Reviews

Within the first few pages, I knew I'd like this book -- it leans heavily into the strange, told with sincerity and emotion.

That being said, I liked Annihilation even more, and I'm not sure why. Both have strong similarities -- bizzarro nature, wilderness landscapes, vast powers and fascinating characters. But in the end, I didn't feel as connected while reading Borne. The events and ideas and teases of both books blew my mind, and I drank them up -- but where Annihilation sucked me inexorably along, Borne required more deliberate effort on my part.

Still a solid 4-star book, from a fantastic author.

saevers's review against another edition

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5.0

Lovely use of language. Evocative and emotional. Strange and beautiful. While the story sometimes had minor flaws and things that didn’t entirely make sense if you stopped to think about them (why did what Borne did at the end have the result that it did for him?), those things felt beside the point. It was a meditation on the nature of being a person, on the connections that people make with one another and the ways that we make each other people, and on the end of the world and what can come after.

zoes_human's review against another edition

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4.0

Borne is post-apocalyptic fiction that takes place on an ecologically devastated Earth where survivors scavenge among the ruins of a demolished city competing with one another to salvage useful pieces of biotech, water, and any bit of refuse that might extend their lives. In between stealthy hunts for resources, the remnants of humanity hide from experiments turned deadly predator and humans intent on terrorizing others. The fast-paced action belies the underlying transhumanist theme, leaving a read that is exciting without being devoid of substance.

I came to this series backwards, reading the second book before the first, which didn't diminish my reading experience in the least. Despite sharing a common universe, each stands alone as a complete novel. I will say, however, that I prefer the more experimental new-weird companion story Dead Astronauts.

msawyer77's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

tattooedloglady's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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