Reviews

Akzeptanz by Jeff VanderMeer

mtstellens's review against another edition

2.0

Not quite Lovecraft. I liked the way that the narrative skipped around between perspectives, and we got some of Area X before it was Area X, but the other books weren’t scary or didn't give enough questions to uncover for the answers to feel satisfying. I think that this series was kind of a let down. I liked the lighthouse keeper (future Crawler), his descent into madness. It was a good change because I feel like so many things happened just off screen. Another reason why I liked the encounter with the biologist, now a terrifying sea monster thing. I think that this book got somewhat bogged down in the metaphor and lost the horror which caused it to fail at both the horror and the deeper meaning under the horror. But the ending of not knowing if Area X was expanding was a good ending.

saneyossarian's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

2.0

akardian's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

The writing was choppy with incomplete sentences to the point of being distracting. I think I can see how in certain points it would add to the creepiness of the story or help the reader see the state of mind of some of the characters, but doing it through the whole book was just annoying.
This book also resolved nothing. The mysteries set up in the first book were interesting, but to get absolutely no resolution on any topic and to just get more confused as I went on made this a chore to read. I really think the concepts and setting were super interesting but I don’t think it was executed well. 

defogcusp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

lizard13's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ytterbium1064's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

underscoremeg's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

maddivillines's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

mgrace17's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mrsrccockrell's review against another edition

1.0

I don’t get it. Maybe it’s the plot (or lack thereof), maybe it’s the writing, or maybe it just went completely over my head, but I didn’t understand it enough to enjoy it. No real answers in three novels. Waste of time.