kaedau 's review for:

Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer

4.5

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

The more I let this story marinate in my brain, the better it gets for me.

I will never get over how incredible Jeff VanderMeer’s writing is. Do not read the Southern Reach series if you want answers by the end of it, read it for the journey. Read it to experience Area X in its full incomprehensible, horrific glory.

While I will say that this “prequel” story is not an altogether necessary addition to the original trilogy, if you are someone like me who needs more Area X in their life, then it’s worth reading.

The book is separated into three parts, each with their own story arcs. So while the pacing of this book feels akin to Authority, the fact that there are three distinct “reveals” helped with keeping me engaged for the entire book. (However, the narrative did drag just a little for me during Old Jim’s story, hence the half-star deduction.)

Reviews tend to agree that the tonal shift of part three is drastic, and the overuse of “fuck” is a detriment to the narrative, but the longer I was in Lowry’s head the more I grew to understand and appreciate the writing style. The excessive use of profanity does peter out within a few chapters, and the cosmic horror endured and discoveries revealed in the last part are worth suffering through Lowry’s POV.

Absolute genius. And truly psychotic that I want to immediately re-read this entire series.

Area X will forever live rent-free in my brain.