emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Death, Animal death, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, and Confinement
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Cancer
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Stalking, Misogyny, Cancer, Terminal illness, Confinement, and Alcohol
Minor: War, Sexual content, Gun violence, Cursing, and Abandonment
bomenvernietiger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Very colourful prose, sometimes trying a little too much to be clever, occasionally leading to metaphors and expressions that are just a little weird.
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Gun violence, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Cursing
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism
mosshaunt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Confinement, Animal death, Cancer, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, and Body horror
Minor: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Racism, and Vomit
support_lesbian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
However it does drag in several parts of the book and maybe I would have respected that more if I was more attached to this cast of characters but I just couldn't gel with them regardless of understanding their motivations throughout the story. I can easily see this sequel being super hit-or-miss for a lot of readers who really loved 'Annihilation' as a result and that would be understandable.
Author could have used sensitivity readers for this one too. The sentiment of adding more diversity to your stories of always a valid one but the way it was executed was pretty clumsy in the places where the attention was most drawn to it, but that is just my perspective on it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
antigonecounterpart's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, and Animal death
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Gore, Racism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Body horror, Cursing, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, and Violence
moonytoast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
all that being said: i think the dynamic between control and the biologist was really interesting as the story played out and i liked where authority picked up from its predecessor by revealing that "versions" of the expedition members (including the biologist) have returned to the outside world, throwing the reader off given the ending of annihilation. there's an understanding of the fact that this is not the same biologist we knew and experienced in the first book, but we as the reader don't fully understand how much they remember and understand what happened in area x. that element as well as the revelation of certain things about the psychologist on the previous expedition were intriguing.
***this rating may change once i have officially finished this series
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
aloy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Cancer, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Minor: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Death
madarauchiha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ah. I accidentally read this after reading the third and final book. Well. I'd have to say it's kinda maybe the weakest in the series. Not that it's poorly written, just that maybe it doesn't need to exist, per se. It does feel like backstory for the third and final book, but then again you could vice versa that sentiment.
While Annihilation takes place inside Area X, Authority preexists just outside, after the first books expedition. The bureaucratic side isn't any less chaotic and suffocating. You'll want answers, and you will want.
Can you expect anything different?
content warnings:
minor ableism towards people who use drugs, alcohol use, animal death, animal death, arson, blood, child abuse, fire, gore, hate crime, homophobia, parental death, smoking tobacco, vomit / emetophobia
medium alcohol use, animal death, cancer, death, drowning, gore, religion christianity?, self harm?
major body horror, death, gun violence, guns, murder, unreality, violence
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Self harm, Mental illness, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Confinement
Minor: Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Animal death, and Vomit