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msnicolelee 's review for:
Hummingbird Salamander
by Jeff VanderMeer
1.5 stars. Let me preface this review with stating that I adore VanderMeer's previous works, some of which are truly favorites of mine such as the Borne books or Annihilation, so perhaps this latest book was not meant for me and I had too high of expectations.
Though a perfectly acceptable mystery, I felt Hummingbird Salamander was missing so much of the weird, speculative strangeness and emotional heft that I love about VanderMeer's writing. I found the plot, crafted around a a security analyst known only as "Jane", researching a clandestine environmental activist/ terrorist/ cult leader (?) incomplete and did not find many of Jane's actions believable. Nor was I really invested in the decisions she was making throughout this story, or the outcome of her investigations. *shrug*
I could see this being a popular choice with other readers who are unfamiliar with his other work, or have found his previous books too literary sci-fi, cerebral, strange, etc. Those who are looking for a more conventional thriller with a slight speculative twist involving climate change and impending ecological disaster (is that even speculative at this point?) may enjoy this. Hummingbird Salamander is the most accessible of his works but I was frankly bored through and through, waiting the entire time for some shocking or weird or heartbreaking moment that never came. Again, not the target audience perhaps?
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review!
Though a perfectly acceptable mystery, I felt Hummingbird Salamander was missing so much of the weird, speculative strangeness and emotional heft that I love about VanderMeer's writing. I found the plot, crafted around a a security analyst known only as "Jane", researching a clandestine environmental activist/ terrorist/ cult leader (?) incomplete and did not find many of Jane's actions believable. Nor was I really invested in the decisions she was making throughout this story, or the outcome of her investigations. *shrug*
I could see this being a popular choice with other readers who are unfamiliar with his other work, or have found his previous books too literary sci-fi, cerebral, strange, etc. Those who are looking for a more conventional thriller with a slight speculative twist involving climate change and impending ecological disaster (is that even speculative at this point?) may enjoy this. Hummingbird Salamander is the most accessible of his works but I was frankly bored through and through, waiting the entire time for some shocking or weird or heartbreaking moment that never came. Again, not the target audience perhaps?
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review!