Title: Unmasked
Author: Jenifer Kanin
Publisher: Canada Libraries and Archives
Release Date: October 1, 2020
Pages: 200
Book Source: ARC
“Unmasked is the hilarious, heart-warming tale of a raccoon named Gary, who with the help of his best friend Jenny discovers that he has a very unique skill set. At first, he is only thinking of how he can use his new-found abilities to benefit to his own belly, but when some of the animals in the forest begin to disappear Gary and Jenny soon find themselves in the middle of the investigation, risking their own lives to save their forest home.
Can an average raccoon overcome his past to become the unlikely hero everyone needs?” – Amazon
Kim’s Review
Unmasked by Jenifer Kanin reminded me of an adult version of The Wind in the Willows or Frog & Toad, not only because of the animals talking and acting like humans, even down to indoor plumbing, but because of the life lessons woven throughout the book.
It took me a bit to get into the flow of the book since the chapter jumps felt very abrupt to me. When I finished the first chapter and started the second, I turned the page back twice to make sure I hadn’t missed something.
The story is told by three different sets of characters; Gary and his bunny friend, the two detectives who are a fox and a chipmunk, and various humans. Although there is the mystery of who is killing various animals in the neighborhood, I felt that it took a back seat to Gary coming to terms with his life, including alcoholism and abuse in his family, and all the other life lessons that were in the book.
If you are looking for a sweet story with character growth and a happy ending, then Unmasked by Jenifer Kanin may be for you!
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