God of Animals

In the manner of young Scout Finch, 12-year-old Alice is the narrator and interpretor of events and behaviors in this debut novel. And, like Harper Lee's young heroine, Alice is motherless, but in a different way. While her mother Marion still lives, she has taken to her bedroom shortly after Alice's birth and stayed there, nearly immobilized with depression, leaving her younger daughter to a neglectful upbringing by her husband, who runs the family horse ranch. The story opens just after the elopement of Alice's elder sister, Nona, an accomplished equestrienne, and the discovery of a young girl's body in a nearby canal. From these two events, Alice's loneliness becomes the driving force of the book, as she fantasizes about the exciting escapades of her sister, fabricates an imagined friendship with the dead young girl, and develops a romantic fixation on her teacher. Her only real friendship develops with the ranch's young riding student, upon whose fees the struggling ranch tries to survive. The story is fraught with tough love and shattered illusions, but also brightened briefly with a few sparks of hope and achievement. I was engrossed by this slice of life so different from my own, and hope that Aryn Kyle will have more to share with us in her writing career.

I read a lot, and every now and then a book comes along that I feel I just have to write a review for. The God of Animals is one such book. I bought an autographed copy at my local bookstore, and as soon as I read the first chapter I dropped every other book I was reading. This is writing of the highest order - beautiful, lyrical prose, along with a unique narrator and a page-turning plot. It's just so perfectly composed, it blew me away. I loved this book so much I actually felt personally wounded when I saw a one-star review further down the page (but I guess there's always one, even for the best novels). I could not put this book down. Aryn Kyle's novel is one of those books that reminds you why you love reading in the first place. If only there were more books like this!

I had a writer try to explain to me the difference between "commercial" writers and great writing. I really was unsure of what she meant until now. I was in the middle of a book when I purchased The God of Animals. I started reading this wonderful novel and was taken back by the beautiful imagery that was written on its pages. Once finished with The God of Animals , I went back to my "commercial" book and within the first few pages I stopped. I had for the first time experienced what reading a truly great book was all about. Aryns book was a wonderful, beautiful experience that i will gladly recommend to all.

I can't speak highly enough of this novel. I was shocked to learn that it was a debut because it is so brilliant, sophisticated, and emotional. It also happens to be one of those rare literary page-turners. I almost missed work because I couldn't put it down. All I can say is that I want more, more, more from this author. If you read one work of fiction this year, make it The God of Animals.