This is definitely one of those books that is an <i>experience</i> to read. There’s so much about it that is almost impossible to describe. But I will do my best to put my experience to words. 

For one, if you pick this up as an audiobook, get ready to hear some Inuit throat singing. I was not expecting it since the hardcopy book has no visual cues for it, but the inclusion of it in the audiobook certainly made the reading experience even more disquieting. A worthwhile choice for the audiobook. I’m not gonna lie. 

Second of all, this is a very challenging book to read if you’re not ready for it. One of the major content warnings is sexual assault. Another content warning I would have appreciated is beastiality. The protagonist has some sexual experiences with the spirit of a fox, and these are quite graphic. Clearly these encounters are meant to help the protagonist feel empowered after her assault, but they’re definitely <i>out there</i> if you’re not expecting them. 

Third of all, this book is entrenched in metaphor. Sometimes I found it easy to get lost in the sound of the words alone because of how lyrical and metaphorical the story was—regardless of whether you were reading the prose sections or the verse sections. 

Fourth of all, there is violence against children in this book that I was not anticipating. The protagonist’s experience with pregnancy and motherhood is both beautiful and disturbing. 

All in all, this book felt like the embodiment of the author choosing violence whenever she wrote elements of this story. And it was so worth it. This was truly an incredible read that merits a reread.