The Memory of Animals is a pandemic story about a small group of vaccine study volunteers who end up among the last on earth in a quick, tragic turn of events. Told with interspersed letters, we learn primarily about Neffy who at 27 has found herself directionless and jobless. She's left behind someone special to take part in this dangerous trial for the vaccine has not yet been tested on any humans and it will involve an exposure challenge. 

I like a pandemic story, so I felt this had a lot of promise. However, what I found left me wanting and disappointed. This story drags and drags, quite the accomplishment since the book is just over 270 pages. The ending was rushed after so many 50 page chapters of almost nothing happened and repetitive memories of Neffy. And the memory of animals? Totally unexplored. Hinted at in maybe two sentences in the whole book. 

I wish this hadn't been a mess, because there's so much that could have been done better in this premise.