Beasts of New York by Jon Evans

METraylor

0 out of 0 users found this review helpful

Other reviews by METraylor

"Clunky and Not Very Squirrel-Like"

I thought this story looked really compelling. I liked the premise, and the catchy title. Also, I’ve had the opportunity to watch the bizarre behavior of squirrels in New York (and in D.C. Ohmygod).

Upon reading, however . . . It just didn’t seem very squirrel-like. Maybe I’ve watched too many squirrels. It didn’t seem like realistic squirrel social interactions or motivations (other than food, which they’re pretty big on). I found the anthropocentric projections of hierarchy and houses and political machinations off-putting. I did enjoy some of the squirrel’s-eye-view portrayals of objects and places many humans take for granted, but often found them unrealistic. The writing style dragged, and often felt clunky.

I think it’s an interesting premise, and might be a doorway for people shifting from their own anthropocentric perspectives.

Rating: 4 / 10