A review by novelinsights
The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a harrowing and heartfelt tale that captures many facets of human behavior filtered through the lens of a digital addiction-fueled apocalypse. Both the art and the writing were phenomenal. Aesthetically, this book combines so many things I love to see in art: the unsettling feeling of seeing something incomprehensibly large, the decay of human-made structures, and the unwelcome ubiquity of advertisements. I was also amazed by Stalenhag's use of lighting and his ability to work in multiple styles to combine the "real world" with a variety of stylized ads. By the time I finished this, I felt hollowed out and tender in the best possible way. I can't wait to read everything Stalenhag's created.