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Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books

Oct 15, 2018

Station Eleven

Emily St. John Mandel | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

7.9

(29 Ratings)

Book Rating

Unique post - apocalyptic story

This book is clever both conceptually but also in how it is written. It's been ages since a book has been so thought provoking and made me reflect. I found it to be deep in terms of those previously mentioned aspects but also in terms of character development.

STATION ELEVEN is set around a pandemic that wipes out 99% of the population a day after getting the virus. The story arcs out from the build up to that day and to 20-30 years post-pandemic. I'm not always a fan of long and shifting timelines but I now realise I can be a fan of that if they're as well written as this one. The story jumps back and forth both past and present without losing any flow in the story.

The are multiple characters and povs that are so cleverly interwoven and when a thread was tied up, I went "ahhhh". Most of the story was unpredictable but I admit to guessing the prophet element.

I found this story of potential apocalypse so very realistic that I often reflected on my own mortality in this scenario (day one - I have asthma). I really enjoyed seeing a deconstructed civilisation and what that might look like. The promise of the future was also interesting.

I think Emily St John Mandel is an incredibly talented writer and I would recommend this book to many.