I just finished reading Jeff Vandermeer’s “Annihilation”, and I have some thoughts!
Overall: 5/10. Not bad, but a bit underwhelming.
I like the sci-fi ideas, the cosmic and natural horror, and the underlying themes about environmentalism and animal harm, but the characters don’t have enough time to interact, and the main character is a little bit empty, she doesn’t seem relatable or fully fleshed out. The ending is not what I expected, but it happens so fast and is kind of unexciting, and the “antagonist” doesn’t seem relevant to the character at all, and isn’t who I think it could have been, which would have made it more impactful. The ending is a bit inconclusive, and leave it open for the next two just enough, but I don’t know what else there is so say. The prose was at times overwritten, too expository for what I prefer, and at other times a bit dull.
The most engaging element is the drama between the characters, but they’re not around and together long enough to develop the stakes. Without spoiling it, the characters disappear too quickly from the story, and I would have liked to have seen them together longer. Because after they leave, we are left with one main character, and she’s not interesting enough to carry the story.
What kept me engaged was the horror and the mystery, but unfortunately both are under-utilized.
The mystery does not reveal itself to be exciting and is disappointing in its finality, and the horror is underplayed, underdeveloped, and kept to the side.
It was good enough and brisk, and it has great ideas, but it felt underbaked, like it was an early draft of something stronger.
For those that have also read it, what do you think? And, for those that have read the sequels, is it worth continuing to read?
by Significant-Hotel-25