A review by anonymous_blobfish
Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer

adventurous dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This was by far the weakest Jeff Vandermeer book I have read which might mean I have rated it slightly harshly but also it didn’t really do much for me. I loved the MC – I will always love me a big lady – and the plot had potential but I think it was made unnecessarily convoluted and was missing Vandermeer’s trademark weird (and what weird was there felt tokenistic and insincere). 

More spy-esque thriller than his other work, Hummingbird Salamander is a story about a woman’s collapsing identity paralleled to the collapse of ecosystems. There is a slightly strange love story that underpins the more mysterious elements which made it feel like one giant crash out start to finish. 

Nothing will stop me loving Vandermeer and his writing but this might be one to miss, especially if you don’t already love the way he tells a story.