If you read it as a 5 year old child, everything about it from the pretty cover to the fundamental concept of a cutesy story about animals indicates that you were going to read a lighthearted story full of fun adventure, maybe at worst like The Velveteen Rabbit or the Secret of Nimh.
What you get instead is a brutal, gripping commentary on society that is well beyond your 5 year old comprehension, full of small animal gore, betrayal, starvation, and a desperate striving for survival.
The vibe lingers for a long time and it is not pleasant.
What does that even mean?
There’s plenty of children’s literature that deals with complex ideas like PTSD.
What are you trying to say?
If you read it as a 5 year old child, everything about it from the pretty cover to the fundamental concept of a cutesy story about animals indicates that you were going to read a lighthearted story full of fun adventure, maybe at worst like The Velveteen Rabbit or the Secret of Nimh.
What you get instead is a brutal, gripping commentary on society that is well beyond your 5 year old comprehension, full of small animal gore, betrayal, starvation, and a desperate striving for survival.
The vibe lingers for a long time and it is not pleasant.
Good book though.