Authority, by Jeff VanderMeer

[Stacey]

Simply awful. Disjointed, depressing and full of hapless detail that was boring, boring, boring, boring. I was hoping this would be a robust follow up to VanderMeer's exciting sci-fi treat, Annihilation, which I loved. Control, the first person narrator/protagonist in the novel, is sent on a mission that consists of finding out what happened to the director after the 12th expedition into Area X, what's going on with the border between the Southern Reach and creepy/beautiful Area X and to learn more about the biologist. Sad to say, none of that really happens. What we get: overly wrought, uninteresting detail about the lacklustre offices at the Southern Reach's HQ that go on and on ("oh no, now he's describing the cafeteria," I thought in horror); bad smells; half-defined shady, yet ho-hum characters that lead nowhere, a bad spy mom and a ridiculously stereotypical main character drinking problem.

There is no action in this novel. There is no inspiration in this novel. Instead, look in the dictionary under "sophomore slump" and there you'll find the cover of this dreaded book, really, the best thing about it. Even still, I am a glutton for punishment and will attempt to read the final book in the Southern Reach trilogy, Acceptance, hoping the third one's a charm. If not for anything else but to find out what happened to those bunnies? This was read for Week 21: a book that is a continuation of a book you've already read.

[Pam]

I liked Annhilation much better also and feel the same need to read Acceptance! Its a strange series but I want to know how it ends.

[Stacey]

Pam wrote: "I liked Annhilation much better also and feel the same need to read Acceptance! Its a strange series but I want to know how it ends."

I agree, Pam. Annihilation was great and sadly, Authority was not. I'm planning on reading Acceptance, too, looking forward to a thrilling ending to this weird and exciting (book 1) trilogy. The ending of Authority sets it up to be so, at least.

[Pam]

Stacey wrote: "Pam wrote: "I liked Annhilation much better also and feel the same need to read Acceptance! Its a strange series but I want to know how it ends."

I agree, Pam. Annihilation was great and sadly, Au..."

It did have an interesting ending. I will probably have to reread the last chapter before starting book 3 since I'm reading them so far apart. I still have that lighthouse from book 1 in my mind!

[Maple]

Authority


I just started this last night. I really loved Annhilation when I read it a couple of years ago. I love how connected, yet separate this book is from the first. It's weird and I am really enjoying that so far (I'm only about 50 pages in). I'm eager to see where this goes.

[Stacey]

Manda wrote: "Authority


I just started this last night. I really loved Annhilation when I read it a couple of years ago. I love how connected, yet separate this bo..."

I noted we had discussed reading this one a few years back, Manda. Interesting to see what you think. I liked it at the beginning, too, but by page 200, I was really antsy, wondering when something - anything - was gonna happen. Unfortunately, I was disillusioned with this one - but I have high hopes for Acceptance.

[Maple]

Stacey wrote: "Manda wrote: "Authority


I just started this last night. I really loved Annhilation when I read it a couple of years ago. I love how connected, yet se..."

You were spot on. I liked the creepy atmosphere of this book, but I hated the "nothing is happening" feeling. I'm still going to read the last book, because I already own it and it's on my challenge. I just hope it's better than what this one was.

3/5

[Angela]

I just read this book for topic #1 - A book with the letters A, T, and Y in the title for the 2018 challenge.

I enjoyed this novel much more than the first novel. VanderMeer did an excellent job of hinting at, but not giving away, what was happening at the facility. Additionally, we get much more insight into how Area X not only changes the physical world but how it has a major impact on people's minds as well. And, it left us with a major cliffhanger, making it impossible not to want to read the final book in the trilogy. I liked the narrator, control, much more than I liked the biologist in the first book. I found Annihilation, the first book, to be long-winded and confusing. I wasn't sure what was happening most of the time. This second book was much easier to follow and, with better character development, I was much more interested in what was happening to the various characters, as well as why they were so invested in Area X. Looking forward to reading the last book of the trilogy.

[Joanne]

I read this book for Week 11. A book related to one of the 12 Zodiac Chinese Animals because there is a rabbit on the cover.

Honestly I just didn't really "get" it. I liked but didn't love Annihilation but in this one, I spent more time than I would like trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't (and I'm still not sure). I'm still going to read the last book in the series because I hope it will wrap up the story, but looking at the reviews, I don't have very high hopes.