FICTION

Invisible Beasts

by Sharona Muir

Bellevue Literary. Jul. 2014. ISBN 9781934137802. pap. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9781934137819. F

COPY ISBN

The conceit here is that Sophie comes from a long line of naturalists with a gift for discovering what others cannot see. She details a range of odd creatures, from the fungus-breeding Keen-Ears to Truth Bats, an invisible subspecies of vampire bat.

VERDICT The various fantastical beings presented here are described in careful scientific detail with results that are weird, whimsical, and somewhat unsettling. Like very fractured Just-So Stories.

Reviewed by Barbara Hoffert , Jun 01, 2014

Comment Policy:

Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.