Annihilation

Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)

Read September 2017

Confusing, haunting, intriguing. All three of these words describe this series. It is obvious to me that although the story is broken up into three books, this is a story that would benefit from reading it all in one block. Mr. Vandermeer published all three books in 2014. At 195 pages, this first part Annihilation is more of a set up for the series.

The reader is introduced to "The Biologist" but more importantly the reader is introduced to Area X. This is the star and the focus of the story. The people in the story are marginal, and more of a prop to move the story forward. This is hammered home by the lack of names given to the characters. They are only addressed by their title throughout the novel. Written in first person from the point of view of the Biologist. As the story progresses the reader learns about Area X and it becomes a character, but is it a protagonist or an antagonist? I'll be honest, by the end of the story I had no idea.

I was incredibly intrigued by this story and have already completed the second book in the series and have started on the third.

4.5 of 5 stars