Each month Abington Library will feature a favorite book from a faculty, staff member, or student. They will give a brief synopsis of their chosen book.
Dana Dobbins is a fiscal support specialist at ASU-Beebe.
Area X-The Southern Reach Trilogy
A Review by Dana Dobbins
“Area X- The Southern Reach Trilogy” is a series of books written by Jeff VanderMeer. The books in the trilogy are called “Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance.” I really enjoyed reading it and it kept me guessing until the very end. The story is a combination of mystery, horror, suspense and science fiction.
The story takes place in present day on a top secret military base. The government and scientists are researching as to why “area-x” is there, how it came about, and how they can keep it from expanding. Area X is growing and destroying everything in its path which is causing huge problems for the military base and the land around it. The world inside Area-X is very different and not much is known about it, even after many years of research. The reason for this is that many of the researchers that go into Area-X do not come back and research equipment will not work there as well. Researchers that cross over into the unknown land have very little communication with the military base.
The main story follows one group of scientists that are brave enough to venture into Area-X. During this dangerous journey, the books reveal the personalities of the scientists, their reasons for wanting to go on the mission, the discoveries that they make and the problems that they encounter along the way. The characters are described in great detail which enhances the story and makes it seem more real.
I like the way the book is written because there is mystery and suspense to it. There are a few characters that are important to Area-X that are not revealed until later on. This keeps the story interesting and the reader guessing as to how they fit in. This is the first book that I have read by VanderMeer and I am impressed. I liked this book so well that I will read more of his works in the future.
