“The effect of this cannot be understood without being there. The beauty of it cannot be understood, either, and when you see beauty in desolation, it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonize you.”
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What an incredible book this was, I’m really looking forward to continuing this trilogy. Vandermeer immediately creates intrigue with the opening about being abandoned near the lighthouse. It engenders curiosity that makes the reader eager to continue on. 

The prose for emotion was stunning, and Vandermeer’s usage of similes/metaphors/imagery to enrich them was immaculate. With that said, it also felt so direct and simple, almost utilitarian. There is nothing declarative or overly done here. Every word, scene, and sentence had a purpose. 

There was a constant eeriness to every setting in Area X, lifted only by flashbacks which served as a kind of relief from the near-constant tension. 

This book wasn’t so much about Area X, or even a traditional science fiction novel. It was about the main character’s journey, internally and externally. Her metamorphosis and self discovery are as important as the landscape. This was not about clean plot or neat questions, but deep introspection. Even the removal and rejection of names was designed to bring the focus away from traditional character arcs and take the reader along her journey more immersively. 

A stunning atmospheric novel.