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indiarose8's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Beautifully and poetically written, this book is a dystopian look at humanity and relationships, as well as the role art plays in our lives. I really enjoyed the descriptions but found the switching back and forth between time periods jarring. It also moved a little too slowly for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence
savvylit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Station Eleven is an eerily realistic post-collapse narrative. Most interestingly, Station Eleven's power lies in neither the characters nor the plot. Rather, the strength of this novel relies entirely on the palpable and riveting atmosphere that Mandel has created. By utilizing a nonlinear timeline and multiple points of view, Mandel effortlessly immerses readers in the feeling of collective post-apocalyptic uncertainty.
Despite the very bleak nature of this novel's events, Station Eleven is ultimately a beautiful and hopeful book. It's a novel about chosen families, human resilience, and the power of art.
Station Eleven is such an unforgettable and unique addition to the dystopian genre. I loved Mandel's writing and cannot wait to read more of her work.
Despite the very bleak nature of this novel's events, Station Eleven is ultimately a beautiful and hopeful book. It's a novel about chosen families, human resilience, and the power of art.
Station Eleven is such an unforgettable and unique addition to the dystopian genre. I loved Mandel's writing and cannot wait to read more of her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
emhunsbaker's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
sfbookgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Whew, what a book. And what a book to read during a pandemic. I could have maybe skipped reading this book entirely but I was really curious to know what all of the hype was about…and also because I love dystopian novels. The story goes back and forth between pre-pandemic days and the present. The majority of the novel surrounds around the Traveling Symphony who performs Shakesphere and music for the scarce communities of survivors.
Station Eleven is eerie and at some points terrifying as one would expect from a novel like this one. What resonated with me most was a moment in the book in which they speak about alternative universes and question whether there is another reality out there that also experienced a pandemic, but not as destructive as this one…which must mean that Emily St. John Mandel is able to predict the future. It was also super interesting to read reviews written prior to 2020 and note what reviewers thought of this book with no insight into what would happen in just a few years time. Overall, an excellent novel that doesn’t appear as captivating as it may have been perceived prior to our pandemic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Suicide, Violence, and Grief
mondovertigo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence
krys_kilz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was definitely a page turner. I loved the intersecting timelines and narratives woven through this book. Seeing how all of the characters' lives were connected and crossed paths brought a real richness to the story. It was also compelling that there wasn't an exact date given for when the collapse happened. I found St. John Mandel's writing and the layout of the storylines very beautiful. She really captures how fragile industrial society is.
I wish the comic Station Eleven featured in the book was real. The way St. John Mandel describes it is absolutely haunting and I wish I could see the gorgeous artwork.
The biggest miss for me with this book was the idealization of civilization and the pre-apocalyptic world. I understand that life became much more difficult after collapse, but it felt like life before was largely viewed through rose tinted glasses. There is no mention of the sheer violence of the pre-collapse world under systems of domination and oppression. This along with the brief passages about not being able to call the police for assistance and calling the chaos of collapse anarchy. And the overwhelming desire to return to the way things were before - like an electrical grid being a beacon of hope and progress. This is why dystopian fiction without strong social/political critique really misses the mark for me.
The ending also felt deeply unsatisfying - it was rushed, starkly optimistic, and glaringly revealed how flat The Prophet's character was. I wish the reader got to see more of what transformed Tyler into The Prophet and what inspired people to follow him rather than using him as an oversimplified villain trope. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it, but I wish it was pushed further than it was.
I wish the comic Station Eleven featured in the book was real. The way St. John Mandel describes it is absolutely haunting and I wish I could see the gorgeous artwork.
The biggest miss for me with this book was the idealization of civilization and the pre-apocalyptic world. I understand that life became much more difficult after collapse, but it felt like life before was largely viewed through rose tinted glasses. There is no mention of the sheer violence of the pre-collapse world under systems of domination and oppression. This along with the brief passages about not being able to call the police for assistance and calling the chaos of collapse anarchy. And the overwhelming desire to return to the way things were before - like an electrical grid being a beacon of hope and progress. This is why dystopian fiction without strong social/political critique really misses the mark for me.
The ending also felt deeply unsatisfying - it was rushed, starkly optimistic, and glaringly revealed how flat The Prophet's character was. I wish the reader got to see more of what transformed Tyler into The Prophet and what inspired people to follow him rather than using him as an oversimplified villain trope. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it, but I wish it was pushed further than it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
smedette's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Why I decided, in 2022, to read a book about a deadly respiratory virus and the subsequently collapse of civilization as we know it, is beyond me. But this is one hell of a story. Or stories, rather. Whew.
I’m an American living in Australia, and this really made me think about what it would be like if I could never go to my home country again. Electricity, fuel, and communications are all things of the past, and you exist where you are. Right now.
The author does receive a British Accent Violation, which is when they say “British accent” but mean an English accent (reminder: Great Britain is the island containing England, Scotland, and Wales). This concludes my pedantry.
Read this book, but prepare yourself for the themes. They may hit close to home.
I’m an American living in Australia, and this really made me think about what it would be like if I could never go to my home country again. Electricity, fuel, and communications are all things of the past, and you exist where you are. Right now.
The author does receive a British Accent Violation, which is when they say “British accent” but mean an English accent (reminder: Great Britain is the island containing England, Scotland, and Wales). This concludes my pedantry.
Read this book, but prepare yourself for the themes. They may hit close to home.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Rape
garynoplastie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Rape
amdriver12's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Sexual violence
daisydoolie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
I really enjoyed this, different to what I’d usually read, and the premise was interesting - although less convincing when you’d actually lived through a flu like pandemic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Sexual violence