Definitely one to recommend, as the story went along, I found myself drawn in more, and caring.
About Regina and Jez. Even about the bunny.
A slow burn book , but one you'll be glad you picked up.
Excellent writing, and excellent narration.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

I had a hard time with this one and am finding it diffcult to review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

It was about everything and about nothing. This story follows Regina who has had a rough life. She is insecure, loads of trauma, reclusive, and just prefers to live life in the shadows as to not draw too much attention. Then drop in her niece, who I am confident has some level of ASD even if it wasn't clearly stated (coming from the mother of an AuDHD 7yo) and it just makes life even more bizarre.

They travel to right unresolved wrongs. They exist in this weird space, the Bad Lands. And the books is about trying to find closure for some of these issues. Whether they do this successfully or not is up to reader interpretation.

Now, what I can say, is this audio was spectacular. A perfect fall read. It was melancholy, eerie, atmospheric... all the things I am looking for this time of year. So despite the content of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend it on audio.

Have been waiting in something this good for a while, a great book to listen to on a long drive. Pretty addictive and the characters made the story. Enjoyed the narration very much and I thought the cover was appealing. Great job

Tara Koehler is a hugely talented human. The sheer range of the voices she created was impressive and she her delivery of the story was just *chef’s kiss*. Being Canadian, I loved listening to a Canadian read me this Canadian story! 🥰 Audio: 5/5

Story Review 📖
Infuriating, heartbreaking, hopeful, this story pulled me in and didn’t let me go.
My perceptions of many of the characters changed and evolved as the story continued and as we learned more about them. This isn’t an easy read and these are not easy characters. Chong is masterful at creating complexity in characters, relationships, and situations that pulls on the reader’s emotions and feel deeply, unsettling human. The sense of place was phenomenal across this book - I was there in Drumheller, on the VIA rail train, and on those long, lonesome Albertan highways.
The story has thought-provoking commentary on growing up with emotionally (and sometimes literally) unavailable parents, inter-generational trauma, life in small town Canada, the invisibility and otherness of being a large human, and the many faces and complexities of human love.

Part of why I requested this was because I was drawn to the premise of a reclusive woman living alone with her bunny in small town Canada. The love Regina felt for Waldo was palpable and beautiful. I loved the way their relationship was written and the poetic way that Chong explored the difference between ‘rabbits’ and ‘bunnies’ was delightful.
🐰 Is the bunny okay? <spoilers removed>

The narrator combined with the addictive slow burn made it a propulsive read that I rocketed through. The audio book format enriched this experience for me as a reader, forcing me to slow down and immerse myself in the world that Chong had created. Story: 4/5

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you so much, ECW Press Audio! ✨