I have wanted to read How High We Go in the Dark since I saw it as a prerelease. I ended up having to wait to check out the audiobook from the library, but this book is worth the wait. 

 

The book is an apocalyptic science fiction novel that has an overarching narrative created through a collection of connected short stories. It is genius. Reading it I was blown away by what Nagamatsu created and how he created it. I have tried to come up with a novel structured similarly and have come up blank. 

 

Sequoia Nagamatsu is a Japanese American and the story is told from a strong Japanese standpoint. There are narrative points mainly from the United States and Japan, with a few stories that take place in more distant locations. It is also a strongly heteronormative narration. 

 

I knew within minutes that this book was going to be spectacular. If anything I underestimated how impactful it was. This is one that I will pick up for my shelves and reread several times over. 

 

I highly recommend everyone pick up this book regardless of their reading tastes. However, it will particularly appeal to those who enjoy science fiction and magical realism. Trigger warning - this story does center around a pandemic.