A review by just_a_bibliophile
Strange Creatures by Phoebe North
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL. I loved this.
Strange Creatures is one of those books that's just so hard to review or even attempt to describe. It's one of those books that will make you sit there at the end of it and think wow. It's one that will stick with you for a long, long time.
This book follows Annie and Jamie, two siblings with a uniquely special bond, from childhood through to growing up as teenagers, all the way up until their first years as adults. It begins with the fantasy world of Gumlea that the siblings created as children, as their own way to escape from reality. I loved the story-telling about this fantasy world that was incorporated into the book, as it was described alternatively alongside the real world. The story then goes on to explore Jamie growing up as he begins to dismiss the idea of Gumlea, up until his disappearance, where Annie is convinced Jamie has somehow entered the fantasy world that they once created. It delves into loss, grief, self-discovery, growing up, love, and a whole range of topics, making me feel such a range of emotions that I hardly knew existed up until this point.
I felt like I truly connected to the story and the characters on a whole other level while reading this, as it was so beautifully written through three different, compelling perspectives. Annie was wonderful to read about it, with all her quirks and ideas, her honesty and passion. I loved seeing Annie grow throughout the story, as she explored her sexuality, relationships, and friendships, alongside the other characters.
I can't ignore the fact that this was advertised as a fantasy, but it's much more of a contemporary story with some fantasy elements. It wasn't really at all what I was expecting in that sense, and also, I felt so incredibly underprepared for some of the content we got (child abuse, sexual assault, trauma, adult/minor relationship, the list goes on). A little note at the beginning of the book would have been greatly appreciated, because I did feel a little mislead going into this thinking it was a light YA fantasy... which it most definitely is not. Saying this, it didn't mean I enjoyed it any less, of course, it just would have been nice to fully understand how dark this was before going into it.
I'm so glad this was my final read of the year, and I would most definitely recommend it to the right audience for this.
Rating: 5 stars
Strange Creatures is one of those books that's just so hard to review or even attempt to describe. It's one of those books that will make you sit there at the end of it and think wow. It's one that will stick with you for a long, long time.
This book follows Annie and Jamie, two siblings with a uniquely special bond, from childhood through to growing up as teenagers, all the way up until their first years as adults. It begins with the fantasy world of Gumlea that the siblings created as children, as their own way to escape from reality. I loved the story-telling about this fantasy world that was incorporated into the book, as it was described alternatively alongside the real world. The story then goes on to explore Jamie growing up as he begins to dismiss the idea of Gumlea, up until his disappearance, where Annie is convinced Jamie has somehow entered the fantasy world that they once created. It delves into loss, grief, self-discovery, growing up, love, and a whole range of topics, making me feel such a range of emotions that I hardly knew existed up until this point.
I felt like I truly connected to the story and the characters on a whole other level while reading this, as it was so beautifully written through three different, compelling perspectives. Annie was wonderful to read about it, with all her quirks and ideas, her honesty and passion. I loved seeing Annie grow throughout the story, as she explored her sexuality, relationships, and friendships, alongside the other characters.
I can't ignore the fact that this was advertised as a fantasy, but it's much more of a contemporary story with some fantasy elements. It wasn't really at all what I was expecting in that sense, and also, I felt so incredibly underprepared for some of the content we got (child abuse, sexual assault, trauma, adult/minor relationship, the list goes on). A little note at the beginning of the book would have been greatly appreciated, because I did feel a little mislead going into this thinking it was a light YA fantasy... which it most definitely is not. Saying this, it didn't mean I enjoyed it any less, of course, it just would have been nice to fully understand how dark this was before going into it.
I'm so glad this was my final read of the year, and I would most definitely recommend it to the right audience for this.
Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Grief, Kidnapping, Confinement, Medical trauma, and Rape
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Cursing