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I got to the third section of the book and ended up not wanting to finish because of the excessive use of the word f*ck. Normally I’m ok with the occasional throughout a few pages, but this was what felt like every other word.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fantastic prequel/sequel to the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer. I'd honestly argue this series does Lovecraftian horror better than Lovecraft, doing an excellent job of always creating more questions for every answer given, and instilling a sense of constant mounting dread at all of the strange, arcane knowledge that always seems just barely out of reach. Some great chilling moments in this one, mixed in with some genuinely funny ones. I'd put this at my second favorite in the series behind the first.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
While I didn’t have answers at the end of Acceptance, I felt satisfied. I was looking forward to diving back into Area X with this book and reading perspectives which were only hinted at in the original trilogy. While this book has call-backs to previously mentioned characters (which is fun at first because you think that means you are going to learn something), in the end, Vandermeer leaves you with only more questions in a way that seems to upend whatever I thought the finale of the series was.
Maybe I should have expected that, but this series is at its best when it’s narrated by an aloof biologist (or her clone) in the thick of Area X. Old Jim takes the reigns and it feels reminiscent of the bureaucratic slog of Control fumbling his way through espionage that is so far beyond him, but it gets even worse when Lowry takes control. I wanted so badly to go on that first expedition, to know what Control saw on those tapes, and I wish we could have had any other narrator than Lowry. It was bound to be him, but it was difficult to read.
It’s worth a read. There are good parts. I had just wanted more.
Maybe I should have expected that, but this series is at its best when it’s narrated by an aloof biologist (or her clone) in the thick of Area X. Old Jim takes the reigns and it feels reminiscent of the bureaucratic slog of Control fumbling his way through espionage that is so far beyond him, but it gets even worse when Lowry takes control. I wanted so badly to go on that first expedition, to know what Control saw on those tapes, and I wish we could have had any other narrator than Lowry. It was bound to be him, but it was difficult to read.
It’s worth a read. There are good parts. I had just wanted more.
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Okay, I don't know what to say. If you are someone who wants some kind of insight into the story you are reading, then this isn't for you. I liked Annihilation. I gave the next 3 books a try because I was desperate for some kind of clarity, but this disappointed so much in that regard. It's one thing to hook you on a story, but if you don't deliver some kind of morsel, the reading experience starves. That's what this felt like: a gorging of words but a famine of fulfillment.
I liked the alligator. And "Cass".
I liked the alligator. And "Cass".
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes