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ursa_arlo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
daja57's review
5.0
The Submundo Delta is surrounded by a Zone of Forgetfulness; no-one can ever remember the things they did in here, giving people the opportunity to be their hidden selves and act out their repressed desires. Ben, a goody-goody policeman, travels through the Zone to the Delta to persuade the humans living in the delta (descendants of Victorian colonists) to stop killing the duendes, a mysterious humanoid life form who are able to telepathically enter into people's thoughts. "While the forest opened her up and made her less wary and more open to emotions in general, duende contact exposed the childish neediness which lay behind so many of them, leaving her with a sense of herself as clumsy and blundering and unformed." (14)
So the book is fundamentally about how people cope when their darkest thoughts become manifest to them.
It is superbly well-written. The world building is convincing; the characters are three dimensional. The reader enters into this forest in which the dangers come from within your own head. The plot dances with madness and the irrationality of the solutions we impose in order to keep ourselves from going mad. It is a brilliant piece of fiction which makes you think about the fundamentals of personality.
The pacing is a perfect match for the four-part plot structure, with major turning points coming at the 25%, 50%, and 75% points.
Utterly readable. A page-turned. Brilliant.
So the book is fundamentally about how people cope when their darkest thoughts become manifest to them.
It is superbly well-written. The world building is convincing; the characters are three dimensional. The reader enters into this forest in which the dangers come from within your own head. The plot dances with madness and the irrationality of the solutions we impose in order to keep ourselves from going mad. It is a brilliant piece of fiction which makes you think about the fundamentals of personality.
The pacing is a perfect match for the four-part plot structure, with major turning points coming at the 25%, 50%, and 75% points.
Utterly readable. A page-turned. Brilliant.
lamoralibrary's review
this is just giving me really weird vibes and i'm not here for it
deepsplash's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
briarsreviews's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
1.0
Beneath the World, a Sea by Chris Beckett is a unique science fiction/fantasy novel.
I'll be honest, this book wasn't for me. I don't dip into sci-fi too often because I find I just don't enjoy those books all that much. Specifically, the writing style was what got me with this book. It's beautifully written, but it didn't connect with me. I was very confused on what was going on in the story and couldn't keep track. I wasn't engaged with the book, which was very disappointing. The cover is beautiful, the synopsis sounds intriguing, and it was recommended to me by a local indie book store. But, it didn't hold up.
I'm sure sci-fi lovers will eat this book up! There's so much this book has to offer with this dystopian story, and reminded me of the world that Avatar was building.
Overall, not good for me. I can honestly say it wasn't my type of book but it is a good book!
One out of five stars.
I'll be honest, this book wasn't for me. I don't dip into sci-fi too often because I find I just don't enjoy those books all that much. Specifically, the writing style was what got me with this book. It's beautifully written, but it didn't connect with me. I was very confused on what was going on in the story and couldn't keep track. I wasn't engaged with the book, which was very disappointing. The cover is beautiful, the synopsis sounds intriguing, and it was recommended to me by a local indie book store. But, it didn't hold up.
I'm sure sci-fi lovers will eat this book up! There's so much this book has to offer with this dystopian story, and reminded me of the world that Avatar was building.
Overall, not good for me. I can honestly say it wasn't my type of book but it is a good book!
One out of five stars.
_tourist's review
5.0
An utterly fascinating piece of science fiction, utterly contemporary, in the vein of Ballard.
connorfrankss's review
3.0
This book wasn't necessarily bad but not exceptional either. It was just generally weird, it's hard to explain the concept of this book but a policeman goes to the Submundo Delta, which is inhabited by people, who were dumped there 150 years ago as well as the strange, original inhabitants the Duendes, which make people go crazy when you're near them. The people keep killing the Duendes and the policeman is sent there to try and stop it, but he then realises how hard that will actually be.
The writing was good and very descriptive which allowed you to get a wider understanding of the story, however, the writing also went off on a lot of tangents which made the book feel as if it didn't have a plot at times and was a little bit confusing. The book finished at open-ended points for all the characters so I wonder if there will be a sequel of it will just be left open for judgement about what happens? The characters were very well developed and for the most part enjoyable to read about. I would definitely recommend this for sci-fi fans.
The writing was good and very descriptive which allowed you to get a wider understanding of the story, however, the writing also went off on a lot of tangents which made the book feel as if it didn't have a plot at times and was a little bit confusing. The book finished at open-ended points for all the characters so I wonder if there will be a sequel of it will just be left open for judgement about what happens? The characters were very well developed and for the most part enjoyable to read about. I would definitely recommend this for sci-fi fans.
blodeuedd's review
3.0
I will say it, Chris Beckett writes such weird books! But good! But seriously weird. They are so hard to explain.
Right...ok so this cop goes to a strange place in South America. People were dumped there 150 years ago. There are also some strange creatures and the UN wants to protect them. Also if you go there you lose your memory for awhile. And you have no idea what you did then...
This place is so weird. The strange Duende brings our the worst in humans. Near them every thought in your head screams at you and that is why people kill them on sight. Every dark thought you ever had comes forward.
It is surreal, like being on drugs. It is not a place I would want to visit and it messes with everyone. But it is fascinating. A corner of the world not explained. Like what are the Duendes. How does this weird place work?
It is a good, but strange book. And the poor cop soon realises that stopping these murders wont be easy, or even possible. I liked the doubts he had and how he wanted to know during those lost days.
I have never read anything like it. He does write the weirdest books.
Right...ok so this cop goes to a strange place in South America. People were dumped there 150 years ago. There are also some strange creatures and the UN wants to protect them. Also if you go there you lose your memory for awhile. And you have no idea what you did then...
This place is so weird. The strange Duende brings our the worst in humans. Near them every thought in your head screams at you and that is why people kill them on sight. Every dark thought you ever had comes forward.
It is surreal, like being on drugs. It is not a place I would want to visit and it messes with everyone. But it is fascinating. A corner of the world not explained. Like what are the Duendes. How does this weird place work?
It is a good, but strange book. And the poor cop soon realises that stopping these murders wont be easy, or even possible. I liked the doubts he had and how he wanted to know during those lost days.
I have never read anything like it. He does write the weirdest books.
alxjasper's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25