Such lovely writing, and so many interesting thoughts and feelings, all of them so beautifully expressed, but even so, somewhere along the way, Claire Fuller let go of my hand and dove all by herself into her own fictional dream and I was left helplessly splashing and sputtering on the surface of her novel, unable to follow.

It's possible that this novel began as one story, a plague story, and then something else happened. Something unexpected, even to Claire Fuller. I wish, when that unexpected swerve in the story came along, that someone had been there to tell Claire Fuller, ruthlessly--it could have been she herself who was ruthless, or a trusted friend, or a skilled editor--that she needed to throw out this beginning scaffolding she'd written, this wrong turn, about a plague, and about isolation, and about mass extinction from a virus. "Get rid of it!" this ruthless person would have said. "Instead, tell this other story, of a woman who is participating in a trial of a device called "The Revisitor.""

This new, plague-free story would have supported the interior yearnings and the beauty of this novel so much better.

Obviously this is a very personal opinion.

It's hard to throw out good writing. But a writer like Claire Fuller should be confident that she can replace these done-to-death plague pages with just-as-good writing, stories and scenes that support this other, fresh novel, because she's a good writer, and because every sentence she comes up with will be just as good as the ones she threw away.

I'm left feeling crankily disappointed in an extremely particular and personal way, where I have been captivated by the beauty of the writing, and the potential of the story, and disappointed in how these elements came together on the page.

am still rattled by Claire Fuller's The Memory of Animals! It was like reliving the start of the pandemic but then taking a terrifying stroll down an alternate reality where a virus mutates and the variant, a word we've all come to loathe, takes an apocalyptic turn.

We find ourselves in a clinical setting where twenty-something Neffy has elected to receive a trial vaccine following the outbreak of a dangerous virus. After Neffy receives the vaccine, the virus mutates and wipes out, as far as we know, most of humanity. Neffy fights the vaccine and the virus and comes to in a new world, a world populated by four other trial volunteers. Only, Neffy finds out, she's the only one who ended up receiving the vaccine. She's their only hope. There's some hoarding, some plotting and some coupling -- pretty much what you'd expect in a post apocalyptic tale. What I didn't expect was Neffy's near addiction to a "revisitor," a device created by one of the other volunteers that helps people journey back to reexperience (or revisit) their memories. All of this happens while Neffy keeps a journal in which she writes to an octopus she helped escape from an aquarium years earlier.

Fuller wholly captures the terror and uncertainty of living through the start of a pandemic. It wasn't certain dread like someone who hadn't just lived through a pandemic might expect. There was little screaming. Only occasional panic and terror. It was more of a quiet kind of doubt, realizations of futility washing over (and over and over). Fuller painted this brilliantly. In fact, for the first few pages, I found my hands shaking, reliving the first few days of the Covid-19 pandemic. I've read so many dystopian novels as of late and this one stands out because of Fuller's unique approach to developing the character of Neffy.

I was so deeply invested in the sections of the story about the pandemic and the decisions made by Neffy and the other volunteers that I found myself rushing through some of Neffy's revisitations. I wanted more about the world outside, about Neffy's journey beyond the clinic. I wanted more of their fear and realizations. Many of the memories during Neffy's revisitations were vital -- it helped me connect to the immensity of her grief over the loss of her boyfriend, her family. However, some of it felt unnecessary. I found this particularly true of the letters to H, the octopus she fell in love with. It added an element of the story I couldn't quite connect to. While I love a good cephalopod-human relationship, this didn't feel quite developed enough and it took away from the tension of the other story lines.

I absolutely loved the ending of this story. I love a devastating ending with a dash of uncertainty. I'll be thinking about Neffy and Nina for a long time.

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Claire Fuller’s newest novel, The Memory of Animals, as I so enjoyed her earlier Uncommon Ground. I had high hopes for another great read from this author, but . . . it didn’t quite work out that way.

The Memory of Animals is immediately compelling; Claire Fuller writes magnificently. But after an intriguing beginning, things stalled and the whole thing felt . . . unsteady.

There are three strands to the storyline: there is the ongoing drama around a deadly pandemic just outside the door, there are letters written from the main character to “dearest H,” and there are the main character’s flashback memories (most of them from the quite recent past). Unfortunately, these strands don’t really come together in a satisfying way, muddling whatever the intended message was for readers. The flashback/memory storyline, in particular, felt contrived and far too detailed. (I forgot to even mention the introduction of The Revisitor, a memory “re-living” device, that felt cumbersome and superfluous.)

It was a lot.
Too much for me.

When the ending came, it came very quickly and resolved mostly off stage.
All in all, this was a disappointing read.

The Memory of Animals was entertaining enough, but I fear it will disappoint fans of both sci-fi/dystopian fiction and literary fiction.

Thank you to Tin House Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on May 31, 2023.

Too much and too little going on at the same time. There were way too many plot elements here, and characterization was replaced by letters to an octopus and sex with a stepbrother after their parents' recent marriage. Many people are saying they love the writing style, so I'm going to peg this as an author that's just not for me. I was very excited for this book, so it's also a personal letdown of expectations.

I had to think about this book for a little while before I could review it. This is my second book by Claire Fuller and I really didn't know what to expect from it. I loved her writing style and felt very connected to the story and all the characters throughout the novel. I went in kind of blind to this story and I think that helped a lot while there are multiple time lines they never felt confusing and the whole story came together seamlessly. This novel is set during a pandemic one that is nothing like COVID but does lead to isolating and other similar situations. I really enjoyed this book and was on the fence between 4 and 5 stars there were a few small things that a made it a 4 star read for me would definitely recommend it will continue to read books by Claire Fuller in the future. I want to thank NetGalley and Tin House for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Fuller’s previous work and The Memory of Animals was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2023. This book is definitely an outlier compared to what I’ve read from Fuller previously, and I’m still sorting through my thoughts on it. Unlike her other novels, The Memory of Animals is speculative fiction. It’s set in the midst of a pandemic that causes humans’ organs to swell, leading to pain, erratic behavior, and often death. Our narrator is Effy, a marine biologist in her late 20s who decides to enroll in a paid vaccine trial after she’s fired from her job and left with a hefty debt. Things do not go as planned, and Effy is left with a handful of study participants trying to decide how to navigate the changed landscape of the world. One fellow participant was working on a machine that allows users to relieve their memories in a visceral and intoxicating manner, and through Effy’s use of this device, we learn about Effy’s loves and losses (including a profound love for an octopus at her aquarium), and the real reason she volunteered for this trial. Typing out this summary, the novel sounds like a mess. I promise you, it’s not! Although I’m still sorting through what I think about some of Fuller’s choices here, I was ultimately very absorbed in the story and captivated by the writing.

A world besieged by a pandemic. Neffy signs up for an experimental vaccine and along with other volunteers. The writing style here wasn't my favorite. I've read other things by Fuller I've enjoyed more, but this one maybe just wasn't for me. Others might enjoy it more!

A young woman volunteers to test the vaccine of a deadly virus that is wiping out the world. The vaccine trial serves as the backdrop for her memories of her family and the job she recently lost that compelled her to sign up for the trial.

I'll admit to loving pandemic books. I think reading about them, how they were similar to or might be different from the one that I lived through, helps me gain perspective and be more thoughtful about the myriad ways that shared crises are experienced. The Memory of Animals was excellent, pulling in a parallel storyline about the main character's relationship with an octopus, delving into the ethics of patient care in the face of a deadly virus, and exploring the balance between the importance and peril of living and experiencing memories. Highly recommend.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Memory of Animals releases June 6, 2023

Neffy, a former medical student and marine biologist, is one of sixteen volunteers for a drug trial that hopes to find a vaccine for the current virus responsible for the pandemic they’re in.
She’s volunteering for the monetary incentive in order to pay back what she owes to the aquarium for their octopus.

The plan is that they’ll be isolated in the wing of their hospital for three weeks as part of the trial, but on day one, we soon see that the state of the world with the new variants quickly shifts and escalates which derails the trial and has the nurses and even some of the trial volunteers fleeing.

On what would be day seven of the trial, Neffy finally makes it out of the worst of the virus/vaccine fog, to learn that not only has the world gone into complete chaos with no media or communication, but she was only one of three to actually get administered the vaccine, and is one of five individuals remaining in the building.

Between having to ration what little food there is left, Neffy grows close to Leon who has a sort of Remembered Reality technology where limited individuals can take part in something called “revisiting” (of their memories).
This element was interesting, but at the same time, I still don’t have a clear grasp as to how it was able to function… through sun charged pebbles??

<b>[contains some spoilers]</b>

An intriguing pandemic setting, but I was left wanting a bit more. There was a lot that could have been unpacked towards the end in terms of using the AC as a way to coverup the cruel ways that the four non-vaccinated trial volunteers treated Orla and Stephan by locking them up and leaving them to essentially rot.
While the epistolary style of having letters from the main character written to an octopus she grew attached to in her previous life may appeal to some readers, there could have been a lot more depth added just by incorporating a singular chapter/pov from each of the four other individuals (Leon, Yahiko, Piper, Rachel) during that first week of isolation, to gain insight into their thought processes and how they were managing with this new worldwide crisis, and why they came to the decisions they did.
It was clear that the dynamics were mainly on a 4:1 ratio with them having important discussions that did not involve Neffy, who was the only immune person, so in that sense it felt pretty isolating.

The ending left for some ambiguous hope, but I really wasn’t expecting it to be so grim either.

This could have been a 4 star read, however I couldn’t get past the step-sibling as a love interest.

Thank you to Tin House for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its publication. I enjoyed The Memory of Animals.

As a pandemic spreads, a woman named Neffy volunteers for a vaccine trial, only to emerge from her hazy isolation and discover it’s too late: Hospital staff have abandoned the clinic. The world outside is desolate. And the handful of fellow test subjects that remain alongside her may not be what they seem.
There’s also a new technology that allows people to "revisit" memories, as well as … Neffy’s letters to an octopus that she once studied at a marine institute? Yeah. There is symbolism here but, for me, not all of these threads fit together perfectly.

I love Claire Fuller’s writing though. She’s so good at building unease, skilled in the way she feeds the reader mysterious details, crumb by crumb, making us hungry for the truth of what’s really going on. That sense of foreboding made this book, like her previous work, exciting to read.

I am not ready for pandemic books but I read this because I didn't know it was one until I was too far in. A vaccine clinic, a pandemic devastating the outside world, a woman enrolled in the experiment to get money to pay a debt caused by her questionable, passionate choices. Entertaining.

*3.5

This is a difficult one for me to review because, while I did enjoy the book and found it extremely captivating, I also felt that something was missing throughout the entirety of my read. I think my main issue was the MC (all the characters, really) felt very surface-level and the topics explored (human vs. animal captivity, freedom, responsibility, etc.) weren't delved into enough. Very interesting book overall but it just didn't go deep enough for me. Should also say that this is my first Claire Fuller and it won't be my last!

I loved this book, I feel sure it will be on all the awards lists this fall. Unsettled Ground was so deeply moving and in The Memory of Animals the characters are equally sympathetic and three dimensional. I don't know how people are reacting to pandemic books, but for me, this really worked.

As a pandemic looms, Neffy decides to volunteer as a test subject for a vaccine. In part, this is to pay for her debts. Not everything goes as planned, and she finds herself alone with four other participants in the study, trying to figure out how long they can survive and whether she can really trust any of them.

This is a book of three parts, the story in the present, a series of letters to someone called "H", and a number of flashbacks to Neffy's previous life facilitated by an incredible—but potentially addictive—new technology.

The portion set in the present day is exceedingly well done, with each of the other participants being full and convincing characters. Each of them has their own agenda and secrets to hide, and these are slowly revealed as the reader tries to stay one step ahead.

The letters to "H" are probably my favorite part of the book, both in terms of the writing (though Claire Fuller's writing is always amazing) and what they reveal about Neffy. I only wish there were more of them, because each one made me love Neffy a little bit more.

Finally, the flashbacks were also well written and revealed alot about Neffy's family and background. The technology through which they happened was certainly interesting, but I found myself if it was necessary for the flashbacks to happen. In the end, I decided that they way the technology worked allowed Fuller to emphasize the experiences that were key to Neffy's life.

This was a superb book. I found myself compulsive reading this when I should have been sleeping!

I feel like Fuller's writing is always great, but this story fell short for me. The characters were relatable. The setting is plausible. The last survivors of a pandemic is overdone right now. It wasn't a new perspective or idea or plot. So this one wasn't for me

I thought this was going to be such an interesting read. It started off good and the ending was ok but the middle was very boring to me.

When a pandemic hits, Neffy volunteers to be a vaccine test subject. While she is fighting the disease, a more virulent strain spreads killing most people. She is left in the medical facility with 4 others who didn’t get the vaccine yet. One of them has a device that allows Neffy to revisit her past memories. As the group tries to figure out what to do, when to leave, and how to get along, Neffy is using the device to revisit her past, which includes an octopus she befriended in a previous job. The story is engaging if a little slowly paced for a pandemic survival book. The interpersonal dynamics of this stranded group and the weirdnesses they bring to the story as well as Neffy’s life struggles are the focus of the story, and they were sufficiently interesting to keep me reading and looking forward to finding out how this turned out. I really enjoyed this story, the premise, and the characters. I am not sure how I feel about using revisiting past memories as a plot device, but I definitely didn’t hate it. Readers looking for a lot of action, violence, and survival struggles that are common to pandemic stories will be disappointed.

The Memory of Animals
By Claire Fuller

Claire Fuller’s writing style made me love Unsettled Ground and now that I’ve read another novel of hers, The Memory of Animals, she has absolutely become one of my favourite writers. The Memory of Animals is a “Pandemic” dystopian story. A new virus has arrived and Netty, our main character, volunteers to be a test subject for a new vaccine. Netty brings with her all sorts of baggage: unresolved family issues, she’s had to take a forced hiatus from her career as a marine biologist because she “liberated” a captive octopus with whom she has an oddly close relationship, and she’s not sure how she feels about her current boyfriend.
While in a state of delirium (having been both infected with the virus and injected with a test vaccine) the world literally goes to hell in a handcart. New variants evolve causing mass death of the citizens and crime runs supreme. In the meantime, a select few individuals, all volunteer test subjects, have been abandoned but safely secluded in a medical facility while the world collapses around them. Along with Neffy, is Rachel, Yahiko, Leon and Piper. This crew needs to work together first of all to survive in a world that is vastly different from the one they had known before, which isn’t easy for the obvious reasons, but also because they each possess secrets that could disrupt their fragile little community.
To make matters even more complicated, they possess an object, an object called a “Revisiter” that when used, can immerse an individual so vividly in past memories they feel as if they are there.

I loved Neffy’s character arch. She starts off as an insecure young woman who, at the beginning of the novel, seems to only volunteer as a test subject as an attempt to escape her reality rather than for selflessly participating in an attempt to find a cure. Her obsession with the Revisitor with an attempt to again avoid her reality also supports this need of hers escape when life gets difficult. As we progress through the action, Neffy becomes a strong, selfless, rather heroic character, who faces her reality straight on and begins to make decisions and take control in order to not only survive but to also make a little world that is worthy of living in.

So far Fuller is two for two when it comes to my appreciation for her writing. I will be looking to add more titles of hers to my TBR list in the future.

4.5⭐

Does freedom win over containment, even with all its risks, including death?
- Claire Fuller's The Memory of Animals

The Memory of Animals is a book set during a global pandemic. This virus causes edema - swelling and puffiness of the body, memory loss and possible death. The world is shutting down - you know the drill - stockpiles, lockdowns, closed borders, vaccines and variants.

Marine Biologist, Neffy has volunteered to be a human subject in a vaccine trial. She says it's for the money but she has other reasons. We learn about her and the other trial subjects along with Neffy's journal to a mysterious "H" about her love of octopi.

The Memory of Animals is a beautiful book. It's taut and disturbing and has so much to say about survival, confinement, memories and the harsh ramifications of the choices we make. I had four other books going on when I started this one but I stopped reading everything else until I finished it.

Can I also talk about his gorgeous cover by @aqualisa? I love it!! The Memory of Animals comes out in the UK April 20th (with a different beautiful cover) and in North America June 6. Thank you to @netgalley and @tin_house for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.