Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Station Eleven is a tale about multiple characters and a pandemic that wiped out an untold amount of people here on the planet. It jumps between moments in time and locations. I actually liked how this was done. Sometimes, when authors choose this path, it can be confusing and annoying but, in this case, it heightened the suspense and investment in the story. I felt like I was taken by the hand and brought along for the journey as I was experiencing everything firsthand. I did like Miranda a lot as she seemed chill and had an approach to life like “well this is how it is”. The author drops these little nuggets of foreshadowing that creates an ominous read which drew me in and I was hooked by page 25. I have always like disaster or survival stories and this one fits the bill wonderfully. I loved how Star Trek was mentioned at several points and a key phrase as the mantra of one group. I am a huge Star Trek nerd and it made me smile. Emily St. John Mandel does an amazing job of connecting people and events. She weaves a history and connectedness between things that is brilliant. There was a scene where a snow globe gets described but then also all the people and steps it took to make it, including truck drivers and people that package the globe. The way she also points out explicitly and aptly what life was like before and how humans interacted with the world was perfection. The depth and brilliance are lyrical. There was a description of friendship with respect to expectations and the work needed that really resonated with me. I was immersed in the world and enveloped by the prose. As one character put it, were they (are we?) just sleepwalking through life with our jobs, life, and what counts for happiness? Clark mused on in his past how he would take redeyes from NYC to LA and marvel at the sun rising as “the world was waking up.” Maybe, the world does really need to wake up and this is what took it to happen. Overall, this was a superbly written novel that brings forth all the feels and is so strongly rooted in possible reality to make it scarily relatable.
View all my reviews
Tag: Unputdownable
This Is Not A Shipwreck Of A Novel
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. David Grann is a great author and really knows how to tell a story. He interweaves facts & quotes well and brings the characters to life. He has this awesome ability to pick riveting subject matter and animate it. I cannot wait to see what he comes out with next. I absolutely loved Killers of the Flower Moon. The Wager was something that caught my eye at Barnes and I had to pick it up. It was a monthly pick and one of the best books of 2023 plus I love history. The drama and characters kept this book tied to my hand until I had to finish. The way the story was structured and the viewpoints that were used helped to give different perspectives. The added information sprinkled through the storytelling on how life on a ship looked and the struggles was flavorful. The pictures and maps added something as well. I am a person who must have his phone next to him when he reads as I am constantly looking things up. If there is a location, figure, or topic mentioned that sounds remotely interesting I pull up the search engine. I like to learn a little more about what I am reading. I did this a ton with this book. The way that history connects is fascinating. I also do this with words I don’t know or think I know but want confirmation and the true, full definition. Now I was unsatisfied by the ending and the imperialism angered me, but this is hardly the fault of the author. He is bringing a story to life and the fact that I had a strong reaction strengthens my thoughts on Mr. Grann as an author. The follow-up, research, and commentary were top-notch. Pick this up and read it.
View all my reviews