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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
If you are a climate change denier, you may hate this book. However, if you are a climate change believer and/or activist, I encourage you to pick this book up. VanderMeer is a wonderful author and “Hummingbird Salamander” was an intriguing and activating read. Focusing on climate change, activism, habitat loss/destruction, and wildlife protection, “Hummingbird Salamander” demands the reader to consider actions to protect what we have left.
The summary was right up my alley, so I picked it up on a whim on my vacation. It is split into five sections: Hummingbird, .. .. .., Salamander, and Hummingbird Salamander, and Appendix: The Hellmouth Files. Hummingbird moved quickly, while .. .. .. moved languidly. Salamander started to pick back up, and I got through the remaining two sections in about three hours. I lost interest a touch in .. .. .., which is why I give H/S 4 stars.
The summary was right up my alley, so I picked it up on a whim on my vacation. It is split into five sections: Hummingbird, .. .. .., Salamander, and Hummingbird Salamander, and Appendix: The Hellmouth Files. Hummingbird moved quickly, while .. .. .. moved languidly. Salamander started to pick back up, and I got through the remaining two sections in about three hours. I lost interest a touch in .. .. .., which is why I give H/S 4 stars.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've enjoyed a bunch of VanderMeer's strange, original writing, but this one wasn't that exciting. I felt like I missed something at the beginning, a link between the 2 main characters, but then it got explained towards the end, so I felt better after finishing the book. It seems that the main character is on a "quest" to solve a mystery, but I still don't understand why/what was spurring her forward, especially when there was so much going against her.
The writing was gritty and sad, a slow drip of clues/revelations kept me reading, but really I think it was the amazing performance of the narrator that kept me listening. She was PERFECT for this book.
The writing was gritty and sad, a slow drip of clues/revelations kept me reading, but really I think it was the amazing performance of the narrator that kept me listening. She was PERFECT for this book.
I am a big fan of Vandermeer (especially [b:Borne|31451186|Borne (Borne #1)|Jeff VanderMeer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1477487850l/31451186._SX50_.jpg|48253660]) but I'm starting to think that may apply only to his sci-fi/fantasy work. This spy story has a potentially interesting protagonist, "Jane", a physically powerful woman - six feet tall, 230 pounds, a former athlete - who lives a conventional upper middle class life with her husband and daughter. She's not comfortable or fulfilled in that role, but this wrinkle doesn't get explored very far, and as a result Jane never became more than a trope for me - Sam Spade in a pants suit. I'm fully onboard for characters who are emotionally inexpressive, but they still need to be written in a way that lets me see through their opague surface. The mystery unfolded too slowly and often felt contrived, which soured my interest in the plot so much that I wound up skimming the last 100 pages.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
jane is such an interesting character. disconnected from the world and stuck in her childhood, distant from her family but reveres her lost brother and anything she associates with him to the point of sacrificing the rest of her life. i appreciated how she's capable but just self aware enough to be both reckless and careful in even amounts. not really a fan of her stuttering narration and heavy handed foreshadowing but it definitely makes her stand out.
also i love depressing endings
The first half of the book was excellent: loved the descriptions of working in tech security, loved the biology and the unique narrative style that kept stringing you along in the dark. But after the balcony scene, I felt the story lost itself, lost momentum, and some parts honestly felt like filler to make timelines match up. There was some good unexpected twists, but the ending for me felt flat. Ps: I actually googled to see if the Furtown book from 1934 was real, and holy moley it was!
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes