Earth Log by Blaine C. Readler

There are plenty of things we take for granted as humans, but few things seem as easy to overlook as our self-awareness. In Earth Log, a new novel by Blaine C. Readler, that same great power is bestowed upon a ferret, who “wakes up” one day overwhelmed with curiosity, questions, and a new appreciation for the complexity of life.

As the ferret moves through its small universe – his owner Joanne’s apartment – he figuratively and literally bumps into obstacles and quandaries that domesticated animals typically don’t ponder. From tumbling through a laundry shoot, losing his home, and witnessing the takedown of a child molester, to musing on his forced pacifism and hypothesizing about his altered sleeping schedule, this odd book of self-discovery is both whimsical and thought-provoking.

Seeing the world through the eyes of an intelligent ferret may seem like a premise that would soon grow tired, but the uniqueness of the book lies in the subjects discussed through this contextual lens, including relationships, friendship, violence, crime, freedom, work and survival, in the vein of great works of literature with animal protagonists.

Ending with an action-packed crescendo, Earth Log is an amusing and well-penned work of fantasy. Swinging between philosophy and tongue-in-cheek criticism of human behavior, the story turns perspective on its head for a strangely gripping and page-turning novel.

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