After finishing "Fauna" by Alissa York, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. In fact, it took me a few days following the end to process what I had just read.
There is no doubt that the writing is beautiful, York's narration is stunning, not to mention she wrote the entire book in the present tense which is an art unto itself I believe.
What struck me about this novel is its realism - this book follows 6 people (and a few fauna) over the course of roughly 7 days, interspersed with flashbacks that slowly reveal what each character is going through emotionally.
I kept waiting for something huge to happen - a big event, adventure, something... and I believe that this is why after reading it I wasn't sure I liked it.
Now, looking back, I realized that this book is beautiful in its representation of real life - and real wild life. York gives you an intimate look into the lives of people that you probably meet every day - the Edal's struggling with emotional stress, the Lily's finding independence and voice, the Kate's who are suffering a deep loss... and the wildlife she uses to narrate some passages - they are all individuals whose personal stories permeate the world around us, these characters could walk off the page, so deep is their development. York artfully expresses each character's personality and interactions with each other - they are all connected somehow, through love, loss, life, and wildlife.
Overall, this book is a piece of art - it's like nothing I have ever read before and I would recommend spending some time pondering the realities York presents after you close the back cover.