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sludge90 's review for:
Acceptance
by Jeff VanderMeer
(I very nearly gave this a three)
This last installment continues the trend of moving away from the thrills of Area X and closer to the human experience of it, by focussing on the timelines and motivations of four central characters: Control, Ghost Bird, The Director, The Lighthouse Keeper. Where the first book establishes the mystery and the second deepens it, this third tries to wrap it around an emotional center.
It's an admirable effort and an enjoyable read, but some of the magic is lost over the course of the series. I loved the way the layers of the mystery are masterfully woven together here, and how well Vandemeer conveys both the beauty and the horror of Area X, with the two being indistinguishable at times. However, I didn't feel very satisfied by the way the threads were tied up, Ghost Bird's potential was squandered, in my opinion, and I had to force myself to care a lot of the time about characters which, to put it bluntly, aren't very interesting.
Ultimately, this deserves a four because the themes and overall impression of the book matter more than the form, or the literary details. Like words on the wall of a lighthouse, these books have left a mark on me.
This last installment continues the trend of moving away from the thrills of Area X and closer to the human experience of it, by focussing on the timelines and motivations of four central characters: Control, Ghost Bird, The Director, The Lighthouse Keeper. Where the first book establishes the mystery and the second deepens it, this third tries to wrap it around an emotional center.
It's an admirable effort and an enjoyable read, but some of the magic is lost over the course of the series. I loved the way the layers of the mystery are masterfully woven together here, and how well Vandemeer conveys both the beauty and the horror of Area X, with the two being indistinguishable at times. However, I didn't feel very satisfied by the way the threads were tied up, Ghost Bird's potential was squandered, in my opinion, and I had to force myself to care a lot of the time about characters which, to put it bluntly, aren't very interesting.
Ultimately, this deserves a four because the themes and overall impression of the book matter more than the form, or the literary details. Like words on the wall of a lighthouse, these books have left a mark on me.