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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Short, kind of weird book that I enjoyed. The premise reads as familiar (mysterious, dystopic world, with a mysterious history and autocratic governance), but the author creates a unique world within it. I particularly liked the central theme--words, as either a means of imprisonment, fixing things in a set order (e.g., for marking objects so that they don't disappear); or as something free-flowing and formless, not trapped as a universal descriptor (but, ominous and ethereal as a result of such lack of definition). It was an interesting perspective (I've never really thought of definitions and language as inherently narrow and directive) that I've since thought about beyond the context of the book itself (existence as ultimately self-determined and slightly formless).
The setting of the novel reminded me a lot of "The Left-Hand of Darkness"; Amatka, the title colony, is cold and dark, and the society there seems simultaneously set in the future (or, at least, a world that seems advanced beyond our own), but somehow limited to devices and objects of the past. And, the tone (and some parts of the plot) reminded me a lot of "Annihilation"; there's a darkly mysterious, quietly spooky tone throughout, an ever-present sense that something discomfiting and weird is going to happen (there are also sinister, underground tunnels with glowing lichen). Somehow "Amatka" didn't feel as ambitious as either book, but it's no less enjoyable; and, at only 216 pages, I found it to be a quick, but surprisingly searching, read.
The setting of the novel reminded me a lot of "The Left-Hand of Darkness"; Amatka, the title colony, is cold and dark, and the society there seems simultaneously set in the future (or, at least, a world that seems advanced beyond our own), but somehow limited to devices and objects of the past. And, the tone (and some parts of the plot) reminded me a lot of "Annihilation"; there's a darkly mysterious, quietly spooky tone throughout, an ever-present sense that something discomfiting and weird is going to happen (there are also sinister, underground tunnels with glowing lichen). Somehow "Amatka" didn't feel as ambitious as either book, but it's no less enjoyable; and, at only 216 pages, I found it to be a quick, but surprisingly searching, read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An odd book - quiet, unsettling, and completely unclear to me what my opinions on this book really are. I liked it, but also found it a slog - I either was unable to focus on it or was absolutely sucked into it, no in between.
The prose is really dry and clinical and I wasn't interested in picking it up again
reflective
tense
slow-paced
First book of the year: SFFBC! It was fast. It was interesting, which was good because I have a really bad cold and can’t keep my attention on anything. I did like the words having power and creating the world. The romance was awkward. The ending was kind of horrible, but also true to the story. I think it leads to another story. Probably more like a 3 1/2 but I’ll give it a 4.
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really super cool concept. It reminded me of Zone Eight out of Hanya Yanagihara's To Paradise. And the stuff that was created kinda reminded me of just oil? Isn't it weird that we take this strange black liquid out of the ground and manage to create forks, bathtubs, face creams and clothes out of it? I thought it was really well done, especially in the beginning. But I feel like the book started to fall apart near the ending. It got a bit confusing and the ending wasn't super satisfying. I didn't need an explanation of everything that happened, but something a bit more concrete.