Reviews

Ambergris by Jeff VanderMeer

kate_303's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Body horror, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Gore, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, War, and Mental illness

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Alcohol, Medical content, Murder, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Bullying, Abandonment, Car accident, Addiction, Excrement, and Vomit

bdschepper2001's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

itinerant_spirit's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

3.5

Very, very good.  A little too close to horror but incredibly well structured and built.

mngwa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

trakiul's review against another edition

4.5

for me, the 3 of these taken together are an incredible feat of story telling. ive always been appreciative of Vandermeer's ability to change his prose to match the tone of the story, and here he does that to great effect imo. and the way he weaves them all together at the end, including things i didn't really expect to be brought up again. 

Shriek is hard to get through, i actually stopped in the middle and came back a year or two later and finished the last half and Finch, which i love. i think Shriek is intentionally a difficult read, because it's difficult for Janice to tell the story.  you experience a little bit of that with her. 

Finch is quite graphic at the end, but i think it was worth it. i really enjoyed the characters and rising action in it, and of course the descriptions are great. i liked that although Finch did take action and participate directly, he was also often just watching shit happen without much control. he was a good pov character i think. 

alainagraff's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love the themes that Vandermeer explores in his books. This one felt a little clunkier than area X, but I still couldn’t put it down. Worth the read if you enjoyed his other works 

eveningreverie's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One of the most fully realized fantasy worlds I have been transported to. I loved the different tones of each story, especially wrapping up every thread followed over the course of centuries in the final story. 

Unexpected in so many ways. Dark, expansive, absolutely remarkable. 

linneasofia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

darienjade's review against another edition

Needs to be physically read not audiobook