I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook. In exchange, I am providing my honest review.

This story is an absolute delight that I wish I had been able to cherish as a child. It's the kind of book I could imagine myself curling up on the couch with in lieu of watching TV. In fact, I almost wish I had been able to enjoy a physical copy of it now. This isn't to say the audiobook wasn't good - it was. I just wish it was something I could set aside for a moment so that I could pause and enjoy the really magical moments it gifts the reader with.

As a teacher, this is a book I would gladly use in my curriculum. Not the audiobook, but definitely the book itself. I think the fact that it is an alternate history allows for students to think about history through a different lens than they normally do.

I also enjoyed the clever characters, and the notion of oddities, rare treasures that could exist in the world without you even noticing them. (Susannah was my absolute favorite, and I would gladly take her on as a chaotic roommate.) I loved Clover, and it felt gratifying to watch her grow in confidence. The decisions she faced were tough ones for her to make, and all of the stakes were so high, making the story one that was hard for me to put down.

When a book becomes a chore to read, it’s not worth the time and effort. When a book has to tell you that the characters are odd and quirky, they’re probably not - and that’s not a good sign.. And that was the case with Oddity. I would guess that I have one DNF in maybe 200 books I read, and this was almost one.
It’s not that it’s horrible, it’s just boring. The voice actor tried to infuse life into her voices, so at least I was glad I had requested an audiobook vs. a print version.
Most of the characters were at least “likable” but the story tried too hard to be quirky and weird, but ended up just being annoying and lackluster. The premise sounded good, but the execution was bad. Everything was predictable and the idea that the “oddities” are so rare was vanished when the protagonist “ran into” so many in just a few pages. There is no way any of my students would last more than 15 minutes of this. I stayed until the end, hoping for something I could “grab onto,” but alas, that’s just 9+ hours that I’ll never get back.