A poignant coming-of-age story set in the small area of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where life is simple but dreams are big. Everett Lindt has some big ones - finding the perfect ram to start his own breed and settling down with a girl, Mary, he’s fallen in love with. Entering his senior of high school, Everett and Mary seem to be settling into a relationship, only to have an event happen that poises critical and lasting choices. This book is magical. I felt I was reconnecting in a way with Willa Cather who wrote beautifully of the simple life, nature and dreams. This is truly a brilliant and well written story. I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read! Like a true coming of age classic, it made me laugh, cry and experience all the feelings in between. Maurer’s creative and unique descriptions of people, places, and things bring you right into the story as though you are living alongside the characters. Fans of Kristin Hannah, Jim Harrison, and Elizabeth Strout will be happy to include Sara Maurer among one of their favorite authors. A superb and beautiful debut from a new voice in fiction - it’ll leave you longing for more!

This book broke my heart. I cried multiple times and felt it was over too soon. I loved the comparison of the heartbreak of farm life and the heartbreak in our own lives. I had such a soft spot for Everett, Fluff, and Roman. I wish the story continued just one more chapter because it felt unfinished, but so understand why it ended there. I really enjoyed my time with this emotional story.

Beautifully Written and Rooted in Place

Rating: ★★★★☆

As a Michigander, I’m always drawn to stories set in my home state, and this one absolutely delivered. Sara Maurer’s debut novel is a lyrical, bittersweet coming-of-age tale set in the rural farm country outside Sault Ste. Marie. She perfectly captures the stillness and grit of small-town life; the kind that shapes dreams, but can also hold them back.

Everett and Mary’s story is tender and complicated, filled with longing, hope, and the tension between staying rooted and chasing something bigger. Maurer’s prose is vivid and heartfelt, bringing both the beauty and the harshness of rural life into sharp focus.

This is a story that lingers; a moving exploration of love, choice, and the way one moment can ripple through generations.

A Good Animal was the book that got me out of my reading slump. I was hooked from page one. Sara Maurer takes us to Michigan and our lives are transformed to sheep farmers. The Lindt family has been raising sheep for generations. This farm land has been in family for as long as Everett can remember. Then Mary enters the picture. Mary comes with her military father, moving every couple of years. But Everett falls in love from the first time he sees her, even though he tries to fight it. A Good Animal teaches all of us about first love, raising sheep, and life in general. I can't say enough good things about this book. I will definitely be looking for further work by Sara Maurer and will be recommending A Good Animal to others. Special Thanks to NetGalley, Sara Maurer, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This coming of age story centers on 17 year old Everett, whose family owns a sheep farm in the upper peninsula of Michigan, his best friend Charlie, and his first love, the newcomer Mary. The writing is simply stunning; the descriptions of the landscape and the animals are perfect. The author also beautifully conveys the emotions of the characters. I am surprised this is a debut novel! I look forward to future titles from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliantly written coming of age novel about differences, life choices, and the harsh reality of loving someone who doesn't share your dreams.

Knew this book would crack my heart wide open right from the start. Growing up in a rural farm town, the setting of A Good Animal immediately felt like its own character to me—the rolling fields, the slow rhythms of farm life, and the weight of family legacy all came alive on the page. Sara Maurer beautifully captures the tension between staying rooted and chasing bigger dreams through Everett, a young man determined to preserve his family’s sheep farm, and Mary, the new girl in town whose restless energy pulls her in a different direction. Love stories are my guilty pleasure and the tender heartbreaking connection of their first love had me hooked from the start.

What I loved most was how Maurer makes the farm and country life feel central to the story—not just a backdrop, but a force shaping who these characters are and what they want from the world. The writing is lyrical without ever feeling overdone, and the emotions hit with such authenticity that you can’t help but feel them. The ache of first love, the pull of home, and the consequences of a series of life-changing decisions all resonate deeply.

A Good Animal is a gorgeous coming-of-age story that lingers long after the last page. It’s heartfelt, reflective, and full of quiet beauty—perfect for anyone who appreciates stories about love, family, and the land that shapes us. Maurer’s debut is a reminder of how powerful a single story can be, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Sara Maurer, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t know what to expect going into A Good Animal, but I found myself completely absorbed by Sara Maurer’s storytelling. The novel is unsettling at times in the best way—it pokes at questions of morality, instinct, and survival that linger long after you close the book. I loved how the characters were drawn with such sharp edges; even when they were difficult, I couldn’t look away.

The writing is lyrical without being overdone, and the tension builds in a way that kept me turning pages. There are moments that feel dark and heavy, but that’s what made the story powerful for me—it doesn’t shy away from the raw, uncomfortable parts of human nature. I came away both disturbed and deeply impressed.

A Good Animal
by Sara Maurer
St. Martin's Press
Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A heart-wrenching coming-of-age debut novel by a stunning new voice in fiction, for readers of Barbara Kingsolver and Ann Patchett.

In the farm country outside Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan—a border town where life moves slow and dreams run fast—most kids want out. Not Everett Lindt. He’s set on staying put, rebuilding his family’s sheep farm, and carving a future from the land he loves.

Then he meets Mary, a new girl in town with restless energy and bigger plans. When their relationship reaches a crossroads, Everett sees a life together. Mary, however, is desperate to find a way out. Together, they make an impulsive choice—one that could change everything.

Tense, lyrical, and deeply felt, Sara Maurer's unforgettable debut breathtakingly captures the ache of first love, the beauty and brutality of rural life, and how one decision can echo through generations and shape who we become.
This one stirred my soul and made me cry!