Deadly Animals

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of mental illness, child abuse, child death, death by suicide, animal death, and graphic violence.

The motif of impersonation and mimicry appears throughout the text when characters want to conceal information about themselves or adopt the character traits of others. Ava frequently puts on her Mrs. Poshy-Snob voice—which the police call Miss Misty—when she speaks to the police because she knows they will believe an adult over a child. As Miss Misty, Ava can share her unusual but accurate theories about the case, like the critical information about clinical lycanthropy and similar historical crimes. Ava doesn’t think the police will question an adult’s knowledge of such niche and morbid topics, and with her Miss Misty imitation, Ava gains confidence she doesn’t normally possess. Ava’s theory is confirmed later in the book when John calls in his information about Nathaniel’s lair without using an adult imitation, and the police dispatcher dismisses him because he assumes John is pulling a prank. Ava also uses a “Normal Girl” imitation around her family and peers to avoid being criticized for her unconventional interests.

Nathaniel also imitates a more typical boy to blend in with society and conceal his activities as the Rubery killer. The text calls Nathaniel a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” for his ability to walk among his peers convincingly as an average kid (313). Even after being named in the press, the community cannot believe Nathaniel was the killer because they only knew him as a kind, friendly boy. In his private life, Nathaniel feels most comfortable with dogs, and over time he attempts to become one of them. To complete the transformation, he creates a wolf-suit out of dog pelts. Rather than concealing something about himself, Nathaniel believes his dog imitation is his true character—an instinct-driven, wild creature.