The Art of Taxidermy is about a young girl struggling to deal with her mothers death. To help her deal with this she becomes obsessed with taxidermy - much to the distaste of her aunt.

The writing in this book was beautiful. The author managed to keep the story interesting but the writing lyrical without slowing the story down.

I connected easily with Lottie. I found myself able to connect to her feelings and to see everything through her eyes. However, I did feel somewhat indifferent and disconnected from every other character in the story. It didn't spoil the book for me but at times I found it difficult to fully immerse myself.

Another thing I struggled with was the frequent bouncing from one idea to the next, it left me confused and I struggled to follow on to the next focus. It was often hard to pick out what the actual plot is was and where it was going.

I admire the fact it was written in verse form. It must be so difficult to tell a story in this format - having to keep up with the story whilst also keeping in time with the rhythm and format.

Overall, even with the minor issues, I enjoyed the book, especially the writing. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this little book out of Australia, told in verse, about a topic that I have absolutely no interest in. However, the author had a beautiful way with words, making taxidermy seem almost poetic, a lovely way of managing grief. The story unfolded, page by page, getting deeper and more intricate as it slowly revealed the deeper underlying themes. I found myself repeatedly highlighting phrases, delighting in way the author played with words (“we ate dinner at right angles” and “a clatter of cockatoos, a racket, a rattle, a jangle, a clank, a clash, a bangle, a mangle of flapping wings, flared Sulphur crests” for example).

I loved Lottie, the main character, and her eccentricities. I found her obsession with taxidermy curious,but understood it as the story developed. Since finishing the book, I find myself continuing to think about the story, so though it was a quick read, it’s staying power is long lasting.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

I genuinely thought my Kindle had done something weird to the format when I started reading The Art of Taxidermy. I had no idea what was going on until it dawned on me – this book was written in verse.

And I hated that.

This is a story about grief. A story about a little Australian girl, Lottie, who has experienced far too much death for someone so young and it’s slooowly transformed into a fascination with all things dead. Her father indulges her and encourages it with his Science Is The BEST hat on, whilst her aunt decides that it’s absolutely not the way a young lady should be behaving and punishes her at every god damn opportunity.

Let’s get one thing straight: her obsession isn’t about violence. It’s about understanding death and appreciating it. It does, however, come with a few social hangups.
Lottie’s obsession turns into taxidermy. Her taxidermy creeps people out. The creeping out of people turns her into a loner. The loner status means these dead things become her friends.

And that’s all I’ve got.

Although this book’s technically beautifully written, it’s just not my bag. I tried (oh, how I tried) to love it, but I was just painstakingly bored and wishing it was written a different way.

This is a Marmite book; loved by many, but not for me.

"It is not macabre or ghoulish to hold on, to resurrect, to re-imagine, to re-create. It is a way of honouring beauty. It is a way to hold on to life."

The Art of Taxidermy is a novel in verse about family, loss, dealing with the past--and, of course, taxidermy. Lottie, an Australian of German descent, has lost her mother and baby sibling in one fell swoop. She's not entirely over the death of her older sister, either. As Lottie navigates her grief, and her father tries to support her as best as he can through her own grief, she gravitates towards the body and bones of dead animals. For her, preserving and holding on to these bodies is a way to honor life, figuratively resurrect the dead, and cope with her grief. Even though this new hobby clashes with her aunt's idea of what healthy coping and teen-girl activities look like, she remains firm in her convictions and scientific inclinations.

This book has some great imagery, as well, and the parallels between taxidermy and processing sadness were really compelling without feeling contrived. There were a few twists and secrets in the book that I truly didn't see coming but that made me want to return to the book again just to catch the deeper layers. I really appreciated reading this book, and it'd be great for anyone processing loss in the family or coming to terms with difficult family history. My only major complaint was that my e-book format messed with the verse formatting.

[Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I was drawn to The Art of Taxidermy by its beautiful cover and fascinating story line. However, I was not aware the book is written in verse. This is a first for me and I found it very hard to follow, even though I was very intrigued by the premise. I really wish this was written as a normal novel, I would have enjoyed it much more.

Lottie’s experience of grief and how it manifests afterwards in The Art of Taxidermy was a well-crafted and carefully versed. This was a beautifully told story that I think really found its true home in verse style. There was a uniqueness to the main characters experience with death that will stay with me. There was a certain hesitance to read this novel but I wanted it to change my mind and it did, in a clever and moving way.

The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot felt like it was written for me. While my emotional circumstances didn’t align with the narrator, Lottie, everything else in the story felt so familiar that it really resonated. I chose The Art of Taxidermy as my book for my May Reading Challenge, and for the theme, I chose a book depicting my country. Honestly, I couldn’t have picked a better one.

The Art of Taxidermy is a slow burn, and I must admit, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It’s described as a novel, but it’s more than that. Essentially, it’s a piece of narrative poetry, and as such, is a short read. But Kernot really does a lot in minimal space. Her prose is deliberate and tightly woven. Because of the style and structure, not a word is out of place. There wasn’t a deep plot, or any unexpected twists and turns, but what it did show was a very personal look at grief and the beauty that can be found in death.

Australian flora and fauna are an integral part of The Art of Taxidermy, and as such, I’m not sure how much a non-Australian would get from it. This novel resonated with me so deeply because I felt a familiarity with its people and setting. Lottie’s family are German, and the prose is speckled with German words which are not always translated. Coming from a bi-lingual Australian/German family, once again, this was something that really resonated with me, but made me question just how much a reader not immersed in that culture would really understand in the nuances.

There are some stunningly visceral descriptions of death, dying, and decay. While these may not be for everyone, I found them oddly beautiful. There is beauty in the fragility of life, and artistry in capturing those moments, and it was refreshing to see those things represented in a way that was more than merely violent and gruesome. It was a hopeful, loving novel, but still punctuated by an undercurrent of grief and loneliness. It was like the human condition was distilled into a few pages of prose, and I thought it was done masterfully.
There isn’t a great deal of world-building, nor particularly in-depth characterisation in The Art of Taxidermy, but that didn’t matter. It wasn’t that kind of book. Reading it is more about the experience of it, rather than the enjoyment – and for that, I was glad of its relatively short length. Had it been any longer I think it could have become boring, but any shorter and it would have felt lacking. It was a pretty much perfect showcase of unique style and subtle story without overstaying its welcome.

I don’t think The Art of Taxidermy will be everyone’s cup of tea. I think it will appeal to a particular audience. So, if you’re like me and you’re an Australian/German with nostalgia for your home who is bi-lingual and has a love for Natural History collections, then this book was written for you. Alternatively, if you like unique structure and beautiful prose that probes the subtleties of the human condition, then this book might also be for you. There’s no doubt about it, The Art of Taxidermy is an ‘artsy’ book that needs to be experienced rather than simply read. If that’s the kind of book you like, then this will be right up your street.

Somehow when I picked up THE ART OF TAXIDERMY I didn't realize it was a book told in verse, so I was pleasantly surprised after the first poem turned out to be the beginning of the story, not just part of a preface.

This is a beautiful story of a girl and her family torn with grief. Wrecked by the deaths of two people close to her, Lottie becomes enthralled with dead animals, and wants to take care of them and eventually wants to bring them back to life. Her stern aunt is horrified, but Lottie is not deterred.

This is a short book you read for its exquisite prose, and for the simplicity and generosity of the story, not because it's a thrill read, or a twisty tale with surprises in the corners. Instead, it brings you into the hearts of its characters through its slow beauty, wrapping you up in a coming of age story that will sit with you after you are long finished.

A heartfelt and beautifully written novel-in-verse; Sharon Kernot explores the life of Lottie, a young girl reeling from multiple family losses, particularly that of her mother. It's a story of how grief manifests in different ways, of the beauty in death, of nature and human nature.

I haven't read many verse novels, but TAXIDERMY was a perfect introduction, written in a gentle, poetic way that feels like the ebbing and flowing of a tide. I loved the deep emotion it toyed with, as well as the vivid imagery and sensory details. It gave me huge LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART vibe, from the focus on Australian flora/fauna to its exploration of trauma to its cover. If you liked either one of these books, I'd highly recommend checking out the other!

If I had any quibbles with the book, it would just be around clarity. Maybe I missed something, but it seemed to take a really long time to reveal Lottie's age, the time period, or for that matter, the true nature of Annie. I did love the latter twist, however, I wanted more hints woven in earlier. But these are small things.

In all, it's a quick, yet emotional read, beautifully wrought and pulsing with gentle darkness. Of course, CW for grief, suicidal thoughts, racial slurs, & disordered eating. 4./5!

The Art of Taxidermy is a small but powerful book. It is an Australian YA book written in verse through a series of poems that create a whole story. Lottie becomes fascinated with death and taxidermy after her mother’s death. Her aunt is appalled by these interests, but her father nurtures them. It also explores gender roles and expectations. It is beautifully written and filled with sadness and hope.

This was the first time I got to read a verse novel, and I was stunned by how well this way of storytelling works! The Art of Taxidermy, set in vaguely historical, mid-20th century Australia, tells us of young Lottie and of her fascination with resurrecting and preserving animals, and of her deep-rooted desire to have her dead loved ones return to her. To keep it brief: I thoroughly enjoyed this short book and the language it used to describe nature, death, and an social-outsider pre-teen's passions - I just couldn't get emotionally invested and as a result took five times longer to finish it than I should have. But it has certainly awakened my interest in the genre. This one is for all readers who, like me, used to be a macabre little girl!

This is one of the few non-SFF novels that will appear on this blog, but like the main character, I have a fascination with death and so when a title like The Art of Taxidermy appeared on NetGalley, I knew I just had to read it. What I did not expect was that this novel is actually a collection of poetry that together make-up one complete story: a story about a girl who experiences death too early in her life and finds herself inexplicably drawn to dead animals at a young age, much to the chagrin of her aunt. The book itself is a quick read, but it packs quite an emotional punch that I was not expecting to hit on a flight at 2AM. The cast of characters around Charlotte, our young taxidermist-to-be, become quite well fleshed-out and very realistic. Primarily, this book deals with grief, and how different people handle it, and how they let it change their behavior. I won't spoil anything, but this ending is happily ever after. Overall, I rate this book a 4/5.

Review will be posted 28 June 2019

This book was powerful. Its told in verse wich I enjoyed very much as I dont read very much verse books. The chractures Are great and I can really feel Lotties grief with losing her mum and so turning to taxidermy helps her to process that greif. The illustrations in this book are amazing. It's such a shame that it wasnt longer as I would love to delve deeper in to taxidermy and know a out Lottie and Anniea bit more. This read super quick its defiantly a book you need to savour.

This is a bit of an odd book. One that sadly I found quite difficult to read. I tried to really get into it.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Text Publishing for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased reviews

This novel is a very fast read. Short but sweet? Lottie has a morbid fascination with dead animals. Could this be because she is grieving over the death of her mother, along with her father who cannot let go of his wife's possessions.
The story is written from the point of view of the child Lottie, so information is scarce. However, it is written in a poetic style which is engaging.
Lottie feels isolated from the other children at school. Aunt Hilda does not understand her obsession with the dead animals she finds and brings into the home. It is dirty, and a health risk. She's a girl (she tells Lottie's father), it's not right. I can forgive the Aunt this observation, as she comes from a different generation who believed that women's survival depended on marrying the right man. She only wants the best for Lottie, and Lottie's family have had to struggle to survive in a new country.
The slight twist reveal towards the end didn't come as a surprise, as there were plenty of clues. This didn't detract from the story.
The ending was uplifting. Lottie's conviction was strong - she knew what she wanted to do with her life - and I found her father's support encouraging.
The talk of families and death made me want to go home and hug my loved ones, which is never a bad thing.

A digital copy of this novel was supplied to me by Text Publishing Company through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by Netgalley and Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Unique. Unique. Unique. The Art of Taxidermy is not only a book in verse, but its protagonist is also a girl who has a morbid fascination with dead animals as a way of dealing with the grief over losing her mother. It is a beautiful book not only about Lottie's journey, but also a book about her family's struggle as well- their struggle with their heritage, grief, and acceptance of Lottie's hobbies even though it's strange and nontraditional. The story did hit me emotionally a bit at the end; but even so, I think it would have been more impactful if it had been written as a traditional novel instead of a novel in verse.

I received this arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review,

This book is all types of excellent. It has a beautiful cover, beautiful description, and a beautiful story. ESPECIALLY THE STORY! It was so intriguing and great to read. I started and continued to read it all in one setting so that in itself shows that it was a great read to me. I loved the main character and was interested in what she went through and her interests in taxidermy. I also have a friend who is interested in taxidermy and I find it intriguing that the author introduced this in her story. Not many authors write their books in this way or write about topics such as this and I wholeheartedly praise Sharon Kernot for it.

I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in books involving taxidermy or who want a creepy gloomy type of read like this for Halloween.

Beautiful in its description of flora & fauna native to Australia, The Art of Taxidermy is told in verse, centering around the tale of a young girl, Lottie obsessed with death after having lost her mother.

The visions Lottie describes are those of a stunning landscape, rich with life & very inviting. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect to the writing, not invoking the emotional attachment to the characters or events that I crave as a reader, however, fans of verse writing should check this one out, especially anyone who has an appreciation for nature-related writing.

ARC provided by the Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date 23 Aug 2019

'I wanted flesh and blood,
not ghosts.'

A disappointing book with interesting intentions but a lacklustre execution.
I feel like the format could have really worked with the themes discussed in the book- fragmented style reflecting grief etc but it was lacking in plot due to the inability to introduce a conflict effectively. Some 'poems' were purely exposition and others were purely abstract yet all were lacking in a strong voice that I feel like a collection like this really needs.
Unfortunately, I feel like the same effect could have been had with a short story format or in a poetry pamphlet.
The imagery was morose and effective for the purpose of the book. However, it became repetitive very quickly. This is the same for the motifs and symbols used.
A format that I would find more interesting would have been if the book was written from alternating perspectives in a similar way to The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Different perspectives could have allowed for a detached observation of Lottie and alienated her from the reader in the same way she feels alienated from her peers. Her perspective would have been a breath of fresh air if this was the case.

This was my first foray into reading prose, I was tempted in by the glorious cover and we all know that we should NEVER judge a book by the cover.

The Main charecter Lottie or Charlotte suffers with a grief of her mother passing and in turn takes up an interest in taxidermy, I know a bit of a leap, I think she turns to it as a form of therapy in which she can in her mind learn more about death.
she is a bright girl and her father indulges her curiosity by supporting this interest.
This book is set in Australia and we get to meet an aboriginal boy whom Lottie is friends with, we also get to meet her Aunt who is appalled how her father lets her satisfy her inquiring mind.
It goes withouit saying that, with a title such as it is, there are detailed descriptions of dead animals and Taxidermy.
Part of me wishes this would have been a traditional novel, but that is a knee jerk reaction from someone who is not used to reading prose or poetry.
I have very little experience reading this type of book, it is really not my jam, but i wanted to try and stretch my reading comfort zone and I am glad that I did, but i wanted to be swept away, I wanted to be won over and repent for the years i have not read this type of writing.
Alas, after a promising start, I just got bored with it, and once I had put it down, struggled to pick it back up again.
The cover is STUNNING and gave me a William Morris feel, the cover game these days is on point.
This book would be ideal for someone who regularly reads books like this and indeed for people like me, who just want to reach out and experiement with text and subject matter.

I want to thank the publishers and Netgalley for letting my push my boundaries.

I am keeping this on my kindle for future reference and you never know one day, i might take another stab at it, however will promise not to gut it, stuff it and sew it back up!