This novel is a very fast read. Short but sweet? Lottie has a morbid fascination with dead animals. Could this be because she is grieving over the death of her mother, along with her father who cannot let go of his wife's possessions.
The story is written from the point of view of the child Lottie, so information is scarce. However, it is written in a poetic style which is engaging.
Lottie feels isolated from the other children at school. Aunt Hilda does not understand her obsession with the dead animals she finds and brings into the home. It is dirty, and a health risk. She's a girl (she tells Lottie's father), it's not right. I can forgive the Aunt this observation, as she comes from a different generation who believed that women's survival depended on marrying the right man. She only wants the best for Lottie, and Lottie's family have had to struggle to survive in a new country.
The slight twist reveal towards the end didn't come as a surprise, as there were plenty of clues. This didn't detract from the story.
The ending was uplifting. Lottie's conviction was strong - she knew what she wanted to do with her life - and I found her father's support encouraging.
The talk of families and death made me want to go home and hug my loved ones, which is never a bad thing.

A digital copy of this novel was supplied to me by Text Publishing Company through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by Netgalley and Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Unique. Unique. Unique. The Art of Taxidermy is not only a book in verse, but its protagonist is also a girl who has a morbid fascination with dead animals as a way of dealing with the grief over losing her mother. It is a beautiful book not only about Lottie's journey, but also a book about her family's struggle as well- their struggle with their heritage, grief, and acceptance of Lottie's hobbies even though it's strange and nontraditional. The story did hit me emotionally a bit at the end; but even so, I think it would have been more impactful if it had been written as a traditional novel instead of a novel in verse.

I received this arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review,

This book is all types of excellent. It has a beautiful cover, beautiful description, and a beautiful story. ESPECIALLY THE STORY! It was so intriguing and great to read. I started and continued to read it all in one setting so that in itself shows that it was a great read to me. I loved the main character and was interested in what she went through and her interests in taxidermy. I also have a friend who is interested in taxidermy and I find it intriguing that the author introduced this in her story. Not many authors write their books in this way or write about topics such as this and I wholeheartedly praise Sharon Kernot for it.

I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in books involving taxidermy or who want a creepy gloomy type of read like this for Halloween.

Beautiful in its description of flora & fauna native to Australia, The Art of Taxidermy is told in verse, centering around the tale of a young girl, Lottie obsessed with death after having lost her mother.

The visions Lottie describes are those of a stunning landscape, rich with life & very inviting. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect to the writing, not invoking the emotional attachment to the characters or events that I crave as a reader, however, fans of verse writing should check this one out, especially anyone who has an appreciation for nature-related writing.

ARC provided by the Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date 23 Aug 2019

'I wanted flesh and blood,
not ghosts.'

A disappointing book with interesting intentions but a lacklustre execution.
I feel like the format could have really worked with the themes discussed in the book- fragmented style reflecting grief etc but it was lacking in plot due to the inability to introduce a conflict effectively. Some 'poems' were purely exposition and others were purely abstract yet all were lacking in a strong voice that I feel like a collection like this really needs.
Unfortunately, I feel like the same effect could have been had with a short story format or in a poetry pamphlet.
The imagery was morose and effective for the purpose of the book. However, it became repetitive very quickly. This is the same for the motifs and symbols used.
A format that I would find more interesting would have been if the book was written from alternating perspectives in a similar way to The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Different perspectives could have allowed for a detached observation of Lottie and alienated her from the reader in the same way she feels alienated from her peers. Her perspective would have been a breath of fresh air if this was the case.

This was my first foray into reading prose, I was tempted in by the glorious cover and we all know that we should NEVER judge a book by the cover.

The Main charecter Lottie or Charlotte suffers with a grief of her mother passing and in turn takes up an interest in taxidermy, I know a bit of a leap, I think she turns to it as a form of therapy in which she can in her mind learn more about death.
she is a bright girl and her father indulges her curiosity by supporting this interest.
This book is set in Australia and we get to meet an aboriginal boy whom Lottie is friends with, we also get to meet her Aunt who is appalled how her father lets her satisfy her inquiring mind.
It goes withouit saying that, with a title such as it is, there are detailed descriptions of dead animals and Taxidermy.
Part of me wishes this would have been a traditional novel, but that is a knee jerk reaction from someone who is not used to reading prose or poetry.
I have very little experience reading this type of book, it is really not my jam, but i wanted to try and stretch my reading comfort zone and I am glad that I did, but i wanted to be swept away, I wanted to be won over and repent for the years i have not read this type of writing.
Alas, after a promising start, I just got bored with it, and once I had put it down, struggled to pick it back up again.
The cover is STUNNING and gave me a William Morris feel, the cover game these days is on point.
This book would be ideal for someone who regularly reads books like this and indeed for people like me, who just want to reach out and experiement with text and subject matter.

I want to thank the publishers and Netgalley for letting my push my boundaries.

I am keeping this on my kindle for future reference and you never know one day, i might take another stab at it, however will promise not to gut it, stuff it and sew it back up!

She carried everything lightly, as only the dead and innocent can.

In The Art of Taxidermy, we meet young Lottie whose passion for ‘revising’ dead creatures has her Aunt Hilda horrified, more so that her father Wolfgang encourages her by buying her glass aquariums to ‘contain the fusty fug of death’ within. To his mind, she isn’t the freak Aunt Hilda believes her to be, she just has a scientific bend of mind, it’s ‘in her genes’. No sir! Girls she play with dolls, not skeletal remains of reptiles and birds, sheep… not be enthralled by the stink of death!

It is the states of decay Lottie is captivated by, the possibility of resurrection, of keeping a creature in it’s natural state forever unlike her mother Adrianna, whose death has hung around like a shadow. Through her grief, a passion for taxidermy is being born but Hilda thinks it’s a sickness, a disturbance in the child’s nature. Written in a beautiful lyrical style, nature dominates the pages more than death as Lottie weaves her way to the creak, observes nature searching for specimens. “But the day was teeming with life”, we explore the Australian land overhead as birds take flight or upon the ground muck through the mud and fungi. Then there is Jeffrey, made of skin rich like the earth and quiet grace, companion to Lottie’s peculiar hobby. A boy with Aboriginal origins, a boy who has blossomed in her dark heart.

What is a girl to do with the face of death but try and preserve it? She herself a flightless bird with Aunt Hilda trying to make her a ‘normal’ girl, doing everything she can to end her taxidermy dreams. Snippets of ‘mother memories’ creeping into her heart like soft dreams, Oma’s omens and superstitions, an inheritance of despair and always, ‘the air is heavy with ghosts.’ As Lottie finds her purpose, she must too confront her grief over the loss of her mother and learn her German family history, the reasons her family were treated like criminals. Will she be able to convince Aunt Hilda that she isn’t an unnatural girl, that she isn’t a bloodthirsty murderer of creatures with a macabre hobby? Do we embrace our yearnings or let shame force us to discard the very things that make our heart beat with meaning? Intentions are funny creatures themselves, as we see with Aunt Hilda pushing her ‘ideal’ of womanhood upon Lottie. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that.

A beautiful tale out of Australia, uniquely written. The subject is heavy and yet the lyrical prose is uplifting, I felt I could hear bird-call and smell the ‘fug’ of decay. For those who love narrative poetry, this is a YA novel but I think adults will enjoy it too.

Publication Date: August 23, 2019

Text Publishing Company

Absolutely lovely verse writing! I am new to this genre and the imagery this book was able to evoke was magical. I really enjoyed it! Thank you for the opportunity to read!

i enjoyed that the book was different and it was a quick read. Lottie is a girl who loves science and animals and is fascinated by death. Her mother has passed away and we find out later how some other family members have passed away too.

Her aunt has helped raise her and Lottie scares her with her fascination with dead animals and trying to figure out how to save their bodies. I was glad her father was supportive of her desire to learn.

I enjoyed the book and the illustrations were lovely!
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In the wake of her mother's death, Little deals with her grief by developing a fascination with death. Her father, Wolfgang, is supportive of her new-found fascination, whilst her Aunt Hilda is horrified that a girl would wish to dabble in such a pastime.

There were a few things that I think that younger teenagers may enjoy about this book. Firstly, it is written in verse, which many reluctant reader's enjoy as it leads to speedier progress through the novel. As a result of this, the plotline is linear, uncomplicated and clearly told, without being patronising. These factors would make this book accessible to a more reluctant reader, although there is certainly plenty here for an avid reader.

I enjoyed the references to Australian animals, something which I know many younger readers would find fascinating, but this book does not shy away from difficult topics such as death, grief and mentions of internment camps during the second world war.

Whilst some have classed this as a YA novel (whatever that means anymore), I'd recommend it for readers aged 11-13, as it does not contain any of the 'adult' topics that I've seen in other YA novels.

This is a charming, and beautifully written novel, and I will be purchasing a copy for the school library when it becomes available in August.

I'm glad I didn't realize that this book was written in verse poetry when I first requested it on Netgalley, because I might have thought it wasn't for me. I usually find free verse poetry to be distracting when telling a story, but in this case I found it was so beautiful and I really enjoyed it. The amazing thing about poetry is that it gives the reader great freedom in imagination. Reading this book filled my mind with such beautiful pictures and emotions, too.
Lottie, the main character, is dealing with losing her mother and other people she is close to. She is a young teenager, on the cusp of puberty, and seeing the way she deals with her grief is unusual, but also understandable. She channels her grief into the art of taxidermy, while her aunt tries to do whatever she can stop it because she believes it isn't healthy. She may be right and she might just be trying to help, but this is how Lottie is coping. The book is set in Australia and I appreciated that unique perspective and the addition of some Aboriginal characters and history.
I will say it took me a bit to get into the story. I had to get used to the gruesome descriptions of dead animals and death (I wouldn't recommend this if you're squeamish). I also found myself just a little bored in the beginning because the most interesting plot points weren't introduced until like halfway through the book. I still really enjoyed the poetry up until those parts though.
I also can't help but point out that the cover is absolutely stunning!!!

A beautiful story of grief and loss, both of family and friends. A story about the need for belonging somewhere, the need for a group that is ours. Lottie griefs in her own way, and although it sometimes seems to go too far, with help from her family she can turn it into something beautiful. Just like she always intended to do.

The only reason I have not given this book five stars is, that the cycle of aunt Hilde not liking Lottie's way of grieving and throwing all of her loved belongings away, Lottie starting anew and aunt Hilda not liking it and throwing it all away etc. got a bit too repetitive after a while.

The Art of Taxidermy was such a beautiful book. Written in prose, the book starts as young Lottie has just experienced the death of her mother. As you progress through the book you see how she, her father, her aunt and grandma all cope differently with this tragedy. Meanwhile she discovers an acute fascination of dead animals and her aunt struggles to rationalize her new "obsession" with what it means to be a "girl". This is a powerful story of finding yourself and being true to yourself, as well as an insight commentary of how death affects family, its individuals, and its dynamics. I loved this book.

A gorgeous, heartbreaking story of grief and healing told in lyrical verse.

When Lotti loses her mother, she takes a scientific interest in the process of death. Examining decomposition and taxidermy, Lotti strives to re-create life in a last chance attempt to gain what she has lost.

A tale I think everyone needs to read. Truly touching.

The lyrical style writing was difficult to get accustomed to, but once the reading flow began, this book was incredibly difficult to put down.
Lotti is a young girl struggling with the death of her mother and in turn has taken an interest in the scientific process of death. She is determined to re-create life probably in an attempt to bring life back to those in which she has lost.
Despite there being many challenges to pursue her recreations, she perseveres and still manages to learn as much as she can about decomposition and Taxidermy.
This book was heart-wrenching as I was the same age when I lost someone as close to me as Lotti’s mom. I finally found the character I can relate to. We both grieved through science.
I loved this book immensely.

Thank you for the ARC!

THE ART OF TAXIDERMY is a great reminder that life is short and we need to enjoy it. The author has a very real depth of knowledge in this area and it makes me grieve for my own loved one.

The level of detail and imagery, really brought the prose to life. It’s not a book for the faint of heart. Might be hard for some. But might bring hope for other.

I was sent a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lottie is fascinated by dead animals. She collects them, at the same time horrifying her aunt. Her father both encourages her to find her way and tries to placate her aunt. It's not easy being a single parent, and what really happened to Lottie's mother?

This is a novel in lyrical form, which is new for me, and it was a heartbreakingly beautiful read. You get small clues into the main characters life and history all along the way, like what happened to Lottie's mother? What about Lottie's friend Annie, who seems to share her interest in dead animals.

Even though the subject is sometimes quite macabre, this is also beautifully written. There are parts that are heartbreakingly sad, but also parts that are hopeful for the future.

The sparse lyrical writing conveys so much - but leaves so much unsaid. This is both to the benefit of the book (the story and history unwinds slowly, and sometimes unexpectedly); but it does mean at times that you really want more of the 'weight' of story that would be explored perhaps in more traditional writing styles.

A lyrical and moving novel told in verse about a young girl's fascination with death as she copes with the loss of her mother.

Charlotte, or Lottie, has a passion for dead creatures as she sees their unique beauty and wants to preserve them in a collection. While her father, Wolfgang, supports his daughter's interest, her aunt Hilda is appalled and would like to see her niece into more girlish not ghoulish hobbies. I liked that this novel explored the gender roles of women at the time and how certain jobs were not socially accepted for a "proper lady."

Meanwhile, Lottie is also finding ways to come to terms with her mother's death and expresses it through the art of taxidermy. I liked the juxtaposition between the grotesque descriptions of animals to the natural beauty of wildlife. Through taxidermy, Lottie can restore beauty in a world surrounded by rot and decay. And I appreciated that this book did not romanticize death and instead portrayed death as being a natural part of life.

Exceptionally written and certainly a unique read. 9/10 would recommend.

*Thank you to NetGalley and its publishers for providing a free ARC*

The novel is written in verse
and explores love, death, grief, beauty, and the ways that people try to make sense of it all. It’s written in free verse, and it’s b e a u t i f u l. It was a slow start and took me some time to get into as it’s not a style I’m used to reading and the eBook formatting was strange, but each section is quite short and it’s broken up by illustrations like those on the cover. I do think it lacked the depth and description of an ‘actual’ novel, but I was still happy with this way of telling the story.

Representation
There’s a discussion about indigenous people and a side character – Lottie’s friend – is an Aboriginal boy. It took me a while to notice that this book was set in Australia, and I’ve never read a book featuring an Aboriginal character, so this was something I appreciated as a reader and as someone who wants to learn more.
I think it’s also worth mentioning that Lottie’s family are Germans who emigrated to Australia during World War II, and there is a lot of interesting discussion about the family history.

My one issue?
It was boring. So little happens that when something does happen it feels repetitive or forced. The book discusses a lot of sad and emotional topics, but I found it difficult to connect to them. I think this might be because Lottie seems entirely disinterested in anything that doesn’t involve taxidermy or dead animals, so it was hard to get to know her as a character and find out why I should care about her and her story.

In summary, I liked this book. The middle sections were slow and there were a few sections I wasn’t interested in as an individual, but I appreciate how this book discusses the complexity of grief.

Rating: 3.5 stars