alexxlynette's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
girlbosslindsey's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was not what I was expecting?? But it was so good. A wild ride. Loved Zee, loved Janey, loved Annabelle. Loved the style of writing, going from one character to another and even to the chickens and the past and the present etc. etc. A slay all around.
mschlat's review
4.0
I've been finding it really difficult to describe this novel. The shortest path I've found is this: imagine [a:Elmore Leonard|12940|Elmore Leonard|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1240015224p2/12940.jpg] writing about a plot by animal activists to free far too many chickens from an industrial egg farm. But that description doesn't cover much of the heart Unferth puts in the book, heart in the form of characters searching for meaning and mistaking where it is, and heart in the form of many moving passages on the thoughts, habits, and dreams of chickens. (The book waffles somewhat on the merits of animal activism, but it is heavily pro-chicken.)
Practically every major character is a complex mass of drives and wishes (many ill-formed), and Unferth wonderfully weaves them together with chicken liberation as the nexus. So, for example, we have a chicken egg farm auditor named Cleveland who, frustrated with her lack of impact on the farms but in love with the process of auditing, starts ferreting out a chicken or two, thus inspiring her new underling Janey (whose mother babysat Cleveland as a kid and imprinted heavily on the senior auditor) to hatch a plan to liberate a farm's worth of chickens, for apparently no other reason than to give the chickens freedom. And then you add in experienced animal activists, the egg farmer, a security guard, and several hundred helpers, and the plan comes together as the motivations drift further and further apart.
Unferth writes such with a strong sense of affection for everyone in the novel that even when the narrative took one of its many odd turns (chicken eschatology?), I kept on reading with a sense of trust. Yes, there's a lot of tragedy and horror in the book (including many unflinching looks at the egg industry), but Unferth still keeps a sense of hope alive throughout.
Practically every major character is a complex mass of drives and wishes (many ill-formed), and Unferth wonderfully weaves them together with chicken liberation as the nexus. So, for example, we have a chicken egg farm auditor named Cleveland who, frustrated with her lack of impact on the farms but in love with the process of auditing, starts ferreting out a chicken or two, thus inspiring her new underling Janey (whose mother babysat Cleveland as a kid and imprinted heavily on the senior auditor) to hatch a plan to liberate a farm's worth of chickens, for apparently no other reason than to give the chickens freedom. And then you add in experienced animal activists, the egg farmer, a security guard, and several hundred helpers, and the plan comes together as the motivations drift further and further apart.
Unferth writes such with a strong sense of affection for everyone in the novel that even when the narrative took one of its many odd turns (chicken eschatology?), I kept on reading with a sense of trust. Yes, there's a lot of tragedy and horror in the book (including many unflinching looks at the egg industry), but Unferth still keeps a sense of hope alive throughout.
ads's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bpsalinas's review
5.0
A masterful juggling act populated with complicated, broken, and inspiring characters. Brilliant, witty, and heartbreaking prose that takes my breath away on every page. This is a wonderful novel. I love every word.
joshcookwriter's review
First 50 pages were so good, and the rest was good, but felt a little flat and didn’t have the emotional power of the first part.
everydayhannahkaye's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
One of the most bizarre yet compelling novels that I’ve ever read. Not what I expected at all but I throughly enjoyed it all.
angiemiles's review against another edition
3.0
I read this super fast and it was fun to read, but it wasn’t really anything special hence the 3 stars.