Review: The Petting Zoos

The Petting Zoos by K.S. Covert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Petting Zoos by author K.S. Covert is a novel I wanted to like. The plot was timely and contained just enough to pique my interest and compel me to request this as an ARC from NetGalley. Try as I might, however, there are things about this book that are in need of aggressive editing. Some may be coming in the published work (e.g. formatting errors), but some appear to be a conscious effort on the part of Covert that simply do not work or are errors egregious enough to have separated me from the page.

The story itself is certainly one of relevance. A pandemic has swept the world and left in its wake a society separated by law-required masks, gloves and clothing made impervious to the virus that was discovered to have clung to it. The illness, dubbed Henny Penny, has left nothing untouched. From food supplies to the sensation of another human’s touch, each aspect of society has in some way been disturbed and transformed. Lily is a woman who, prior to the pandemic, is purported to have led a relatively “normal” life, gathering with friends, traveling to work, etc. She contracted Henny Penny, nearly lost her life, and emerged a newly minted hermit, ordering food rations, working from home and separating herself from others who survived the worst. Even when the guidelines of the government are eased and employees are forced to return to the workplace, Lily maintains her isolation to the extent possible. As a magazine writer, her prior job of reporting is no longer in her comfort zone, and so she is asked to consider penning fictional stories for the publication. Here she shines, as her talent draws in readers and garners her fan mail. When Lily simultaneously receives a request from her boss to return to reporting in order to write a story about illegally operating human “petting zoos”, as well as a letter inviting her to visit a particular zoo, and finally a private recommendation from her doctor to give one a try, Lily is forced out of her comfort zone and into a hedonistic world where humans deprived of basic contact for so many years come together to touch and be touched and to satisfy the wanting that consumes them. Lily’s journey to self-actualization is followed as she visits zoos of varying degrees, from vanilla zoos that allow only superficial touch to mocha zoos that are ruled by an “anything goes” mantra and harken back to what were once known as swingers’ clubs.

Covert begins her book with a glossary of terms one needs to know to fully appreciate the story. I found it to be off-putting and a far too sterile introduction. As a reader, I need an immediate hook, which this vocabulary exercise just didn’t provide. Covert also structures the text in a way that is interesting to analyze but difficult to read. Main character Lily begins as a flat, gray presence that is reflected in the flat gray of the writing. As she slowly emerges from her hibernation, the writing follows suit and becomes more colorful—more engaging. Whilst I understand the author’s intent, those initial monotone pages are difficult to wade through, and there’s just not enough of an immediate payout to encourage the reader’s continued investment.

The descriptions of the leveled petting zoos, and the activities that occurred within, were well written and contained just enough sensory detail to bring the events to life. Without the reader engaging with Lily as a sympathetic character, however, the scenes aren’t in any way anchored. We know next to nothing about the person Lily was before the pandemic, and only a very small amount of who she became in isolation, so finding interest in her zoo visits is difficult at best. The result is some well-written soft porn.

There are also some continuity issues here. In one scene, Lily is visiting an illegal “rave-type” event run by her neighbor, Eleanor. The scene inside the building, as well as the fact that Lily detects a scent of marijuana, is described before she even gets out of the car. It is errors such as this that again separated me from the story itself.

Overall, the writing is sound with masterful sentence structure, wonderfully sensual imagery and a plot that hits close to home in light of current events. Profound and unapologetic editing is needed, however, in order for this book to meet its true potential.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for allowing me to review this ARC. Publication is set for June of 2022.

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