Publisher: FSG Originals Page Count: 195 Fiction Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thriller, Horror Dates Read: November 20-28, 2015 Reading Challenge: Alphabet Challenge Topic: An author's last name that starts with the letter "V". Series: Southern Reach, 1 Good Reads Summary Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer. This is the twelfth expedition. Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything. Review Annihilation was outstanding! It was nice to read a sci-fi book written by a man that features a strong and outstanding female character. Not just one female character though, an entire cast of them! VanderMeer does an exceptional job of pacing and building suspension and doubt within his story. He builds mistrust to the level that you're not even sure you can trust the leading protagonist or even yourself. Annihilation was a beautiful breath of fresh air in the sci-fi genre and I am looking forward to the other books in the Southern Reach Series, to be read in 2017. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 8 Pace - 8 Plot Development - 8 Characters - 10 Enjoyability - 8 Insightfulness - 7 Ease of Reading - 7 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars
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