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A review by whatellisreadnext
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱?"
"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴.
"𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘦," 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺.
"𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
In 2030, a grieving archaeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter. The ice is melting, and they've found the remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus.
Would you believe me if I told you I just teared up looking for quotes to use in this review? Because I totally did. My god, what a book. I finished How High We Go In The Dark a few weeks ago now, but I have happily failed to delete it from my thoughts. It's a book that crawls into your heart and mind and refuses to leave, but one that you will welcome with open arms.
I've never read a story structured in this way before, yes the book follows a pandemic and spans over decades and decades, but each chapter is it's own contained story within the bigger narrative. I loved this. In the future, I could pick this back up, dipping into my most treasured chapters. 'Life Around the Event Horizon' 'The Used-To-Be Party' and 'Songs of Your Decay' all come to mind. I want to read them over and over again until I've memorised every word.
So, I've just realised that all I'm doing is gushing and not really telling you very much about the book. It's a hard book to review; it's not going to be for everyone, but if you love it, you're going to love it so bloody much. If you like weird, messed-up, speculative character driven sci-fi, and you want to cry, you need this book 💁🏻♀️
P.S. I just want to leave this in writing somewhere, this book is the reason I want Satisfied Mind by Jeff Buckley to play out at the end of my funeral. Also, I wanna be buried in a tree pod if they're a real thing, thanks.
P.P.S This is the best book I've read so far this year 🔥
"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴.
"𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘦," 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺.
"𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
In 2030, a grieving archaeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter. The ice is melting, and they've found the remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus.
Would you believe me if I told you I just teared up looking for quotes to use in this review? Because I totally did. My god, what a book. I finished How High We Go In The Dark a few weeks ago now, but I have happily failed to delete it from my thoughts. It's a book that crawls into your heart and mind and refuses to leave, but one that you will welcome with open arms.
I've never read a story structured in this way before, yes the book follows a pandemic and spans over decades and decades, but each chapter is it's own contained story within the bigger narrative. I loved this. In the future, I could pick this back up, dipping into my most treasured chapters. 'Life Around the Event Horizon' 'The Used-To-Be Party' and 'Songs of Your Decay' all come to mind. I want to read them over and over again until I've memorised every word.
So, I've just realised that all I'm doing is gushing and not really telling you very much about the book. It's a hard book to review; it's not going to be for everyone, but if you love it, you're going to love it so bloody much. If you like weird, messed-up, speculative character driven sci-fi, and you want to cry, you need this book 💁🏻♀️
P.S. I just want to leave this in writing somewhere, this book is the reason I want Satisfied Mind by Jeff Buckley to play out at the end of my funeral. Also, I wanna be buried in a tree pod if they're a real thing, thanks.
P.P.S This is the best book I've read so far this year 🔥