The Animals in That Country

Without a doubt, the premise of this novel was quite interesting and original. Humans get infected with zooflu, which allows them to hear what the animals say and think. It makes them psychotic and unreasonable. The main character and narrator of this novel is Jean, a middle-aged park guide. She's got......more

An astonishingly immersive experience, with 2 amazing central characters, one a grumpy middle aged woman and one a half-breed dingo. This is the kind of book that changes something in your brain, your perspective on the world and your understanding of what fiction can do. Incredible - it's going to......more

Good premise. Good start of the book, but unfortunately it was downhill from there for me. I struggled with the writing style once the animals started talking and I got confused with the plot at points. Not really any likeable characters which is normally fine for me. But in this instance where it i......more

I always appreciate a non-stereotypical grandmother in fiction and Jean, the protagonist of “The Animals in That Country”, is foul-mouthed, hard drinking and sexual. She also adores her granddaughter Kimberly who is the only human with whom she shares a strong emotional bond. Her colleagues at the z......more

Wow, this book is a wild ride. The Animals in That Country is the kind of novel that is truly exciting. It is a debut that captures the living, breathing, visceral heart of the Australian landscape; where the line between the order of human society, and the wilderness of the animal world is wafer th......more