Acceptance

Cover image and summary from Goodreads:

The final installment of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy

It is winter in Area X. A new team embarks across the border on a mission to find a member of a previous expedition who may have been left behind. As they press deeper into the unknown—navigating new terrain and new challenges—the threat to the outside world becomes more daunting. In Acceptance, the last installment of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may have been solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound—or terrifying.

(I don’t think this is a spoiler-y post, but since it’s the last book in a series, be warned! To be on the safe side, don’t read this if you haven’t read the book yet and don’t want to be spoiled!)

This is the first book that I finished reading in 2015, and the first series I’ve binge read in a very long time.

Following the awesomeness that was book one, Annihilation, and the slight disappointment of book two, Authority, I went into this final book of the Southern Reach trilogy not knowing what to expect.

I loved that this book brought me back to Area X, and that it brought so many characters together. Also, it shed light on some characters mentioned in earlier books (I won’t say who because of spoiler reasons, but it answered a bunch of questions I had).

Of course, the book raised so many more questions, and I didn’t really feel any sense of closure or finality. I think this is a series that intends to leave the reader thinking and wondering, which may affect your enjoyment of the series. I tried not to let that get to me, but at first it definitely did. I finished the book and put it down, wondering what I had just read.

BUT. After a couple of days of reflection, and reading what other people had to say about the book (which I found so incredibly dense), I think I’ve come to appreciate the way VanderMeer left things. Many, but not all, questions I had were answered, but I think the lack of a neat and tidy ending makes the story more chilling.

Again, I really enjoyed the writing. There is a lot to think about in these books, and the way VanderMeer connects so many characters over different periods of time was really interesting.

This is a totally engrossing story, and series, which I definitely recommend for science fiction fans! I’m curious to know what others who’ve read the whole series think of it!