5 stars
A little bit creepy, very mysterious, and so intriguing. I loved this one!
Kess is doing her best to keep her family’s Unnatural History Museum going while her parents are away on a job and her older brother is holed up in the library doing “research”. That leaves her spending most of her time with her only companion, Shrunken Jim, a talking head in a jar. But with no new specimens to attract visitors, the temptation to enter Eelgrass Bog grows. When a new girl comes to town with a strange secret, Kess will do the unthinkable and ender the forbidden bog.
Fantastically written! I listened to the audiobook and the narration was wonderful. I was hooked by the strange premise right from the start.
Great blend of fantasy and hard-hitting issues of identity, loss, and feeling excluded. Fascinating concept. Wonderful characters. Adorably queer.
Looking forward to reading more from Averling.