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aforestofbooks 's review for:
Station Eleven
by Emily St. John Mandel
4.5/5
I honestly don't know what I was expecting with this book. I had heard there was some kind of travelling circus or orchestra or something? And it took place after an apocalypse. I was expecting something lighthearted. Probably because I thought this book was about a circus lol, but it completely surprised me in so many good ways.
This book is such a beautiful commentary on our world and our lives. The way it's done is mesmerizing. I loved following each character's story, seeing where they started off and how they ended up where they are now. It's sad and heartbreaking. It's really creepy and disturbing at times. And it's dark. But there's hope at the end there.
This book follows quite a few characters, but each POV was unique, the voices and thoughts distinct. I loved seeing what was going on in each character's head, watching them reminisce their past and the decisions they made. Everything flowed so well. The changes in POVs and times wasn't jarring. You could flip from one chapter to the next, going from pre-apocalypse, to 10 years post-apocalypse, to present, and it just flowed into one beautiful story. The inclusion of the comic book was also done so well. It would have been cool if the book contained some illustrations of it though.
The ending with the prophet, while sudden, was a little anticlimactic, but I did like how it was done overall. I do wish something worse had happened to him though. He just freaked me out and gave me the creeps.
Am I worried about the world ending and things dissolving into what happens in this book? Yes. It's been a while since I've considered end-of-the-world scenarios, but I am sitting here writing this review realizing how much I depend on things like electricity and running water and easy access to food and the internet. And having that all taken away, it sounds horrifying. I don't want to think about it. But this book makes you think. And I loved that. It makes you reconsider your life choices and look towards the future. It makes you think twice about your reliance on the convenient aspects of your life. It's just so thought-provoking. I was not expecting that at all, but having heard so many good things about this book, I am now not surprised.
Highly, highly recommend.
I honestly don't know what I was expecting with this book. I had heard there was some kind of travelling circus or orchestra or something? And it took place after an apocalypse. I was expecting something lighthearted. Probably because I thought this book was about a circus lol, but it completely surprised me in so many good ways.
This book is such a beautiful commentary on our world and our lives. The way it's done is mesmerizing. I loved following each character's story, seeing where they started off and how they ended up where they are now. It's sad and heartbreaking. It's really creepy and disturbing at times. And it's dark. But there's hope at the end there.
This book follows quite a few characters, but each POV was unique, the voices and thoughts distinct. I loved seeing what was going on in each character's head, watching them reminisce their past and the decisions they made. Everything flowed so well. The changes in POVs and times wasn't jarring. You could flip from one chapter to the next, going from pre-apocalypse, to 10 years post-apocalypse, to present, and it just flowed into one beautiful story. The inclusion of the comic book was also done so well. It would have been cool if the book contained some illustrations of it though.
The ending with the prophet, while sudden, was a little anticlimactic, but I did like how it was done overall. I do wish something worse had happened to him though. He just freaked me out and gave me the creeps.
Am I worried about the world ending and things dissolving into what happens in this book? Yes. It's been a while since I've considered end-of-the-world scenarios, but I am sitting here writing this review realizing how much I depend on things like electricity and running water and easy access to food and the internet. And having that all taken away, it sounds horrifying. I don't want to think about it. But this book makes you think. And I loved that. It makes you reconsider your life choices and look towards the future. It makes you think twice about your reliance on the convenient aspects of your life. It's just so thought-provoking. I was not expecting that at all, but having heard so many good things about this book, I am now not surprised.
Highly, highly recommend.