laurreads's reviews
186 reviews

truly one of my favorite books of all time.

If you are a climate change denier, you may hate this book. However, if you are a climate change believer and/or activist, I encourage you to pick this book up. VanderMeer is a wonderful author and “Hummingbird Salamander” was an intriguing and activating read. Focusing on climate change, activism, habitat loss/destruction, and wildlife protection, “Hummingbird Salamander” demands the reader to consider actions to protect what we have left.

The summary was right up my alley, so I picked it up on a whim on my vacation. It is split into five sections: Hummingbird, .. .. .., Salamander, and Hummingbird Salamander, and Appendix: The Hellmouth Files. Hummingbird moved quickly, while .. .. .. moved languidly. Salamander started to pick back up, and I got through the remaining two sections in about three hours. I lost interest a touch in .. .. .., which is why I give H/S 4 stars.

If you had a challenging childhood or have a strained relationship with sex, self-image, intimacy, or intelligence, you will find this book a quick read that inspires reflection. Giannì is a well-written character who reminds me of my younger, angrier, anguished self.

loved the ending and like the novel a lot looking back on it, but wasn’t sure how i felt while reading it. now i can say that i liked it, but it was hard until the middle when i switched my mindset from “i’m reading about female rage” to “i’m reading about a woman my age who is struggling with depression, something i know well.” i listened to the audiobook so it took about 7 hours.