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gerryskeays's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.75
Wow. What a wild trilogy- if you asked me what the plot was I’m not sure I could tell you.
Certainly one of the most interesting and atmospheric series I’ve read - this one was a satisfying (as much as anything can be satisfying in a series allergic to answers or explanations) conclusion to it all.
Scene in bar came out of nowhere for me and rocked me to my very core. Vandermeer is a master of creating evocative and moving environments but somehow always remaining nebulous and subjective.
Certainly one of the most interesting and atmospheric series I’ve read - this one was a satisfying (as much as anything can be satisfying in a series allergic to answers or explanations) conclusion to it all.
Scene in bar came out of nowhere for me and rocked me to my very core. Vandermeer is a master of creating evocative and moving environments but somehow always remaining nebulous and subjective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
olieander's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Cancer
emilywemily6's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
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
3.5
I was really hoping for more answers in this book, but I understand that the author’s whole premise is that the source of Area X is unknowable by our finite human minds. I liked getting multiple viewpoints to add a little bit more clarity, but I wish a few more things wrapped up by the end with the storylines converging. It felt unsatisfying. I think I would get more out of reading this series again and again, but I didn’t enjoy it enough to want to reread it to get a few more crumbs of insight. Saul’s scene at the bar was so fascinating and intriguing and I really thought his storyline in particular would have more of a climax. Overall, it was a weird and interesting time, with so much nuance that who even knows what the truth is? Not my kind of reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol and Cancer
kek513's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
bo0kf4n2's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Death of parent
samdalefox's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Thank god the series is over. I was so god-damned bored. I should have DNF'd this book, but I held out just to say that I had completed the trilogy. I can whole-heartedly say that I do not recommend the sequels. Read Annihilation as a stand alone book and enjoy it for what it is.
Acceptance is written in second person ( Idon't understand or feel the reason why), from five people's point of view; Control, Ghost Bird, The Director, Saul (the lighthouse keeper), and the Biologist. We get some answers, none are satisfying. The tone and pace of the book are boring, no mystery, tension, or dread that I've been seeking since Annihilation.
Final gripe - the audiobook quality was spotty. The voices sometimes sounded far away, as if there were two recordings spliced together. This was offputting since the change happened every few sentences, not at expected intervals such as for an entire chapter.
"But what if you discover that the process of purpose is to render invisible so many other things?"
Others' reviews that I strongly resonate with
Acceptance is written in second person ( Idon't understand or feel the reason why), from five people's point of view; Control, Ghost Bird, The Director, Saul (the lighthouse keeper), and the Biologist. We get some answers, none are satisfying. The tone and pace of the book are boring, no mystery, tension, or dread that I've been seeking since Annihilation.
Final gripe - the audiobook quality was spotty. The voices sometimes sounded far away, as if there were two recordings spliced together. This was offputting since the change happened every few sentences, not at expected intervals such as for an entire chapter.
"But what if you discover that the process of purpose is to render invisible so many other things?"
Others' reviews that I strongly resonate with
txw9394's review:
I enjoy how this series explores insanity in the face of something truly unknowable, but the unknowable here is also apparently unwritable for the author. The descriptions of the central mysteries that surround Area X are so deliberately vague they almost always failed to make me feel anything. Just kind of bummed, because again the premise is fascinating.
ahna's review:
As the conclusion to a trilogy, I expected it to answer the questions around Area X set up by the first two books. While it does answer some, it leaves much wanting, and not in a thought-provoking way. Simply in a disappointing way.
ryanmcweeny's review:
never come close to capturing the brilliance of annihilation. There are some answers but nothing truly satisfying and no new mysteries to excite the imagination.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, and Death
jiaojiao's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
So... I read the Southern Reach trilogy all in the span of a few days; I was just that invested in the mystery of Area X. Unfortunately for me, that didn’t seem to be what VanderMeer had in mind for the Southern Reach trilogy. Area X, as the primary setting of Acceptance, does feature prominently in Acceptance, since John, along with a few other characters, do wind up in Area X. However, the focus is still very much on its effects, rather than its origins. By the end of Acceptance, we only get speculations of what Area X is, very few of which are actually confirmed.
Acceptance picks up almost immediately where Authority leaves off. Unlike in Annihilation and Authority, no new characters are introduced; instead, VanderMeer expands on the story of characters we already know who seem to be prominently connected to Area X. We see the lighthouse keeper’s final moments, for example. Like Annihilation and Authority, Acceptance switches between present events and select events from each character’s past. In terms of pacing, I think this worked a bit better in here than it did in Authority, as the past events that come to light have more direct connections to either Area X or present events.
While I did like that a lot more loose ends were dealt with in Acceptance, I still felt like something was missing. I think it might just be that I was expecting from the trilogy. I’m used to novels that have more linear storylines, with clear resolutions. This trilogy, however, is very character-driven, introspective as a result, and focused more on the psychological horror of confronting an existential threat that, in the end, was impossible to control. There isn’t really a resolution. Just acceptance—and whatever peace that might bring. I’m left feeling kind of empty-handed.
I’m glad I finished the trilogy, but I’m not sure whether I’d pick up any other books by VanderMeer.
My rating system:
★☆☆☆☆ - DNF.
★★☆☆☆ - I really wish I’d read something else.
★★★☆☆ - Glad I finished, but I’m probably not re-reading this.
★★★★☆ - I really enjoyed reading this! Would probably rec/re-read.
★★★★★ - OMG.
Acceptance picks up almost immediately where Authority leaves off. Unlike in Annihilation and Authority, no new characters are introduced; instead, VanderMeer expands on the story of characters we already know who seem to be prominently connected to Area X. We see the lighthouse keeper’s final moments, for example. Like Annihilation and Authority, Acceptance switches between present events and select events from each character’s past. In terms of pacing, I think this worked a bit better in here than it did in Authority, as the past events that come to light have more direct connections to either Area X or present events.
While I did like that a lot more loose ends were dealt with in Acceptance, I still felt like something was missing. I think it might just be that I was expecting from the trilogy. I’m used to novels that have more linear storylines, with clear resolutions. This trilogy, however, is very character-driven, introspective as a result, and focused more on the psychological horror of confronting an existential threat that, in the end, was impossible to control. There isn’t really a resolution. Just acceptance—and whatever peace that might bring. I’m left feeling kind of empty-handed.
I’m glad I finished the trilogy, but I’m not sure whether I’d pick up any other books by VanderMeer.
My rating system:
★☆☆☆☆ - DNF.
★★☆☆☆ - I really wish I’d read something else.
★★★☆☆ - Glad I finished, but I’m probably not re-reading this.
★★★★☆ - I really enjoyed reading this! Would probably rec/re-read.
★★★★★ - OMG.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
roenfoe's review
reflective
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? Yes
2.75
Acceptance is better than Authority, but falls very short of Annihilation.
It's mostly cerebral (which is not new to the Area X series) and offers few resolutions to plot threads that have spanned the trilogy. I usually have absolutely no issue with not being handed answers, but after three books and about 800 pages it's fair to expect some plot substance. It seems that Acceptance only scratches the surface of Area X's potential.
I greatly enjoyed the lighthouse keeper chapters and all other details provided concerning the origin of the anomaly. I was intrigued by the biologist and Ghost Bird's story but was left feeling ultimately unsatisfied. I cared very little for Control (re: my problems with Authority).
My biggest letdown was VanderMeer's failure to cultivate feelings of buzzing, primal fear and unsettlement. These emotions were integral to my experience reading Annihilation, and I was disappointed to find him unable to evoke these same feelings (which are inseparable from Area X in my mind) in Acceptance. What was left felt like a theme park clone of a formerly frightening setting.
I enjoyed spending more time with Area X and its characters but was ultimately underwhelmed with the final installment in what could have been a great trilogy. I still plan to continue reading VanderMeer (his ideas always pull me in) but I hope that his other works are stronger.
It's mostly cerebral (which is not new to the Area X series) and offers few resolutions to plot threads that have spanned the trilogy. I usually have absolutely no issue with not being handed answers, but after three books and about 800 pages it's fair to expect some plot substance. It seems that Acceptance only scratches the surface of Area X's potential.
I greatly enjoyed the lighthouse keeper chapters and all other details provided concerning the origin of the anomaly. I was intrigued by the biologist and Ghost Bird's story but was left feeling ultimately unsatisfied. I cared very little for Control (re: my problems with Authority).
My biggest letdown was VanderMeer's failure to cultivate feelings of buzzing, primal fear and unsettlement. These emotions were integral to my experience reading Annihilation, and I was disappointed to find him unable to evoke these same feelings (which are inseparable from Area X in my mind) in Acceptance. What was left felt like a theme park clone of a formerly frightening setting.
I enjoyed spending more time with Area X and its characters but was ultimately underwhelmed with the final installment in what could have been a great trilogy. I still plan to continue reading VanderMeer (his ideas always pull me in) but I hope that his other works are stronger.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
muffmacguff's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
One of the major strengths of this series is making you feel trapped in the characters’s world. Especially as the series progressed, with each successive book you see just how small a window the previous book gave you into the world of the series.
In this concluding book I think that’s a strength and also something that irritated the hell out of me! It’s so fascinating and disorienting, and I keep hoping anything will make more sense but it never does. There isn’t much to explain why all this weird shit is happening. Which is FINE and VALID but also makes me so angry.
Anyway these were a really interesting read that gave me a headache.
In this concluding book I think that’s a strength and also something that irritated the hell out of me! It’s so fascinating and disorienting, and I keep hoping anything will make more sense but it never does. There isn’t much to explain why all this weird shit is happening. Which is FINE and VALID but also makes me so angry.
Anyway these were a really interesting read that gave me a headache.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Violence
jazhandz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death