cheyenneisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Immersive, a dark tale that leaves you with a sense of wanting more, of wanting answers
statefossil's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read the book because I loved the movie only to find out how little they have in common, however I really loved both. I simply love this world Jeff Vandermeer has created. I love the Biologist even though she isn't a particularly likable character. I love the imagery, the history the biologist has with solitude and tidal pools. This book was so well worth the listen.
terryble_pigeons's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Meh, solid
kielywilcox's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting concept, but I didn’t like the purposeful lack of exposition. I have too many questions!
djplatt2000's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nselavka's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rees_aidan741's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
makennak's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shrike_'s review against another edition
4.0
It has been a number of years, and I'm still not quite sure how I would rate this trilogy as a whole. But that's a debate for another time - 'Annihilation' itself is an endurance test. I'll admit, the start was a slow one, and it took time to warm up and find myself excited about my next chance to pick the book up and get back into it.
But if you can stick around through the set-up, I feel as though the payoff is ultimately worth your time.
The unreliable nature of the narrator was one of my favorite parts, stopping over new pieces of information and trying to predict how they'd pan out before pressing on. The descriptions of the things seen within are just the right measure of descriptive, leaving enough room for your imagination to do some heavy lifting.
All in all, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to some folks with a shorter fuse for set up, but a worthwhile read if you can hack it.
But if you can stick around through the set-up, I feel as though the payoff is ultimately worth your time.
The unreliable nature of the narrator was one of my favorite parts, stopping over new pieces of information and trying to predict how they'd pan out before pressing on. The descriptions of the things seen within are just the right measure of descriptive, leaving enough room for your imagination to do some heavy lifting.
All in all, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to some folks with a shorter fuse for set up, but a worthwhile read if you can hack it.