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A review by hank
Afterland by Lauren Beukes
3.0
It was bound to happen eventually, a three star rating, from me, for a Beukes book. I am a fan and I don't exactly know why but I will read anything she writes.
I have decided that I know why Beukes books don't get very high ratings, all of her books are tough to fit into a genre. If you are looking for horror, her books have some of that but probably not enough to make you satisfied, if you are looking for pure sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism, the same issues apply.
One thing I love/hate about her books is that there is a constant unsettling undertone throughout. You never are completely comfortable with the situations or the hope for a good outcome.
With all that, this was a fairly generic dystopia that was poorly explained. Parts were society is dead and you have to survive by scavenging, parts were society is still alive just stunted and distorted and the blend did not work for me. The religious cult parts were dull and the ultimate motivation to flee home to South Africa was not exactly believable.
I like Beukes writing and stories, this one was just a bit too bland and rehash.
I have decided that I know why Beukes books don't get very high ratings, all of her books are tough to fit into a genre. If you are looking for horror, her books have some of that but probably not enough to make you satisfied, if you are looking for pure sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism, the same issues apply.
One thing I love/hate about her books is that there is a constant unsettling undertone throughout. You never are completely comfortable with the situations or the hope for a good outcome.
With all that, this was a fairly generic dystopia that was poorly explained. Parts were society is dead and you have to survive by scavenging, parts were society is still alive just stunted and distorted and the blend did not work for me. The religious cult parts were dull and the ultimate motivation to flee home to South Africa was not exactly believable.
I like Beukes writing and stories, this one was just a bit too bland and rehash.