Animals We Are balances a cast of interesting characters with clever plot twists.
Zoe is a people pleaser. She is one at her job as a hotel manager, and she is one in relationships too. In an effort to keep everything copacetic in her life, she never asks the nagging questions, but instead puts up walls. Zoe and her too-good-to-be-true-so-there-must-be-something-wrong boyfriend, Mike, head out for an exclusive backcountry camping vacation. The harsh elements in Yosemite’s wilderness prove to be the lesser of two adversaries in this riveting thriller.
Zoe’s inner struggles read like a modern woman’s personal diary entries. Her insecurities and vulnerabilities are painfully relatable. Valerie Brandy has a beautifully poetic writing style that keeps the suspense from overwhelming the growth of Zoe and the relationship between the couple. For example, “If Mike is a fish, I am a bird. We’re exactly what the other person needs, and we could be together forever, if we could only find the place where the earth turns into the sky.” Animals We Are balances a cast of interesting characters with clever plot twists, all while promising further installments.
This book is like that perfect decadent dessert you only get as a rare treat. You want to savor it, but really, you’re going to devour Animals We Are in one sitting!
