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wyrdwit 's review for:

The Strange Bird by Jeff VanderMeer
5.0
dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

In the same vein as Borne, VanderMeer manages—yet again—to create a story where all characters hold space for pain and joy. There are moments of such intense helplessness and sorrow, but they’re beautifully balanced with a playfulness and wild optimism made possible through the small handful of positive encounters throughout the story. I can’t even count the number of times I caught a soft smile on my face, despite giving in to tears at so many others.

The Strange Bird is another tale in which VanderMeer demonstrates that no one is inherently good or evil—that both reside in us all—and that each decision we make drives us closer to one or the other. How he does this in ~100 pages is beyond me.