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A review by peanutscratch
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I worry this book might have been less enjoyable if it was longer than it is (and so I'm a bit worried looking at the length of the sequels but that's fine, we trudge on.) This is mainly because it's kind of a confusing read. Not only because we have an unreliable narrator, (and I was worried we'd have 4 but at least that got taken care of quickly enough ha ha,) but also because any time something is asserted it's couched in "well this is at least how it feels to me, but it might not to you, or someone else, and it might also not be the truth"
Luckily though, I feel that near the end things start to consolidate a bit.
For the good, I have to say that from the very beginning the book does a wonderful job grounding you into a sense of unease,trying to explain how it's sensible for the characters not to use each other's names and that it's important that they should leave everything of personal importance or sentimental value behind, but I actually think a lot of it comes almost more from the character of the biologist than the plot of the book itself. She's just kind of weird, her natural inclinations to things are often bizarre to me, and the things she's stubborn about were always so interesting to see (ie "it's a tower not a tunnel" vs "yeah it's incredibly unsurprising to think we were brought here to turn on each other.")
She's like the weird kid you knew in middle school but she never got properly socialized and is now just a weird adult in the same exact way. But you can also tell she does biology because it's the closest thing to a job that taps into how her brain works by default, and she's just living and breathing it.
Now it can get a bit grating, just the way the biologist talks can be a little circular and self-deprecating, but it's not the worst book to have to reread a bit at times. I think the reliance on hypnosis took me a bit to get on board with, especially because they seem to treat it almost as if it's some magic spell that can subdue the party or cause them to become instantly docile rather than something to ease tension during stressful parts of a mission, but that aside I liked the tension between the various characters. I kept expecting them to talk about why they had decided to send an all-women this time specifically but it seems like I might have to wait til the next book to find out.
Luckily though, I feel that near the end things start to consolidate a bit.
For the good, I have to say that from the very beginning the book does a wonderful job grounding you into a sense of unease,
She's like the weird kid you knew in middle school but she never got properly socialized and is now just a weird adult in the same exact way. But you can also tell she does biology because it's the closest thing to a job that taps into how her brain works by default, and she's just living and breathing it.
Now it can get a bit grating, just the way the biologist talks can be a little circular and self-deprecating, but it's not the worst book to have to reread a bit at times. I think the reliance on hypnosis took me a bit to get on board with, especially because they seem to treat it almost as if it's some magic spell that can subdue the party or cause them to become instantly docile rather than something to ease tension during stressful parts of a mission, but that aside I liked the tension between the various characters.