Reviews

Drove me fucking crazy and I felt unfulfilled by the ending. I was constantly wondering what was wrong with Jane, to be so obsessed with Silvina. I feel like it was an attempt to illuminate how we overestimate our impact on the world, which I understood was a main underpinning of the novel in general--how Silvina felt this pressing need to enact change to the point where she went to such extremes that harmed so many around her, how she overvalued nature and her relationship with it, meaning herself to be a savior.

It was very thrilling, which I appreciated, as thriller is a genre I am interested in but frequently am disappointed by. I was always in awe of how Jane got away with so much. By the end, though, I just didn't really care about her. She was so selfish and self-absorbed. I gave this 4 stars because I feel like the subject matter is pertinent and it was a very enjoyable read all in all. It brought up a lot of questions regarding humanity's relationship with nature, how it may even breach a kind of misanthropy all while meaning the best for us, as was the case with the eventual reveal of Silvina's plan. It was very eerie and I feel like that was the intention.

luisaandrade's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

mellow_mikan's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

1.0

I wanted to like this...especially in the beginning! The main character - a cybersecurity expert bodybuilder woman - was not one you see often, and I thought she was a fun voice to inhabit, at first.

But I really grew to dislike her by...not even by the end, it only took a few chapters, because none of her choices made sense. All in all it was pretty boring, and the main character's motives really felt ridiculous.

Like, all it takes is a mild curiosity of why someone would mail her a taxidermied hummingbird to get her to the point where she'd literally not only abandon her husband and daughter, but steal money from them, and suffer permanent bodily damage

. I really couldn't get on board with her because of that.The ending was also...frustrating. It felt like maybe that could have been the first chapter in a different book I would have enjoyed more.

chloebethx_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jess_mango's review against another edition

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4.0

I've had my eyes on Jeff VanderMeer's [b:Annihilation|17934530|Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)|Jeff VanderMeer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403941587l/17934530._SX50_.jpg|24946895] for awhile now so I jumped at the opportunity to read his latest novel, Hummingbird Salamander. This was my first book by him and I enjoyed it. Others (and myself) have tagged this as sci-fi but it isn't super futuristic laser guns, spaceships etc sci-fi. Rather, it is set in the near to mid future in a time where a bunch of animals have gone extinct or are extremely endangered.

Jane Smith works as a security analyst and spends a lot of time away from her family at conferences or on investigations. One day, she receives a key from a recently deceased woman, Silvina, who is a purported bio-terrorist. The key is to a storage unit that contains a taxidermy hummingbird. The bird and the note set Jane off after a trail of clues. Jane's life quickly gets our of control as she finds herself entwined in conspiracy theories, shady dealings, and more.

This modern speculative fiction has a lot to say about the ecosystem and human's treatment of our planet. It's the battle between climate change/environmental activists vs. evil corporations and capitalism cranked up to maximum level. The story is full of twists and turns and is confusing at parts because just like Jane, we have no idea what is going on and how things are connected. It all comes together in the end. This was a fun and thought-provoking techno thriller. I enjoyed this crazy ride and will definitely pick up the Annihilation series sooner rather than later.

What to listen to while reading...
Birds of Paradise by Chromatics
Human by Sevdaliza
No Surprises by Radiohead
You Don't Know Me by Son Lux
Destroy Everything You Touch (Hot Chip Remix) by Ladytron
Running up that Hill by Meg Myers
Echo Home by The Kills
This Mess We're In by PJ Harvey
New Ways by Daughter

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

harrahdf's review against another edition

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4.0

A Raymond Chandler-esque novel set against a close mirror or our current apathy towards climate change. Maybe because I’d just read Venomous Lumpsucker, it had echoes of Beauman’s simultaneously hopeful and despairing view of humanity’s capacity for change, but the perspective was entrenched in and sometimes overwhelmed by tropes of the hardcoded detective genre—namely lengthy internal dialogues, lots of sardonic wit, and a protagonist who gives Philip Marlowe a run for god money in terms of antisocial behavior and cynicism.

daph15's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

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