Reviews

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

kolemich's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

Slow to start. Loved the depictions of the monsters created by the Company and the almost hallucinogenic appearance of Borne. Ended up liking it much more than I thought, Vandermeer is an excellent writer and paints such an intricate and diverse landscape.

_s_i_r_h_c_'s review against another edition

5.0

An inventive sci-fi/fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic future that at times felt like reading a Miyazaki film.

saint_eleanor's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I liked this a lot but it was not my favorite. I liked the moral complexity it all but the plot was structured kinda weird imo, I didn't feel super attached to any of the characters. Whereas in Strange Bird i literally cried over a lab experiment the whole time. 

ohno_judy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

borne was maybe the second scifi book I've read and I was somewhat hesitant to start it - I wasn't sure if I would get into the genre in the first place.
however, I did very much enjoy the book! I grew fond of the characters and was invested in their lives! I liked their dynamics and how they changed.
though, after all the given lore about the world and the character building, the ending felt somewhat rushed to me. I felt like there was a lot happening at once which was quickly tied together to come to a close, if that makes sense.

also thought it to be a surprisingly happy ending which I didn't expect & maybe wouldn't even have needed to that extent.

I

jackbl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Jeff Vandermeer’s prose is incredibly captivating, albeit long winded sometimes. The book is incredible - mysterious and a super interesting reflection on what it means to be human and how our bonds define us. The book just felt a teeeeeeeeeeny bit long to me, but otherwise it was incredible. 

ilimati's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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

4.0

erinlcrane's review against another edition

3.0

Not a very successful VanderMeer for me. Honestly might be a 2.5 rounded up. The setting, I loved. So weird in such a fun way. Almost too fun because I was frustrated to be stuck with Wick and Rachel holed up in comparison. ☹️

I loved Mord and the cult and the Company. I wish we had interacted more with those elements in interesting ways. Instead there were a lot of repetitive scenes of tension about Borne, about Wick, about hiding, over and over. I zoned out a lot, but I did the audiobook for this one which got me through it.

Review written while getting a tattoo.

smithmick14's review against another edition

Perhaps this will be the end of my Vandermeer experiments

nooneyouknow's review against another edition

4.0

Maybe shy of 4 stars but rounding up. Apocalyptic SF with a very weird heart. It's not the creepy weirdness of the Southern Reach Trilogy, but rather a pure imaginative weird. Some of this felt like memories of other SF works, but generally it all worked well together. Glad I didn't have much background on this one before I dove in - I simply had no idea what to expect.

jpiacentini's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5