In The Memory of Animals, a group of young people are trapped in hospital during a pandemic that wipes through the population, leaving just them, alone and isolated. It’s not a ‘survival’ novel though. No gangs of thugs attack them, nobody comes near them. It’s a huis clos, with just our five characters.
The novel is structured by each day they live through, in parallel with flashbacks of scenes in the past. Hard to say more without spoilers.
The Memory of Animals is a beautifully written, lovely novel, albeit with a sad setting. It’s moving and full of emotion, while being quite down-to-earth in its language and structure and overall storytelling. I would say that the style never gets in the way of the story!
You’ll fall in love reading this book. With an octopus, rather surprisingly.
I’m left not quite sure how I feel, but a little bereft.
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
#TheMemoryofAnimals #NetGalley #ClaireFuller
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