Holy smokes, that is a novel. I was not expecting the depth and the reality of this book, but wow! Boyle has conjured life at the southern border of the United States and juxtaposed the realities of immigration with the concept of animal invasion against a backdrop of classism and climate change. I mean, really, this book has it all and it’s deafening in how it shows the interconnectedness of all forms of life. 

I read this book 10 years ago and I read it again and it still slaps. TC Boyle really created a fast paced and gutting story, developing simultaneous storylines that collide multiple times each in a more dramatic way until the characters end up 180 degrees from where they started, for better and worse. I appreciate how such deep themes of prejudice, morality, politics, and identity were woven into a narrative that was so easy to follow and become invested in. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank you for this classic!