Reviews

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

emmabeckman's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this book!! This probably makes no sense, but it felt so soft to read. I loved that it kept your attention and you wanted to read more without there having to be lots of action, especially in the post-apocalyptic world. The best part was that the story was structured like a puzzle—not in the way of being given clues to solve something in the end, but in the way that you were given a bit of information and there was some building and then something would be referenced so you would go off and build in that for a bit and then move to another section and another, literally as if you were doing a jigsaw puzzle. Definitely makes me want to lick up everything she’s ever written.

devyn_everts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

thebookishbitch's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

beckyquick's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

mooseinlowlight's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I loved this book about as much as I love the show, which I saw first. I'd love to see a break down of all the differences between the two. The show seemed to end on a more positive note, but I respect the book for being a bit more sobering. 

I love how all of the characters and narratives are intertwined and the possibility that one person and their art could effect so many people in such a way. The show made the line "I remember damage" such a big deal that i was amazing it wasn't in the book at all lmao. (unless I'm forgetting it) I read this book over the course of 6 months or something because I'm bad at reading.

courtneyajw's review against another edition

4.0

Solid 4 stars. Occasionally, the writing is too heavy for the story but overall it's well written and a great idea. There are a lot of characters with extremely different lives. I love books where the characters are only temporarily connected but have a significant impact on each persons life.

This the story of the survivors of a world-ending flu. The flu originates in Eastern Europe (Russia and Georgia) and travels the world via infected patients just like any other flu virus. In a matter of days much of the population is sick or dead. Within weeks, the world is nearly empty and chaos has broken out among those who have survived.

We meet Arthur, Miranda, Kirsten, Clark and a traveling Symphony. Each has a fairly good story line. In my opinion, Miranda's and Clark's are the best. I would read an entire volume on just either one of them and be happy to do so. Arthur's story line was required

Spoiler

he's the one that links everyone together

m but at times, I just wasn't interested in what he was doing or thinking. I enjoyed the interactions he had but that's about it.

While Kirsten was well developed, she wasn't extremely interesting. The best thing about her line was simply that we got to learn the most about the transition from current world to post apocalypse with her since she grows up in... sort of.

Over all, it's a great read. I enjoyed it. While there were times when I wanted to skip a few pages to get to the good stuff, I am glad I never did. I would definitely recommend it.

rmoon's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

raesberry's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

I read this almost in tandem with watching the show and really loved comparing the two takes and how it was adapted for tv. Also read this post-pandemic in 2024, which I think was the perfect time for me - if I had read it earlier I would have stressed myself out.

supertursas's review against another edition

Was bored out of my mind

mmccombs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

You ever get like 3 chapters into a book and know that it will forever be on your mind from here on out? Everything about this is what I love about reading. The plot was meandery and beautiful, the characters were interconnected in unexpected ways, and the pandemic was obviously important to the story but was more of a springboard for exploration of humanity than being just an “apocalyptic” story. It feels kind of miraculous to have read this after an actual pandemic  (not miraculous in a positive way, just in a “time is a circle” kind of way), the layers of Shakespeare’s plague context, this imagining of a fictional pandemic, and our experience living through one all came together to create even more meaning than was probably originally intended. I don’t think I can say anything more eloquent that hasn’t already been said by more adept reviewers, but I finished this book feeling stunned in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Rape