I'll be honest, I didn't realise this novel was written in verse when I started reading it. However, I loved it. The plot itself is very simple - a young girl is struggling to cope with her own grief, and that of everyone around her - and collects dead things, partly out of morbid fascination, but also out of a desire to beauty even in death.

The simplicity (and the heart-breaking sadness that goes with this) is perfect for verse, where the bare bones of a story, and emotions, can be presented in very few words, but in a way that is even more meaningful for the reader.

Or at least, that is how it felt for me.

I loved the slow reveal of the depth of grief that Lottie is experiencing, as well as the added grief and experiences of her own family. During the novel, Lottie is 12-13 years old, which is a time when a young person might experience such adult traumas, but not know how to process them. Lottie's own way of processing these things may be both morbid and macabre, but it works beautifully.

It may be that this is partially due to how short it is, and each small poem could easily be read as a standalone, but I loved the thread of the plot and emotions running through them all. I would gladly read this again.

For me, this would not have had the same impact if it had been told in prose. The Art of Taxidermy came as a real surprise, and I loved every word of it.

I feel bad for another dnf, but these books just haven't been clicking with me lately.

I read the first 45% of this book fairly quickly, it flew by and I could just keep going and going. However, after I had stopped, I wasn't able to make myself pick it back up again. I realized I just didn't have a connection with the characters nor was intrigued by the story and family history that this book seemed to be building to, and with the book needing to be nearing more action/reveals/tension, I didn't think I was going to end up being invested when everything went down.

It's hard to pinpoint where this lack of interest came from. I think some of it definitely came from the general subject matter of the story (or the hobby through which the inner story of our MC is dealt with). While I knew this book would be about taxidermy, dead animals, etc., I guess I hadn't expected the detail? I guess I had assumed it would be backgrounding the larger family story rather than the other way around, and in reality I just don't enjoy reading about dead animal collecting, studying, and attempts at taxidermy of these dead animals. It just made me really uncomfortable at points, and I found myself skimming longer passages that involved these types of scenes. And unfortunately... this was most of the book. At least I know this for next time though, avoid books with a focus on dead animals?

I also wasn't fully enraptured by the verse. I've loved a lot of novels written in verse (most from Ellen Hopkins), but I just didn't mesh well with this particular take. I feel like verse is a little more hit or miss with me than prose, just as poetry is as well, and I honestly didn't feel like this novel benefited much from the verse (from what I read of it, of course). It seemed to read more as just broken up sentences than an actual style, and it just wasn't lyrical for me. I do think others will enjoy it though!

All in all, this book just wasn't for me, but I don't feel like I can judge it 'objectively', as much as anyone ever judges a book objectively. It just had too many things that weren't my taste, but I do feel like this book will find a home on some readers' shelves.

I originally requested this book as my own daughter is really into taxidermy. Can I also say the cover is gorgeous. I was surprise to find the book written in verse. For me personally I rather enjoy books written in verse, I read it, then my daughter read it and we both really enjoyed it. She connected with it as like I said she studies taxidermy as well.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this book! I think I would have enjoyed this story and the way it is written a lot more if I had read it in the winter time. I just did not enjoy the subject matter or the characters for majority of the story. I did like the writing style of the author though. I just think you have to be in the right mood for this type of story. Its a case of “it’s not the book, it’s me” kind of rating for me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
 
This was another book that I knew I had to try to get based on the cover first. As soon as I saw it I fell in love with it. It’s stunning! Then when I read the title I was totally sold. I've never read a book that was about taxidermy so this book intrigued me right off the bat. I didn’t realize until the other day that this book was written in verse. I have only read a few other books in the past 6 years that were written like this one and I enjoyed those, so I didn’t think that it would be a problem. Which it wasn’t at all. I thought that it being written in verse added to this story. 
 
We follow our young main character, Lottie. She is obsessed with all things dead. Something about death is so beautiful to her and she wants to remember these creatures that died so she decides to keep them. Although this is a strange thing for a young lady to do, this is a way for Lottie to cope with death. Her mother died when she was younger and she misses her terribly. Her father, who is such a good father, just wants Lottie to be happy. Lottie’s aunt thinks her obsession with dead animals is unhealthy for a little girl, but her father thinks that she just has a scientists mind. He lets her witness what a taxidermist does, which makes her fall in love with all things taxidermy. She decides she wants to try these things on her own. Once again making her Aunt angry and going to all costs to make Lottie stop being like this. 
 
I loved Lottie. You could tell that she truly had a passion for recreating things. And this was her way of feeling closer to her mother. This book was so heartbreaking at times, just to see the struggles that Lottie has. I could have read this book in one sitting and it would have taken me maybe 2 hours. It’s a quick read because it is written in verse. But this book packs an emotional punch that even surprised me! 
 
I recommend this book to everyone! I feel like this is a special book that everyone should read. And the fact that it is a quick read makes it even better.

3.5

This is the first full length book that I have read in free verse & I wasn’t expecting it.

It is quick to read and it didn’t take me long to get used to it which was refreshing.

It explores living in a country where you are not accepted, death, friendship, pushbacks from family about what you want to do with your life, loss & grief.

I would definitely try another verse book by this author but it wasn’t really my preferred style.

Firstly I think the use of a certain racial slur was unnecessary. There were other less extreme ones used that I think got the point across plenty well without needing to use the N word.

I also just think this book wasn't for me. I'm not overly fond of verse or flowery writing. But I'm naturally drawn to books about grief as someone who had suffered it. I hoped that I would deeply connect to that portion of the story, but unfortunately I dont think this book was anything special.

Not going to lie the cover of this novel caught my attention and that's why I requested it. Later when I started it i realized it's told completely in Poetry Verses. This book was a little bit of a stretch for me and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it! I found her obsession with dead things a Tiny bit creepy! But Death is not a common topic in YA novels, let alone in Fiction either, so kudos to Sharon for touching on that subject!

A lovely book of verse of a young girl who has a fascination with death and finds beauty in it, making her the odd one out to others, especially her Aunt [who loves her but can't understand her]. Her father understands though, death has touched both their lives in major ways and I loved how supportive he was of Lottie. Lottie's relationship with Annie was my favorite part of the novel as well as her finding friendship with Jeffrey. The history behind the characters is beautiful and tragic and steeped in the history of Australia. I felt this was a very lyrical read with a delicate framework of death and life, and their relationship with each other.

I usually avoid poetry books, and I didn't even know this was a poetry book. I just requested it on Netgalley because the cover and blurb seemed attractive.
I'm so glad that I got to read this book, because it was beautiful, small and big at the same time. Sad, but beautiful, yes.

Pros
Death: This book was very different from things I usually read. Death is not a celebrated topic in most books. In this book it was the main topic and the way it was portrayed was beautiful. I could appreciate death in the way it was a big part of this book. It also shows a way of coping with grief and the way people mourn in different ways.
Simplicity: The poetry in this book is one of simplicity. The book is so poetic and it's build up out of verses. It's easy to read and easy to understand. The poetry actually made me fall in love with this book, while I usually avoid reading it. Very well done.
German: It was fun to read more of a language that I speak next to Dutch and English. Germany is a part of the story and of the characters life and I liked reading about it in a way that it feels like home.
Small and big: The book feels small, with its short sentences. It contains not as much words as a lot of books with 200+ pages do. But it was so well done that the book felt small, but at the same time very big. The message in this book is big, the emotions are big, the depth of everything that happened, all very big.
Answers: You are gradually getting your answers with a little plot twist here and there. I felt that all the answers came at the right moment and there were some things that I didn't see coming. So next to being poetic, the book has some mystery and I was seeking for answers.

Cons
Birds: I am not a bird person, I don't know much about all the different species and English is not my native language. So that made it sometimes a bit difficult to picture. Birds are a big part of this book and I just didn't feel like looking up the birds every time, because that got me distracted.

Overall
Small, yet big. Cryptic, yet easy to understand. A book that made me believe that maybe I can love poetry. A small book with a big story, big emotions and revelations. Definitely worth your time, even if you're not sure you will like poetry!

This book is absolutely wonderful. I was intrigued to read a verse novel, as it wasn't a style I'd read before - and I'm so glad I did. I was just transported away into this world. I loved this book.

The theme of grief is heavy, as we explore the reactions to death of not only main character Lottie, but her father and other family members. Developing an intense interest in taxidermy as a way to capture a spark of life, Lottie collects dead birds and attempts to preserve them. Her father recognises her talent and begins to nurture her passion - whilst Lottie is dealing with revulsion from her aunt.

As the story progresses, we are shown the ways in which Lottie's family were treated as immigrants to Australia in World War 2. I found myself thinking about their story for a long while afterwards - and I'm definitely going to pick up a physical copy of this beautiful book.

'The Art of Taxidermy' by Sharon Kernot is an intriguing, flowing read.

A quick yet detail-packed read: The Art of Taxidermy took me by surprise and changed my mind about reading verse for pleasure.

I knew very little going into this book. The description sounded fascinating and unlike anything I have read before, and so I wasted no time diving in. 

The verse format took me by surprise (although had I paid more attention in the first place I would have anticipated it). However, I believe this was a good thing for me, as I have been known to avoid verse in the past. I am glad I didn't this time -- the format was beautiful, and demonstrated the huge talent Kernot has.

The writing was well thought out. Sharon Kernot portrays so much emotion through her carefully chosen words. Some sections would only be two or three verses long -- and yet they were packed with inferences that had me wondering.

The story unfolds from Lottie's point of view. I found her age difficult to judge throughout the book, as there is really only one indicator that stood out to me. It could be the format that made it difficult for a particular voice to come through for Lottie. Her thought pattern and the way she voiced questions often seemed simplistic, making her appear younger than she was.

There is much mystery in this book, with Kernot hinting at things that the reader must work out for themselves. I really enjoyed this element, as different truths came to light with the more I read. A definite explanation was then given towards the end of the book, which connected all the elements more firmly.

I thought the characters were interesting in that they are different from the usual characters I read. Lottie's family are German, but they moved to Australia before Lottie was born to escape Nazi Germany. Lottie's grandfather and father were imprisoned in Australia, with her mother and grandmother left to work the land. This backstory was incredibly rich. It meant that Lottie had issues to navigate in her own life because of her heritage. I found it fascinating to read something from such a perspective.

The element of taxidermy was unique also. It weaves through each poem beautifully and helps in portraying each character, through their reaction to Lottie's unconventional interest. It is an unusual skill and career path to Lottie's aunt -- as it is for many of us today. However, I found it refreshing to read about something I know little of.

Kernot explores so many themes and so many different and interesting ideas that I could end up talking about them for days! Instead, I suggest picking up the book for yourself and exploring Lottie's world.

4.8 stars
Overall, I thought this book was beautifully written and I am glad I chose to read it. It has completely changed my perspective on verse novels, and so I will be much more likely to pick them up in the future.

Sharon Kernot has done a wonderful job at telling a loaded tale, with a quirky and defiant young girl at its centre.

Review goes live 13/08/2019 @ 6pm BST.

The Art of Taxidermy uses prose to highlight the enigma of death. This is not my typical read, but I enjoyed they way that the poetry drew me in.

Simply put, this is a gorgeous story told in verse about a girl dealing with loss. However, I think it is so much more than that.

Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of poems or stories told in verse. I find them to be boring and try-hard or pretentious. However, this was not that. This read like a story but since it was told in verse, the word choices had to have more of an impact and be more meaningful. Sharon Kernot does a fantastic job with her word choice. The concept of taxidermy and the art of it in relation to dealing with death was spot on and there were some moments while reading that I thought were exquisitely and beautifully written.

This book has so much potential for use in English classes and opens up for ideas and discussions about verse writing, death, war, and family dynamics.

I didn’t know what I was getting when I picked out this book. When I first opened this book and started to read, I was pleasantly surprised. The author, has written this novel in verse and the flow of the writing really goes with and helps tell the story.

The Art of Taxidermy tells a gripping and emotional story about love of family and great loss. The themes are woven through the coming of age of young Lottie, along with her immigrant family in Australia after the second world war.

I was taken in by this book from the first page and was made to feel deeply for Lottie and this family. Sharon Kernot has written a beautiful book and I can not highly recommend it enough. This is a must read.

The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot is due to release August 23rd, 2019.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Text Publishing Company through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheArtOfTaxidermy #NetGalley

This story of verse is hidden behind a beautiful cover and one could be mistaken to presume this is a book full of opulence in the times of William Morris designing. This book is so far removed from the images brought about looking at the cover.
This is a book written in verse that examines grief from a multi person point of view. Although a difficult subject I believe it was delivered in as beautiful way possible..
I personally found the verse in this book difficult to get used to and the repetitive nature made it slow to get into.
I found Lottie's stubborn perseverance on bringing home dead animals morbid and made me a little squeamish reading of the varying stages of decay.
The book was quickly finished,a little disturbing and boring. I normally prefer my fiction to be a faster pace and moves forward with a definite plot. I think my overall opinion is the book seem stunted.

It was refreshing to read something as unique as The Art of Taxidermy. This is the first book that I have read that is entirely written in verse. It took awhile for me to get into the flow of the novel. It was a bit jarring at first, but as I read further I really started to appreciate the rhythm and beauty of the lines. I was a bit apprehensive about whether or not I would find the verse descriptive enough for me. I like really being grounded with a sense of place in my novels. I find world building especially important for me, however, the descriptions of nature and the surroundings were quite vivid, but it lacked depth on the emotional front for me.

I don’t want to make it sound like the character in this novel weren’t emotional, but the emotions didn’t carry on for me. I didn’t feel much of anything while I was reading this novel. It was beautiful sure, but it wasn’t ripping me up inside like I though it might. I was hoping for an open and almost visceral response. I though this novel would be heartbreaking, but for me it wasn’t. It could be because it was written in verse, but it could also be that most of the tragedy had happened in the past and so it didn’t evoke strong enough feelings.

The story itself is interesting despite not being emotionally provoking. There are a lot of different elements coming together in this book. It discusses elements of racism, second generation immigration, and grief. It doesn’t go in depth for the first two, but the last one is central to everything in the book. The mother, the sister, the grandfather, and the uncle have died. Grief is everywhere in this novel and how we deal with it is different for everyone. The only other topic that it really goes into is following your own path even when others disapprove.

Thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this story! All opinions are still very much my own

3.5 Stars*

So here's the thing. I'm not typically a fan of books written in verse. I always find them a bit too abstract and leave the book without feeling like I fully get the story. This book was the easiest to grasp out of all of the ones I've tried, and I actually quite liked the format.

That being said, the story itself wasn't the most compelling to me as I don't really feel like there was all that much development. It follows a young girl and her exploration of taxidermy as a way to cope with the grief she's faced after losing her mother. As a concept, I thought that sounded great, and it was, it was just generally a little bland.

There was also a weird vaguely romantic side plot involving a friend who is one of the very few black kids at her school, but again, this didn't seem fully developed and didn't really add much in my opinion.

This was very well written, with really beautiful prose, but I just found it all a little meh.

Trigger and Content Warnings: loss of a loved one, death of an animal, descriptions of dead animals, taxidermy described in detail, racism, underlying sexism and "girls must do _____" attitude.

3 1/2 stars.

This entire story is written in a prose style via a series of poems. All of the poems are written in first person from the point of view of Charlotte (Lottie), the preteen narrator. It's a rather imaginative way to write a book and I have to say that it actually works pretty well. I enjoyed the style and the writing. It felt comfortable and appropriate for the character.

There was a keen sense of mystery surrounding some of the bits and pieces of the story, which came to light through the pages a little bit at a time. It is rather cleverly done and I enjoyed the movement of the story.

My only issue with this one (as tends to be my downfall on many an occasion) was the ending. I left the story feeling unfulfilled. This isn't to say that the ending is a bad one. It wraps up in a way that makes sense given the previous pieces of narrative. I just couldn't get myself settled with it. Perhaps that is some of the intention, but I didn't like the uncomfortable way leaving it made me feel.

A wonderfully lyrical and visceral book about grief, The Art of Taxidermy is the story of a young girl who has lost too much and the Aunt and grieving Father who are each trying in their own way to help her come to terms with it. When eleven year old Charlotte develops a fascination with taxidermy following a visit to a museum, it is clear that it is part of her interest in death, funeral customs and remains which stem from the death of her mother. While she tries to preserve the remains of various birds and animals she finds, she also tries to preserve her mother's memory in the family home and while her Father is accepting of her curious nature, her Aunt finds it macabre and most unsuitable for a young girl.
Charlotte's grief may be the main focus of the story, but we also see glimpses of other forms of grief through the exploration of the relationships of other family members such as her Grandmother and Grandfather. The entire book is written in verse, and it is a form that I felt worked very well here. The author is able to convey both complex emotions and the beauty of nature, which is unexpected when talking about animal remains. The book has a historical setting and some interesting period details are cleverly worked into the story in a way that makes the reader think.
I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.