”) A lot is going on in this story, but the author keeps the tone engaging and unambiguous and never lets it become too heavy or overwhelming for the reader. I loved the selected excerpts and photographs of naturalist Ernest Harold Baynes (b. 1868–d. 1925) "the real-life Doctor Doolittle of New Hampshire”, his wife Louise and his animal friends shared as part of the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the stories featuring Jimmie the bear. This novel is enchanting, dream-like and full of heart and humor even in its saddest moments.

With an engaging narrative and a bit of mystery thrown into the mix, elements of magical realism and a lively cast of characters - animal (I adored both Moses, the dog and Rasputin, the fox) and human, living and deceased (yes! even ghosts can be lively!), Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett is a joy to read. Suspend disbelief and this is probably one of the most charming stories you can add to your to-read list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting my request for a digital review copy of this fascinating novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely riveting. I could have read it all at once but paced myself over a few days.
I think I most enjoyed who the narrator of the story is. I won't give it away, but once you read it, I hope you'll be as smitten as I am. I've never read a book quite like this, and it works so so well!
Following Emma's journey brings us to her family and all the issues that go with it. Her father is dying from a yet-to-be-determined brain disease. Her mother is overwhelmed with taking care of him. Her brother is in recovery and trying to figure out what to do with his life. Emma comes back trying to figure out her life as well and finds out that her high school best friend is missing, chalked up to a heroin overdose. Her dad is the only one still truly searching for her. While Emma and her dad continue to investigate Crystal's whereabouts, life continues on, and we see what each member of the family does with what is thrown at them. While the subject matter is heavy, this isn't what I'd consider a "heavy" read. You feel like you're going through everything with these characters, but don't feel bogged down by it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Ballentine for the advanced copy of this book!

Honestly I was really skeptical about this book. I was reaching outside my normal choice, but I'm glad I did. This is a very clever, imaginative story. It's told with a hint of truth yet it's fiction. Worth your time!

Unlikely Animals is a weird and fun novel with such amazing characters and stories. It centers around the Starling family-Emma, Clive, Augie, and Ingrid-and their relationships with the community of Everton and with their individual struggles. The dead residents of the Maple Street Cemetery narrate the story and often interject with their comments.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I read the summary for this book online and the premise sounded interesting. My best friend lives in New Hampshire, so I wanted to read this book and recommend it to her if I ended up liking it. Unfortunately, I have to DNF at 16%. I know, I know, that is a low number, so I should just push through. But I did read Part One of the novel, and I just couldn’t get past it. Everyone seems to love this novel, so I’m going to say, it’s just not for me. The idea is there, but it wasn’t executed well for me. The writing isn’t exactly my style, and the plot isn’t interesting enough for me to just ignore it. I’m sorry, it’s not you, it’s me.

Unlikely Animals is a moving and at times quite humorous novel about life and death in a small town in New Hampshire. We follow Emma Starling who returns to her hometown to care for her father Clive, who is dying from a neurodegenerative disorder. He was a professor at the local college who was forced to leave when his cognitive abilities begin waning, and he starts hallucinating animals as well as the ghost of a naturalist, a man who was seen as a real life Doctor Doolittle. While the topic of terminal illness is heavy, levity is provided by the souls populating the local cemetery (I know, just go with it). Another plot line throughout the book is Clive's obsession with the disappearance of a young woman in town, who everyone believes has overdosed, but Clive is convinced she's still alive.

This is a quirky book that made my heart warm. The Starling family is complicated, but their connections are strong. Hartnett really does a great job of balances some heavy themes with the right dose of levity. While I found the missing/dead girl plot line a bit extraneous, I thoroughly enjoyed spending my time with this fictional family.

Thanks to Ballantine Books via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.