Reviews - Absolution | The StoryGraph

1.61k reviews for:

Absolution

Jeff VanderMeer

3.73 AVERAGE

moonewolf's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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: Yes

The Southern Reach trilogy is my favourite series ever written so I have been long awaiting the release of Jeff VanderMeer's final (for now) word on the series. I'm happy he's delivered an excellent book which provides everything I love from the previous entries and more!

Absolution is a more challenging read than the rest of the series, and more unwelcoming to newcomers, imo, however, I don't think you should read this at all if you have not read the others so that is not necessarily a problem. The more challenging nature of the book does make it feel all the more rewarding to read through, and really puts the reader in the headspace of the characters. The ambiguous and disorienting writing perfectly reflect Area X itself. VanderMeer's ability to write so ambiguously that any two things could have happened at a particular moment yet you still feel satisfied is masterful.

I did initially struggle with the final section of the book where we follow Lowry, a returning character, due to the writing of his dialogue and internal monologue (fortunately this does get better as his section goes on). I found it irritating, but in retrospect it was a brilliant way to write a character, as his interactions with Area X and the other characters end up unlike anything else we've really seen. One particular scene towards the end of his section is one of the most nauseating I've ever read.

Our other protagonist for the earlier sections, Old Jim, is another returning character, albeit a much more minor one. I loved the depth of his character we explore during the book. Learning his side of the overarching story was not something I knew I needed, but I loved every minute of it, even when it was hard to parse.

Something this book managed to accomplish which I was not expecting was somehow acting as both a prequel and a sequel to the original trilogy despite being one (mostly) continous story. Saying any more would spoil some major revelations so I will leave it at that, but the way the events of Absolution weave with the original trilogy and are influenced by them are so intriguing to read about. We also get many new revelations about Area X which challenges our previous understanding, while providing plenty of answers and even more new questions.

I absolutely recommend this to any fan of the Southern Reach trilogy or VanderMeer in general (although please read the original trilogy first, it's worth it).

saospo's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

twiggwit's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I love the Southern Reach Series, however, Absolution felt like a cop out from VanderMeer.The first half of the book was great but the end was simply proof that men can’t write books without hyper sexualizing everything. The last half of the book was annoying to read and not at all enjoyable, it was mostly word jumble and did not add to the overall story line. It left me feeling disappointed.

kat703's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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

audrey_piehl's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

eveningreverie's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-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

Jeff VanderMeer is one of my favorite authors of weird, uncanny, freaky stuff, and this book is no exception. While maintaining strong connections to previous titles in the Southern Reach series, this one quite nearly stands on its own, and works remarkably well for new readers as well as readers who haven't remembered much from previous novels. The writing style shifts in the final section with a POV change, and, while a little bit disconcerting and confusing at first, I felt myself falling into the writing of the final section in a very real and intense way. It seems as though

part of the reason Lowry was able to survive Area X and make it out the other side was his egomania, rage, and penchant for compartmentalizing information

.

This was a really strong, really entertaining book. I heartily enjoyed what I learned about Area X, the views into the first expedition, and the precursor to the border coming down. Old Jim was a fantastic character (as well as the false daughter), and the writing style of the final section perfectly mirrored the craziness that it held. Definitely one of my favorites from the Southern Reach series, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the previous books in any capacity.

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