“The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting” by Evanna Lynch

book review by Riley Burnham 11/4/2026

what an absolute surprisingly good treasure of a book this is(!)

i downloaded the audio version, thinking the cover & title had intrigue, as well as it being a memoir — THEN connected who it was by — the actress who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movies, of which i’m at least vaguely familiar with, & so proceeded in

read by the author, we get an intimate & REAL story of a person — a unique human, their interior life, & most elaborately, her struggle w/ anorexia & the trials that put her through [including hospital, where “the tube” is an ongoing threat, reminiscent of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in the patient / administrator / camaraderie aspect

we get her family & their struggles through these times, as well as their rallying with her when she finally auditions for her famous role — hard to nutshell this one, it’s a touching & excellent story, w/ a beautiful Irish accent

the part about her foray into the circus at the end is so good, w/ her discovering affection & appreciation for her own body, as well as the summary that explains the title [hint: they’re killed when caught, for their beauty 🦋]