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Book Divas (227 KP) rated Light Years in Books

Dec 12, 2017

Though I personally didn't find myself connecting with the characters the story line kept me interested until the end. This book is packed with a bit of everything from a dysfunctional and broken family to a deadly virus and the author's writing style often takes on a poetic voice which I believe is the real reason why I enjoyed reading it. When I first reached the abrupt ending I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth but I went back and read the last three chapters again and the ending took on a different meaning for me. I recommend that this book be read with an open mind. I will end my review with some of my favorite quotes.

"You have nothing to lose here, whatever happens. You just be yourself and let go of the results."

"The world is everyone's oyster if they step up to crack it open."

"Can you feel it? The wind? That's God's hand, washing you clean."

"If you begin with a belief that the world is flat, you'll never be able to conceive of it as a sphere. Your brain will just stop there, deciding that it knows. It will never allow you to consider an alternate perception."

{I received an E-ARC via The Fantastic Flying Book Club and the Publisher via NetGalley and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}

Kudos

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.