Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. Cover art is copyright Simply Read Books.

This is a book about Sam. That’s right, a story where a hedgehog is granted a name that doesn’t start with the letter “H.” It’s a miracle.

Sam has been ousted from home at only a few weeks old. Typical. Now the little guy has to find a new home for himself.

It doesn’t take Sam long to find a place to live…but it does take him forever to find any sign of another living creature. For all Sam knows, he is living in a post-apocalyptic world and is the last of the living.

In reality, all of the animals in the forest are being trolls, creeping on him from out of sight. Every – single – one. They let this poor prickly plebeian wander through the forest all alone, desperately seeking companionship.

It’s true, sometimes the animals are right behind Sam or under his nose, but he can’t be blamed for missing them. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight. One of them could have very well spoken up, the savage beasts!

When he still can’t find anyone – after struggling up hills and through horrible weather – he turns to drastic measures. Sam begins to pull out his spines to pin notes to trees. Don’t ask me how he has access to paper or ink. I have no idea. I do know that hedgehog spines are not like porcupine quills. They are not easily removed and they are not that sharp. They also cannot get apples and strawberries stuck to them. Sam must be cursed.

Sam’s story is a tragic one. Eventually the other animals decide to put him out of his misery and greet him, but by this stage he has already developed a serious case of trichotillomania. Sam’s physical and mental health has suffered because of his loneliness. His new “friends” try to help him, but they can never fully repair the damage that has been done.

‘The New Arrival’ is a commentary on the harsh realities of striking out on your own. It is not for the faint of heart.