I received an advance review copy from Black Rose Writing through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.

3.5 stars

This was definitely ... interesting. I don't read many books featuring anthropomorphic animals, let alone books where their physiological and evolutionary differences are so thoughtfully examined and incorporated into the story. While animal-society-as-allegory certainly isn't a unique premise, Popovich has constructed a fascinating narrative.

My rating boils down to the fact that this is stronger as social commentary than entertainment; this is totally fine if it's what you're looking for, but I have trouble buying into a novel when I can't get a good sense of the characters, let alone empathize with them. A lot of the dialogue is cheesy, and in parts (especially in the latter half) the plot felt like a side story or afterthought — a vehicle for philosophical or moral proclamations, or for inter-character drama.

This has a solid foundation; I just personally don't love how the (metaphorical) house ended up looking. But that doesn't make it a bad work of architecture, and I think plenty of people will enjoy this book more than I did.

content warnings:

Spoiler

speciesm (racism), fat-shaming, public humiliation by authority (police), minor gore, blood, violence

rep:

Spoiler

bi-species major character (polar & black bear), lesbian major character, inter-species relationships

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CONVERSION: 9.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: N/A