A review by drollgorg
Shriek: An Afterword by Jeff VanderMeer

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

I think I preferred City of Saints and Madmen for the diversity of its offerings and characters- the wide variety in perspective and skew of each story really creates a painting of this city as a whole. Shriek is focused on two character perspectives, one nested inside and commenting on the other, and while I found it very engrossing in the midst of reading, it ultimately couldn't surprise me as much as the first. I kind of like the textual effect of having one narrator commenting on the other's manuscript, but I feel like for the times that Duncan could complicate or challenge how the reader reads Janice's version of events, there were also times when his additions just sapped out suspense from the story or interrupted the flow without providing much. I found myself wondering why Vandermeer wasn't using footnotes- he already effectively demonstrated using footnotes to deliver two narratives in dialogue with each other in An Early History of Ambergris, and there it helped them stay more distinct from each other while still intertwined.

Still, I find his writing and imagery to be chilling or striking at moments, or deeply mysterious and alluring. I just got the sense of being shown and also repeatedly told about a huge, dangerous mystery that remains an open question mark at the end of the book. I'll finish the trilogy and see what I think then.