An easy read that completely sucks you into the mysterious world of Area X. The author masterfully crafts a sense of unease throughout that slowly creeps up behind you and raises the hair on the back of your neck.

Jeff VanderMeer crafts a tale of curiosity and intrigue that speaks in riddles and rhymes, all the while pressing forward into a world that we’re not convinced we should enter… but are compelled to nonetheless. The visuals are haunting, the story driving. The characters aren’t particularly empathetic or convincing, but it is this emptiness that prepares itself for Area X. They are but vessels for The Crawler to envelop and occupy. Questions weren’t answered. Not really. Mysteries remain. And yet the writing is rich, the world vibrant, so I will dutifully push on to the next book of the series.

Like reading a vague memory of a dream. Hard to stop and put down!

The book starts with an introduction explaining the story’s “dreamlike” quality, which it certainly has, but the overall effect of this quality is that it’s easy to zone out while reading as you feel a bit detached from what’s happening. I say this book is a novel-length creepypasta because its world is constructed around mysteries that don’t seem to have meaningful answers: directives from authority figures are bizarre and frightening, every description of some new feature within area X points to another mystery, and there isn’t always a clear cause-and-effect relationship between events. I’m not sure the author intended for there to be any answers to the secrets hidden from the reader, and that makes it harder to want to finish the book, since we realize there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel. Moreover, the protagonist isn’t very likable and often seems like a passive observer (and willfully so) to everything that happens.

It’s an interesting read. Will continue the series and update after reading AUTHORITY

I could not stop reading this book. It is so captivating and area x has such an insidious yet overwhelmingly terrifying tone. I wish the movie had followed the book more.

I really liked the mystery of this book, I found myself theorising along with the main character. Definitely left wanting more as it ended. The only thing I personally didn’t love was how wordy it felt at times, it felt inauthentic to use words that are not used in everyday conversation, especially when the character is supposed to be relaying an account. Overall really enjoyed.

Had to peel myself away to stop reading. Finished reading in 2 days.

This book held my attention well. The flashbacks to the narrator’s earlier life nearly started losing me but is likely due to it being from a FMC point of view.

I read this book listening to the Anhiliation Movie soundtrack. It’s perfect for this read. I then watched the movie after and it really pulled everything together. Already diving into the sequel!