Strange Animals, Jarod K. Anderson
Strange Animals, Jarod K. Anderson
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Strange Animals

Author: Jarod K. Anderson

Narrator: Jay Myers

Unabridged: 10 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/10/2026


Synopsis

An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of supernatural creatures—and an unexpected home—in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

“One of the most fun and original books I've read in years. Excellent storytelling. See for yourself.”—Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files

“A haunting and atmospheric urban fantasy populated by quirky human characters and fabulously weird mythical creatures . . . a wholly captivating tale of magic and nature.”—Publishers Weekly

Green trips on the curb, falls flat into the street, and sees the city bus speeding toward him. And then . . . blink. He’s back on the curb, miraculously still alive. A five-foot-tall crow watches him from atop a nearby sign, somehow unseen by the rushing crowd of morning commuters.

Desperate for answers and beset by more visions of impossible creatures, Green finds his way to a remote campsite in the Appalachian Mountains, where he meets a centuries-old teacher and begins an apprenticeship unlike anything he could imagine.

Under his new mentor’s grouchy tutelage, Green studies the time-bending rag moth, the glass fawn, and the menacing horned wolf. He begins to see past hidden nature’s terrors and glimpse its beauty, all while befriending fellow misfits—and finding connection and community.

Along the way come clues about the forces that set him on this path—and, most incredibly, a sense of purpose and fulfillment like nothing he’s felt before.

But Green’s new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he’s already come to love.

Creepy, cozy, and beautiful, Strange Animals is a fantasy about home, belonging, and the fearfully wonderous nature all around us.

About Jarod K. Anderson

Poet and podcaster Jarod K. Anderson (creator of The CryptoNaturalist podcast) has built a large audience of social media followers and podcast listeners with his strange, vibrant appreciations of nature, ranging from contemplations of mortality to appreciations of single-celled organisms. His work can be found in places like Asimov's, Daily Science Fiction, Escape Pod, and in his collections of poetry and writing prompts. He lives in Ohio, in a white house between a forest and a cemetery.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Monica on November 24, 2025

4.5 Stars- There was so much to love about this novel. From the odd creatures, the quirky characters, the mystery surrounding Green, and the setting in the Catskills Mountains, I did not want this novel to end. I really hope that there is a follow up novel because I want more to the story. Green has......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on February 26, 2026

It is not always in our power to decide what a thing is...But what a thing means? That power may often be claimed. What a surprising little gem of a novel! The main character, Green, has a very strange (near?) death experience, after which he feels called to reconnect with nature, to rediscover his tr......more

Goodreads review by Tre' on September 14, 2025

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Strange Animals from Ballantine Books and NetGalley in return for an honest review. From the first page, Strange Animals sinks its claws into you with a uniquely eerie and captivating premise. When Green narrowly escapes death only to find himself face-to-face......more

Goodreads review by Nichole on February 05, 2026

This book is an absolute must read gem! Green avoids death and decides to go off into the woods to find himself. What he finds is far from what he could have expected! This was a 6/5 for me. It’s so good, that I had to read it twice! I am looking forward to reading it again when it publishes on Febru......more

Goodreads review by Leah on February 18, 2026

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Books like this are the reason I love reading debuts. I never know what I’m going to find between the covers, but I’ve discovered a lot of talented authors this way. And Anderson ha......more


Quotes

“One of the most fun and original books I've read in years. Excellent storytelling. See for yourself.”—Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files

“Something we used to talk about as fantasy readers was A Sense of Wonder . . . This book might be about the natural and the unnatural world that we live in. It might be about what we perceive, how we perceive it, what we don’t perceive. It might be about belonging in the natural world. It might also be about running like crazy from the natural world. If that intrigues you at all, you will enjoy this book.”—Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of The Farseer Trilogy

“Unique, haunting, riveting, and beautifully magical—this is the kind of strange and wonderful book that you carry around in your heart. You’re in for a special and wondrous ride!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

“Anderson has conceived of such a rich world, and such a textured mythology. I can’t remember a time when cryptids felt more . . . real.”—Justin McElroy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Adventure Zone

“I cannot express how much this book scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. The deep wonder and curiosity about nature coupled with the terror of our own insignificance strummed a familiar chord within me, and reading about these singular creatures and Green’s journey confronting them inspired a childlike glee of discovery. I envy everyone who gets to read Strange Animals for the first time. I’ll be reading it again and again to revisit that happiness and winkle out every morsel of wisdom breathed by the sage characters within.”—Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of Candle & Crow and the Iron Druid Chronicles

“I absolutely adore this book. Reading it is like curling up under a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa beside a campfire in the middle of a dark forest and listening to a master storyteller weave tales of cryptids and extradimensional gods. A delight from start to finish.”—Lucy A. Snyder, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Sister, Maiden, Monster

“A wildly inventive, fantastically fun story about a man who goes to find himself and finds so, so much more. I absolutely loved it from the first page.”—Peter Clines, New York Times bestselling author of Paradox Bound and God’s Junk Drawer

“This novel surprised me over and over . . . Read this one if you want something comforting. Despite having a few intense moments, it’s quite a lovely, calming story about life and nature, and the characters are excellent.”—Book Riot

“A haunting and atmospheric urban fantasy populated by quirky human characters and fabulously weird mythical creatures . . . a wholly captivating tale of magic and nature.”—Publishers Weekly

“Delightfully creepy . . . I was immediately struck by the evocative prose and world-building that seemed to flow almost effortlessly from the pages. If you’re a fan of nature, things that go bump in the night, or just like reading extremely well-executed writing, you should do yourself a favor and check this one out.”—Chris Kluwe, Lightspeed Magazine