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themis_biblos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
There is a limit to thinking about even a small piece of something monumental. You still see the shadow of the whole rearing up behind you, and you become lost in your thoughts in part from the panic of realizing the size of that imagined leviathan.
I ordered the beautiful edition with the boar on the cover and was delivered this neon pink abomination. That should be a crime.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cancer and Mental illness
mikathereviewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Where lies the strangling fruit that came from the hand of the sinner I shall bring forth the seeds of the dead to share with the worms … to share with the worms that gather in the darkness and surround the world with the power of their lives.
I watched the film when it came out and I did know there was a book, but didn't read it till now. But here we are!
(And before you ask: The film is VERY different from the book. Some ideas were implanted into the film, but most didn't even exist in the book)
As said near the beginning of the book all characters were trained to leave personal stuff behind; Meaning that one is only there for the task to discover Area X and should only focus on that. So we of course don't get any friendship or the sort there. But we get the backstory of our main character which at least makes us connect a bit with her.
There were so many crazy things happening, but can't mention them as that would spoiler the fun. But they were so cool and interesting to read about!
The backstory we got of the main character was so detailed. We get every now and then a bit new information or just general memories of her. It made me feel more connected to the character, especially with relatable scenes like this:
"I didn’t care about politics except in how politics impinged upon the environment. I wasn’t religious. All of my hobbies were bound up in my work. I lived for the work, and I thrilled with the power of that focus but it was also deeply personal."
Some might disagree now but the nickname the husband gave the protagonist sounds so special and original. Like I never got called like that and the best thing is; It doesn't sound cringe (since there is a meaning behind it).
I like third and first person, but for this story I would say the third person would have been better (bonus points for different POV's as that would make the story more exciting).
We are reading this story to DISCOVER. How do you discover a story the best? By having a narrator that knows everything and isn't RESTRICTED.
We had only 4 characters and it felt too little, honestly. Originally it was 5, but 1 left us already before they even got introduced to us readers. Or maybe character depth was the thing I missed, as the protagonist was the only one we really got to know. But there is a reason behind why we don't get to know the others so can't quite argue with that. I don't know it felt like something was missing, especially in the plot. It felt slow-paced sometimes, but in the end we didn't get as much information or intense scenes as I initially thought before reading this book. Feel disappointed.
03. August 2024
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Confinement, Sexual content, Excrement, Grief, and Alcohol
chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
cruspp_29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Cancer
kuronekostea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Grief
crybabybea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I wouldn't say the book necessarily surprised me in terms of plot twists; it was easy to guess what was happening from the very beginning. By about 20% I had a good idea what was going on, but it didn't stop me from wanting to know more. Which is so crazy because that's exactly what happens to the main character, who continually chooses to exhaust her curiosity even in the face of death and danger. And even then, at the end, there are no answers. We don't even know if the story we are reading actually happened how it is told. Our main character is unreliable and almost in a state of dissociation throughout the entire narrative. And, even though it was clear what was going to happen, my jaw still dropped. Many times.
I loved the way this was written. We are essentially reading the journal entry of the main character, written in retrospect after everything takes place. Each event unfolds with uncanny intrigue. We're pulled forward alongside our main character by the unstoppable force that is Area X. The overall tone, yes it's creepy, but in a dreamlike way. We are stuck in, more or less, solitude with our main character as she tries to uncover the mystery of the island.
Naturally, being stuck in solitude lends itself to intense self-reflection. The story of the biologist's journey on Area X is intertwined with her journey in her relationship with her husband. So in a sense the exploration of the force of Area X becomes an exploration of humanity, relationships, and connection. How do we find meaning in life when nothing actually matters? Do we repeat the same cycle over and over again for generations until the sun consumes the planet? Is there a sort of gauntlet we must all pass, an end goal we must all reach, a higher power we must all answer to? What makes us as humans different from the land we inhabit, the invisible ecosystems that live under our noses every single day? The book never answers these questions. But it sure does make you think about them.
I was, however, really surprised by the writing. There are some insanely profound quotes to be found here. Things I reread over and over again. Some lines written by VanderMeer could have found their place in a classic literary novel. His attention to detail makes the land feel immersive. Having a biologist be the main character/narrator was such a genius choice. You begin to see parallels between the biologist's experience in Area X with your own experience as a reader. The biologist's eye for miniscule details gives VanderMeer the opportunity to make the world feel incredibly detailed and real. The imagery used throughout, but especially in the more horror-esque portions of the book are beautifully portrayed.
Despite leaving with more questions than answers, I'm super satisfied by this book.
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
guessgreenleaf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts
sfox_the_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
There is some description of violence, but it's mostly left to your imagination as to just how terrible things were/are. If you have the darkest interpretation, you can think it graphic. If you skirt past it, it will seem more mild/minor.supermando's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The main character, the Biologist, is complex. She feels wholly human. I know her, I am her. The story unfolds with bits of her life that seem normal. Until she allows herself to be vulnerable, overcomes her ego and crumbles to details that might not make her look great.
Area X itself was left mostly unexplained and still feels mysterious by the end, but I don’t think that was fully the point. There are three more books so we have time. I can’t wait to dive into this series.
Ugh, I loved it. I could talk about it for days
Graphic: Gun violence
libraryofmoss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror and Gun violence
Moderate: Suicide