Thinly veiled satire in the form of a riveting dramatic story.
If everything in the world shifted, changed in the blink of an eye, how would we choose to govern ourselves in the absence of an established framework? For the animals in Animal Lab, this seismic event has happened. Humans are suddenly gone and the animals are left to forge their own destiny. Beyond a quest for self-determination of sovereignty, these animals need to figure out the basics. Shelter is already taken care of as long as they don’t mind cages. Feeding the population is underway. But as the animals learn to navigate their newfound complexity of thought and speech, their evolving personalities begin to challenge their freedom and prosperity, as do their opinions and beliefs. Animerica opts to implement a democratic republic to keep everything fair. Prosperity is hindered as crimes in the lab are capitalized upon by a few determined figures. Mirroring too many situations in modern America, readers are held captive as this idealistic animal society slowly erodes while being guided by the influential hands of the powerful and vocal few.
Certain to elicit conversation, debate, or at the very least, logical thought, Animal Lab is thinly veiled satire in the form of a riveting dramatic story told from the perspective of some thoughtful lab animals. Zeidman does an amazing job boiling down the thought processes behind two wildly different political ideologies, but in a way that is inviting rather than bombastic. Besides the overt political commentary, there is a cleverly written story that is attention-grabbing and suspenseful. And although I was hoping for a Hollywood happy-ending, the conclusion was fitting, all things considered. Readers will be unable to sit idly by without taking a side in the politics of Animerica as buzzwords and current events are manipulated for the greater good and are shamelessly exploited by the cast. A fresh take on Orwell’s Animal Farm, Animal Lab eloquently gives a voice to multiple sides of some volatile issues in a book that is sure to make readers pause and reflect.
