Authority

Southern Reach Trilogy, Book 2

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

The bone-chilling, hair-raising second installment of the Southern Reach Trilogy.

For 30 years, a secret agency called the Southern Reach has monitored expeditions into Area X - a remote and lush terrain mysteriously sequestered from civilization. After the 12th expedition, the Southern Reach is in disarray, and John Rodriguez (a.k.a. "Control") is the team's newly appointed head. From a series of interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and more than two hundred hours of profoundly troubling video footage, the secrets of Area X begin to reveal themselves - and what they expose pushes Control to confront disturbing truths about both himself and the agency he's promised to serve.

©2014 Jeff VanderMeer (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Meh

an unnecessary part of the trilogy, as far as I can tell, not a lot of things are resolved

Slow burn with perfect finish

Different from Annihilation, but just as shimmering with the author's brilliance. Starts off more like a workplace thriller and then gets gradually into the strangeness around Area X.

mind bending and excellent

you'll ask yourself what the heck is going on almost as much as the main characters. the gradual unveiling of just a few answers is spectacularly thrilling, and the realization that it just leaves more questions keeps me coming back over and over again. my favorite of the southern reach trilogy.

The storyline was very confusing

I love the first book in the southern reach trilogy annihilation. This book has a different feeling though and it doesn’t really make sense until over halfway through the book and then I kind of felt cheated and once again there’s no resolution. I’m really hoping book 3 is much better and answer some questions.

It’s worth toughing out

VanderMeers writing is that similar slow burn satisfaction you get similar to David Lynch’s twin peaks. I really felt like I had to slog through the first two thirds of the book but when things came together it was a beautiful masterpiece