Pod

"This novel is written from the points of view of marine creatures, including a spinner dolphin living mutely among bottlenose dolphins, and a parasitic remora fish. But don’t get the wrong idea—this is not Finding Nemo; there are graphic scenes of (species-appropriate) rape and environmental disaster, so come prepared. Pod takes an unflinching look at human impacts on the underwater world, seen from below the surface, just as Paull’s earlier book, The Bees (also shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, back in 2015), offered an insider’s view of the succession scandals within the alien—one might even say dystopian—culture of a honeybee hive. It’s creative, challenging, and quite literally immersive. One for open-minded readers with an interest in animal behaviour and writing from unusual perspectives."