This was an odd little story, clocking in at less than 200 pages. It follows a man, Adi, who's recently suffered great emotional upheaval, and as a result has decided to take on a strange job that involves him spending 5 weeks on an isolated island as he deals with the population of invasive goats there. The message that runs prevalent throughout is one I think we can all get behind. Adi's development as he grapples with the task he's been assigned and the skewed morality behind it was engaging to read. Alongside Adi, we're forced to confront the consequences our actions as a species have on the landscape and on the animals we drag into our destructive orbit. What starts out as a tale about the invasive goats (who are framed initially as malevolent in their 'destruction' of the island) needing to be removed becomes a narrative about shifting the blame and demonising creatures that, through no fault of their own, were introduced to the island by their human owners. I just wish this one had been a little longer. The ending was such a satisfying gut-punch that I wanted just a little bit more of it, to provide a more decisive conclusion. Thanks to the publisher for access to an advance copy.

Such a weird little story in the best way! At times darkly funny, this extremely poignant reflection of grief questions an individual’s morality, drawing your attention to the euphemisms and lies we tell ourselves to justify our actions. It’s a wonderfully short tale that, despite its short length, packs a gut punch of emotions. I flew through this in one sitting!