Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This may well be one of my favorite books of the year! Such a fantastic read! I am just sorry that I haven't discovered Emily St. John Mandel before! This is another dystopian novel that explores what happens to a group of people after a superflu kills off 99% of the population.

Since dystopian novels happen to be some of my favorite kinds of novels, this was certainly right up my alley. However, this novel is one of (if not THE) best dystopian novels that I have ever read. The way that Mandel writes about the experiences of those left behind is just AMAZING - the slices of life she highlights, the small experiences she obviously values, the very personal impacts of the larger world ... it's all so good. There were moments when I was overwhelmed at the tiny little things we take for granted that would be GONE if such a thing happens to our civilization. She highlights those things SO well and so effectively that I truly felt that I was there, experiencing these losses with the characters of the book.

The characters were very well drawn - flawed but REAL. The tenderness with which she wrote about each of them was so well done that I'm still thinking about many of them even days after putting the book down. I won't forget a few of them for some time - they truly made an impact on me.

This is a very quiet and intelligent literary novel. There isn't a ton of action or chaos. Similar to how it must feel to be one of just a small group left in a place, this novel feels all at once haunting, tender, quiet, elegant, and everything a good book should be! I cannot recommend this one more highly! It's simply fantastic and beautiful and a must-read! Don't miss this one! It's coming out in early September so make sure to make a note to pick up a copy!

NOTE: Received advanced readers copy (ARC) of this novel from the publisher for a honest review.