hannah_greendale's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
aryaxo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
itkovian_books's review against another edition
3.0
One enters a Jeff Vandermeer book knowing that things are going to be weird. Although I enjoyed learning about the strange world of Ambergris, I'm afraid the format of this novel (story collection?), as well as the prose, weren't quite to my taste. The final story tied everything together in an interesting way, and I enjoyed several moments throughout the book (particularly the humorous history section of the book) but my overall experience was middling. There are two more books set in this world, but I'm not sure if I'll end up reading them. That said, if you've read and enjoyed other Vandermeer books, this is worth checking out.
Rating: 5/10
Rating: 5/10
laliibeans's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
riotpedestrian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
sepptb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
eggcellent_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.25
skylar2's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't bring myself to finish this book. The first story is decent. Then there's a 150-odd page history of Ambergris, where the footnotes take up more than the actual prose. I think it's supposed to be "ironic". About halfway through the history I stopped reading the footnotes, and a few dozen pages after that, lost interest in the prose.
mellalynnie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Strong writing, strong character development, experimental fiction