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Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'
Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery
5 reviews
starstuff's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
5.0
I didn’t think I could love a Sy Montgomery book more than all the previous ones I’ve read, but I did. Sy’s infinite love for the turtles in this book, her (and her friends’) grief for every loss has had me sobbing. As usual, I adored it, I learned a lot and gained a whole new appreciation and love for turtles.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
rosa_lina96's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Never thought I would be so invested in a book about turtles—I’ve been a fan of the TMNT franchise for some time, but it’s nice to see a book that goes into detail about what fascinating creatures they can be. By the end of it, you too might start looking at turtles differently.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty
fuchsiarascal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Disclaimer that I didn't completely finish this, I was at 91% when the audiobook from the library expired (and there's a long waitlist still), but it's enough, considering the type of book.
This book is about turtles, rehab, and conservation, but told through the lens of reporter Sy Montgomery as she volunteers with the Turtle Rescue League. While there's a lot of scientific information about turtles (and other wildlife, climate change, and more), it's mostly a book about feelings of working in turtle rescue. There are moments of info dumping, and I definitely learned a lot about turtles while reading this, but it goes well beyond the facts. This is a memoir first and foremost, and we feel Montgomery's feelings as she does. She doesn't hide the pain of losing a life just as she doesn't hide the joy of releasing hatchlings into the wild. It's a wonderful book, and I enjoyed it greatly.
(Yes, animal death does happen in this book, as is inevitable in animal rescue unfortunately, so take caution if you're sensitive to that. But she handles it with such respect and care that most readers should be okay.)
As a note, I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Montgomery herself, and her grief, hope, and excitement are heard clearly in her reading. You can almost hear her voice break as she recounts the death of a beloved turtle that she had bonded with and everyone thought would survive. I don't think anyone else could have done this audiobook justice. That said, I don't know if I would necessarily recommend it on audiobook: I know the printed book has many illustrations, and I can only imagine that they enhance the reading experience even more. I hope to find this book in a store one day so I can look through and see the illustrations myself.
This book is about turtles, rehab, and conservation, but told through the lens of reporter Sy Montgomery as she volunteers with the Turtle Rescue League. While there's a lot of scientific information about turtles (and other wildlife, climate change, and more), it's mostly a book about feelings of working in turtle rescue. There are moments of info dumping, and I definitely learned a lot about turtles while reading this, but it goes well beyond the facts. This is a memoir first and foremost, and we feel Montgomery's feelings as she does. She doesn't hide the pain of losing a life just as she doesn't hide the joy of releasing hatchlings into the wild. It's a wonderful book, and I enjoyed it greatly.
(Yes, animal death does happen in this book, as is inevitable in animal rescue unfortunately, so take caution if you're sensitive to that. But she handles it with such respect and care that most readers should be okay.)
As a note, I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Montgomery herself, and her grief, hope, and excitement are heard clearly in her reading. You can almost hear her voice break as she recounts the death of a beloved turtle that she had bonded with and everyone thought would survive. I don't think anyone else could have done this audiobook justice. That said, I don't know if I would necessarily recommend it on audiobook: I know the printed book has many illustrations, and I can only imagine that they enhance the reading experience even more. I hope to find this book in a store one day so I can look through and see the illustrations myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Grief
bookbrig's review
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
Interesting and well written, but I think this author's style isn't for me. I always want to like her books more than I do, and I can't quite put my finger on what leaves me wanting. Anyway, I did like the way this wove the turtle story through the human pandemic story, and there's lots of very charismatic turtles! Probably a good fit for a different reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty and Transphobia
leahjanespeare's review
5.0
This is probably one of my top books I've read this year, and since I've read about 200 books this year, I hope that gives you an idea how much I loved it.
The title is perfect because I thought about two things while reading:
Time:
We are all experiencing time differently now from before 2020, before the world 'stopped' for a short while. To be introduced to a creature that has such a different time scale than our own is mind-boggling. Truly, I felt my mind adjusting to the fact that one turtle rescued then had the potential to live 175 more years. That is not something we humans can easily comprehend. It made me think about aging and how we spend our short time on the planet. To be face to face (or face to page) with a creature that for all intents and purposes won't die of natural causes (!!!) gives one pause and a new perspective on how to use our much-shorter time.
and Turtles:
What amazing creatures turtles are, I had no idea before opening this book. The stories in here are hard to read sometimes, about the horrible things that happen to turtles - that we do to them with our cars and roads, pollution, (and arrows!) but you'll come out the other side more empathetic and driven to help more than ever. Help turtles, other animals, each other, any and all of us who are trying to get by in this terrifying, overwhelming world. You will be inspired by the turtles' quirky personalities, their quirky rescuers, and reminded of the good in the world. The bravery that is needed to take on this neverending endeavor, like Natasha and Alexxia do every day. We have so much to learn from turtles (assuming they survive us) especially about resilience. I am changed for the better for having read this book.
There's something utterly captivating about Sy Montgomery's writing that makes it hard to pull away from. Her enchantment and wonder is catching. I am just as emotionally rocked as I was reading The Soul of an Octopus, if not more.
The title is perfect because I thought about two things while reading:
Time:
We are all experiencing time differently now from before 2020, before the world 'stopped' for a short while. To be introduced to a creature that has such a different time scale than our own is mind-boggling. Truly, I felt my mind adjusting to the fact that one turtle rescued then had the potential to live 175 more years. That is not something we humans can easily comprehend. It made me think about aging and how we spend our short time on the planet. To be face to face (or face to page) with a creature that for all intents and purposes won't die of natural causes (!!!) gives one pause and a new perspective on how to use our much-shorter time.
and Turtles:
What amazing creatures turtles are, I had no idea before opening this book. The stories in here are hard to read sometimes, about the horrible things that happen to turtles - that we do to them with our cars and roads, pollution, (and arrows!) but you'll come out the other side more empathetic and driven to help more than ever. Help turtles, other animals, each other, any and all of us who are trying to get by in this terrifying, overwhelming world. You will be inspired by the turtles' quirky personalities, their quirky rescuers, and reminded of the good in the world. The bravery that is needed to take on this neverending endeavor, like Natasha and Alexxia do every day. We have so much to learn from turtles (assuming they survive us) especially about resilience. I am changed for the better for having read this book.
There's something utterly captivating about Sy Montgomery's writing that makes it hard to pull away from. Her enchantment and wonder is catching. I am just as emotionally rocked as I was reading The Soul of an Octopus, if not more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
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