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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the first two sections of this book, but really struggled to finish the last section. I really love the Old Jim perspectives, but the Lowry perspective I hated reading, I found it annoying and obnoxious and extremely boring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Cannibalism
challenging
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Cannibalism
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A quarter star for the last quarter sounding like it was something Anthony Bourdain wrote while having a fever dream. Not much to say other than you can reallllly tell its been a decade between this book and the trilogy before it. Its like you took all the part I didn't care for from book 2 and 3 and stuffed this one to the gills. People hate on book 2 but at least it makes fun of bureaucracy and is a good metaphor for having to always seem like everything fine and under control when its not. It so isn't. I guess the author wanted to answer some questions, but idk feels like could be a book ment to set up another trilogy but I kinda hated this book. Imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Cannibalism, Car accident
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
OK I lied, I did want a 4th Southern Reach book.... and this did not disappoint!
Parts 1 and 2 very much recalled the original uncanny horror/mystery vibes of Annihilation, which I loved. Part 1 is especially lovely and brilliant in how it makes you question every character's perception of their surroundings. There is no way to describe things like the Rogue, the Tyrant, and the eye cameras to someone who hasn't read the book, and this is what I've always loved so much about this series: how much we still don't know about Area X. But this is the closest we as readers will ever get to understanding it, in all its non-Newtonian, xenomorphic mimic glory. Part 2 combines Annihilation's weirdness with Authority's conspiracy thriller atmosphere to make an X-Files-esque baby with a Sad Old Man character looking for his missing daughter, featuring: alligators, psychics, and a single pomelo that never gets eaten!!! I hate that! Minus one star.
And then there's Part 3. I have never read the word "fuck" so many times in my life. There's unreliable narration, and then there's coked-up narration. It was awful, it was great, mostly awful, don't really have any other words for it. Also, serious question: does Lowry have sex with Area X or no??
But all in all, these parts work well together, weaving together a story about the build-up to and immediate aftermath of the Border that provides a better sense of continuity and context for Central and Area X's relationship. I liked it a lot better than I did Authority and Acceptance.
Long live Area X.
Parts 1 and 2 very much recalled the original uncanny horror/mystery vibes of Annihilation, which I loved. Part 1 is especially lovely and brilliant in how it makes you question every character's perception of their surroundings. There is no way to describe things like the Rogue, the Tyrant, and the eye cameras to someone who hasn't read the book, and this is what I've always loved so much about this series: how much we still don't know about Area X. But this is the closest we as readers will ever get to understanding it, in all its non-Newtonian, xenomorphic mimic glory. Part 2 combines Annihilation's weirdness with Authority's conspiracy thriller atmosphere to make an X-Files-esque baby with a Sad Old Man character looking for his missing daughter, featuring: alligators, psychics, and a single pomelo that never gets eaten!!! I hate that! Minus one star.
And then there's Part 3. I have never read the word "fuck" so many times in my life. There's unreliable narration, and then there's coked-up narration. It was awful, it was great, mostly awful, don't really have any other words for it. Also, serious question: does Lowry have sex with Area X or no??
But all in all, these parts work well together, weaving together a story about the build-up to and immediate aftermath of the Border that provides a better sense of continuity and context for Central and Area X's relationship. I liked it a lot better than I did Authority and Acceptance.
Long live Area X.
Not even close to as good as the trilogy. Probably should not have been written.
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I probably should've read the Area X novels again before attempting this prequel. It mostly confused and sometimes annoyed me -- the latter is not the author's fault though: I am in pain (lumbago, yay) and weird fiction just wasn't the right choice for me. Sorry!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense