Annihilation

"We all live in a kind of continuous dream,” I told him. “When we wake, it is because something, some event, some pinprick even, disturbs the edges of what we’ve taken as reality.”

1) This book definitely lives up to the hype. 2) AGHHH I wish I didn't listen to the audiobook. The narrator felt so calm and objective that it really took away from how everything was spiraling around her in such a confusing way, which is what the best part of this book is. I get that she's a biologist, and her accepting what's happening to her and around her is part of what's so appealing, but the writing style already reflects that, so the bland voice of the narrator just made it feel really one note. Which really sucks, cause I think if I had read this instead of listening to the audiobook it would have been a 5 star for me. I think I'll probably re-read it on my kindle next year.

When you see beauty in desolation it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonize you.

Anyways, this short book packs a punch. The book takes place in Area X, in which an expedition group of scientists enter in order to explore it. The group consists of the psychologist, the surveyor, the anthropologist, and our MC, the biologist. This is only the second book I've read where none of the character's get names, only titles, and just like with Nightbitch, I thought it was really effective. Because we're not getting to know the characters, their only importance is their role, and other than that they serve as a vessel for the reader to gain context about this strange area they're in. Even The Biologist's most important and prominent traits are somehow related to her being a biologist, which we see a lot when she reflects on her and her husband's relationship.

I am just the biologist; I don’t require any of this to have a deeper meaning.

The book is so short and the plot is so... weird... that saying anymore will ruin the fever dream-like quality of slowly delving into this universe and uncovering it's secrets, so I think it's best to go into this one as blind as possible.

Summary: it's giving cosmic alien biologist major wet dream. Love it.