This was a really interesting book. It had a post-apocalyptic feel since so many of the animals are extinct in the story due to human interference and global warming. The characters were likable and Franny was a strong, independent woman who served as the narrator. There are several flashbacks throughout the story that give the reader bits and pieces of Franny's story until the author reveals what's led her to the present. There are elements of mystery as well as romance without going overboard in either direction. This book has had a lot of hype and I felt her writing lived up to the advanced praise. She typically writes YA but was successful writing adult fiction.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful heartbreaking book that examines the demise of our world, and more specifically, creatures, through the eyes and story of Franny Stone. Moving back and forth in time, the narrative slowly reveals Franny's past. She and her husband Niall share a love of birds and nature. Their love story is conveyed with details sprinkled throughout, as we travel back and forth in time. The storytelling is evocative and the book immerses the reader in stark and gorgeous settings. Although I wasn't sure of the trajectory of the story arc, it left me moved and in tears. The parallel between the fragility of our physical and emotional worlds is perfectly captured.

Breathless........

Breathless from touching, experiencing, and being in the presence of this character. One so surrounded with sharp edges that are frigid with crystals of ice while staking out boundaries that not a soul should cross.

Charlotte McConaghy presents a wondrous tale of a young Irish/Australian woman seeking to follow the last migration of the Arctic terns. There has been a mass extinction of Earth's wildlife and Franny Stone makes it her mission to follow and track these terns as they fly South for the last time. She's made it to Greenland and now must find a ship and captain to carry her seaward.

Franny warms herself within a local pub lined with sailors sharing stories about the lack of fish. She comes upon Captain Ennie Malone whose ship, the Saghani, waits for better weather and better prospects. Franny catches the ear of Ennis and promises him bountiful loads of fish as they follow the Arctic terns who follow the fish. Intrigued, Ennis takes Franny on never realizing what he and his crew have bought into. The journey will be a highly dangerous one and the adventures are life-threatening.

As McConaghy unwraps these characters, one will stand out imprinting her image upon your mind and upon your emotions. "Where's your place, Franny?" And in the scheme of things, where exactly is our place in this world? Is it of our own choosing, is it all a matter of chance, or is it predestined with many of us following our mind's eye?

I don't think I have come across a more complicated, more intense, more unpredictable character in a long time as I have Franny Stone. And there lies a knotted thread for some. Franny's story sifts slowly like sand with delicate grains never revealed all at once. McConaghy implements the use of timelines and time periods that drift back and forth. This tale is a slow build like a mighty musical crescendo at the end. Like wildlife migrations inherent to their nature, humans seem to follow their own course of nurturing, inhabiting, and leaning on a tendency toward destruction. But is it ever too late for salvation's tender song?

Migrations may not be for everyone. It is lined with an intense undergarment of human beings in their rawness and in their unpredictability. We carry the weight of our past experiences and it seems to settle in tightly into the dark crevices of our hearts long term. Painfully human and painfully carved, Franny Stone will be one to remember.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Flatiron Books and to Charlotte McConaghy for the opportunity.

Migrations is the tragic tale of our planet after humans have driven most animals to extinction. Franny is a young woman obsessively and desperately searching for the last of the wild terns and attempting to follow them on their migration. Many obstacles are in her way - she must get trackers on the birds, she has to find a boat to follow the birds, and the journey itself is perilous.

As we travel with Franny on her quest to follow the tern migration, the storyline alternates between present, and the past from where she seeks redemption. Franny has had a hard life, and made her fair share of mistakes along the way. However, she has a good heart and wants to make things right, for the people in her life as well as for the animals of our planet. The mystery revolves around what happened in Franny’s past to set her life on this course - and will Franny be able to complete her self imposed penance?

I loved how the author’s descriptive prose matched the situation throughout the book. For example, when Franny was anxious, sentences became more run on and paragraphs became longer, which really helped me identify with Franny’s emotions. The word choice helped set the tone, and the descriptions were so vivid! I really felt like I was in the Arctic or on the boat next to Franny.

A tragic story with beautifully descriptive writing, Migrations is a good read for adventure and mystery lovers. Beautifully written!! Thank you to Flatiron Books, NetGalley, and Charlotte McConaghy for the advance copy!

This is a lovely book. I was really intrigued with Fanny and the whole concept of migrations, both in humans and birds. As a zoologist and also writer myself on natural history, I found the descriptions of the disappearing species both accurate and a disturbing possible future. The one thing that was possibly off from my own knowledge was in the scene near the end where they don't put the crow egg back in the nest. It is generally a myth that the mother will smell humans on the egg. It's a lovely scene, but that one small fact needs a tiny bit of explanation!

On the whole, this is a well-written and intriguing novel.

This debut novel about a woman following the last flock of Arctic terns and their final migration was a roller coaster of emotions. While it is about the bird's migrations, it's also about the main character's survival, her loss of people close to her, her loves, facing the truths in her life, and redemption. I thought this was beautifully written, and I was engrossed by this author's writing from start to finish. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A cautionary look at climate change, big fishing and the last two Arctic terns left in the world. Trading Ireland for Greenland, Franny is out to tag and then follow these birds to their nesting grounds south. She is desperate to find a fishing boat to get her there and is willing to do just about anything to follow the pair of birds. Ennis is the captain of a fishing boat who is kind of like Captain Ahab searching for the illusive white whale. Franny convinces him and his rag tag crew that these birds will lead them to fish nirvana and it goes downhill from there. The deeper we dig into Franny's past the more muddied her current quest becomes. A game of cat and mouse or rather, killer whale and seal is being played and it may not have anything to do with birds. Quirky but kind characters and Franny who is has run away most of her life make for a illuminating tale about love, mistakes and forgiveness. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a beautifully written debut novel by Charlotte McConaghy. It is an intersection of science, as Franny Stone chases what may be the final migration of the Arctic teen, and a love story as she tries to understand where she came from. I found the ending to be a bit unrealistic, but I was quite taken by the story and the way it was told. “...look for the clues to life. They’re hidden everywhere.”

I enjoyed this beautiful book. It is a wonderful plea for conservation and a reminder of the wonders of the animal kingdom. I found myself picturing the scenes and cheering for Franny on her journey. The book jumps around a bit, which makes for a difficult read. But I found it reflective of trauma narrative development, which is not typically organized or linear from the start. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance digital copy in exchange for this honest review.

What a beautiful story. Slow at first, but you fall in love with the characters as you read! Going back & forth in time is a little confusing so you have to remember the timeframe.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book!.

I hope this story finds its way into your hands. It is precious and original. It is an ecological dystopian, thriller, and dramatic story of making and discovering families. McConaghy does a great job of exploring Franny's past with the current storyline, leading to readers recklessly risking bedtime to read "one more chapter".

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalleyfor an ARC of Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy.

Franny lives in a future where humans have continued to put themselves first; most of the Earth’s animals have gone extinct. But she is a young woman with an unique goal: to follow the last of the Arctic Terns on their migration to Antarctica. After convincing a captain to take her on his fishing boat with a promise of finding fish, Franny faces the reality that she’s not just following the terns but instead running from a past she wants to forget. Will this be her last migration as well?

This novel was spellbinding for the most part. It’s written in both the present and the past as you journey with Franny south with the terns. She’s a complicated character and at times I hated her and other times I cried with her. One of things I loved most (or more like hated given the future it shows) is that it shows a future that we humans are headed for if we don’t stop the destruction of the Earth and the animals that live upon it. It made my heart ache to read the sentences about the last lion or raven dying because it is all to real and a future that we are truly facing if things don’t change.

My only critique is the final chapter. I feel it was too abrupt and the actions that took place didn’t make sense because they weren’t developed enough. Also some outstanding issues weren’t given a resolution, so it left the reader wondering about certain things. But overall it was a captivating read and I definitely look forward to more books by this author.

I didn't love this book and almost quit it at least twice. The issue may be my own in that I think when I neither like the characters, nor find the storyteller is able to make me relate to the characters, that has a heavy influence on my ability to enjoy the book. In any case, the book had something that made me finish it.

Our main character is escaping. We know this, but we don't know from what until far into the story. I found all the "mystery" less than enjoyable. The long wait for all our heroine's issues, for me, was a distraction. The back and forth in time from two years ago, to six years ago, ten years ago, .made the wait for all the answers longer.

There was some depth to the relationships that Franny had with her husband and with Ennis as well as with Samuel, That was enjoyable. The depth of Franny's sadness was immense.

One last thing that I didn't really get until far into the story and kept wondering why people compared this to Station Eleven is the total extinction of animals. I only thought Franny and her husband were obsessed with birds. My miss of this compounded my "dislike" of the characters in that I only thought everyone was onboard the boat, escaping their own demons. Just now I went back to the beginning whose first sentence clearly states, "The animals were dying. Soon we will be alone here." If I were more of a Kindle expert, I'd have been able to do that mid-read!

Anyway I am glad to have the opportunity to read the ARC in spite of not being a fan.

I'm not going to lie-based on the description I thought this book might be a bit boring or slow moving. I'm happy to report that it definitely held my interest and that sometimes it hurt to read it. Beautifully and brilliantly written, I hope we never experience a future where the animals are gone.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book, I did not know what the book was about at all. I had seen the title mentioned in blogs and posts but knew nothing of the subject matter. I absolutely loved this book. Ms. McConaghy is a beautiful writer and her use of language is stunning. I read this as an e-book and highlighted several passages (which I normally don't do): "A life's impact can be measured by what it gives and what it leaves behind, but it can also be measured by what it steals from the world." Also, "...because I'm not meant to be homesick, I'm not meant to long for the things I have always been so desperate to leave." I can actually feel the character in these words. I gave this book 5 starts because the writing was superb, it had a strong plot and a main character that I wanted to take the journey with. The cover of this book is beautiful and inviting.

3.5 stars - rounding up to 4 for a good debut. Charlotte McConaghy's debut novel is beautifully written. I did have a hard time getting into at first - I was probably a 1/3 of the way through before it really grabbed me. Franny is a difficult character to understand and like especially with the way the book jumps around with the timeline. But it's so well written and the story did end up holding my interest. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Very interesting book combining awareness of our planet and being proper stewards of the earth. Also a wonderful and deep character study about the "migration" our lives take

I would categorize this book under women's fiction or fiction. I will say this. For some strange reason, I thought this was a non-fiction book about bird migration and I was so pleasantly surprised when it turns out that bird migration and our environment and global warming was just a sub-plot theme. Ultimately, the book is about relationships, acceptance, adventures, and dreams. When Franny Stone our protagonist tags 3 Arctic Terns and wishes to follow their migration pattern, she needs help from the fishermen. 6 boats have turned her down. Will she be able to convince the captain of The Saghani, a fishing vessel, to take her on and what of the ship mates? This book is rich in characters, interactions, relationships and regrets. It's poignant and heartfelt and tugs at you every step of the journey and has you rooting for our heroine through her path in life, through confusion and through pain. This story is woven rich with ideologies and hopes and ultimately redemption.

This book was a fun combo of literary fiction and sci fi. It's about an Earth/world that is slightly worse off than ours which gives it slight science fiction vibes. Franny is desperately trying to make her way to the Arctic Ocean to witness the final migration of the mighty Arctic Tern, a bird that is known for the longest migration - from it's Northern Arctic breeding grounds down to Antartica and back. It essentially experiences two summers in a year, traveling an average annual round trip of 70,900 km (44,100 mi). In this not-so-distant Earth, the animals have all died out. These are the last of the Arctic Terns and Franny's only hope of getting there is on a fishing vessel. Notoriously dangerous, she has to cajole her way on board. We go back and forth in time a little as we find out more about Franny's mysterious background and the reasoning behind her need to follow the terns as well as the state of the world.

The book was a quick, entertaining read. My only complaints is that it was a little depressing (with the end of the world and all) and Franny's desire to follow the terns is tied into a darker desire that unravels throughout. While there is some hope at the end, it is generally bleak. The vibes of this book are very similar to a Station Eleven - kind of dark and twisty and emotionally distant. One of the distinguishing features is the focus on the terns and their symbolism of hope throughout the novel Though it is filled with a few facts, I felt there could have been a little more leaning into the science of it all. I felt that the revealing of Franny outshone the revealing of the world which, though interesting, isn't what I wanted while reading.

A solid read and well worth the time to explore a new angle on climate change and people's desires amidst the end of the world as we know it.

Franny Stone is a wanderer and nature lover. A piece of her is always pulling her to a new exploration. Now, her beloved wilderness is disappearing rapidly. Humanity is driving nearly every animal on earth to extinction. Fanny's wandering now has a sole purpose, follow the last flock of birds on their final migration, by any means necessary. On her journey she wrestles with her own darkness.

I have never read anything like this. My heart was torn to pieces as I read about a world with virtually no wild life. I cried for Franny, her loss, her pain and her searching. I held my breath through her persistent journey. There was something so relatable to her wanting and searching. This book was dark, heart-wrenching and beautiful. Weaving through time with Franny, had me absolutely hooked. I will be watching for more books from Charlotte McConaghy.

A huge thank you to NetGalley & Flatiron Books for my ARC and this wonderful reading experience.