Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Zugvögel

I read the ebook immediately after finishing the audiobook because I suspected I would appreciate it more the second time around, and I was correct. This is a perfect little gem, so much emotion packed into a short novel! I kept getting choked up at the simplest, quietest moments. While climate change is a big part of the story, it isn't really the focus as it serves more as a parallel to Franny's personal journey...I've seen reviews that were disappointed because of that, so take that into account when deciding whether to read this. I personally loved all of it: her nomadic nature warring with her desire to grow roots, her relationship with her husband who always saw right to the heart of her, and their hopes for a dying world.

I'm so happy that it ended on a hopeful note! This could easily have gone the other way, but oh my god did I desperately need that scene of Franny & Ennis celebrating the sight of the animals.

McConaghy works magic with her words. I'm so thankful I took a chance on this. I look forward to reading Once There Were Wolves, but I need breathing space first. 😅

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madelynfrank's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Unreliable narrator, twists. Gone-girl era vibes made it a page turner although ultimately none of the many twists were too shocking. The near future mass extinction setting was ominous. Very atmospheric and adventurous. Interesting and diverse characters attempted, many of the secondary characters were left disappointingly underdeveloped. Some of the prose was really wonderful. Read tag warnings cuz omigod. Also the dog dies.

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mandib's review against another edition

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4.0

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nehashtyle's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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bakerreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Tragic, haunting, dark, and beautiful.
This story is set in the near future, where most every wild animal is extinct. We follow Franny Stone, an unreliable narrator with a dark past, as she tracks the last known flock of Arctic terns on their final migration.
This story is fairly depressing, but there’s a found family aspect that I just absolutely adored and loved how the characters interacted with one another (for the most part). McConaghy is amazing at writing complex, and realistically flawed characters. This is a story about love, and loss, and finding your place in the world, and I thought it was perfect.

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