'Annihilation' by Jeff VanderMeer: the Book Review
Oh God, how long I've waited to tell you my feelings after reading 'Annihilation'! This book was SO good that I'm now obsessed and can't stop thinking about it. Literally. I've finished 'Annihilation' in the first half of January and 'Southern Reach' series from that moment has been the best I've read so far in 2026!
Thus, I want to share with you this unforgettable experience and invite you to the review of 'Annihilation' the book by Jeff VanderMeer.
What is 'Annihilation' about?
Spoiling anything about this book would be a crime but I will give you a short sample what this masterpiece is really about.
Four women - a biologist (the narrator), a psychologist, a anthropologist and a surveyor - were trained to conduct an expedition to Area X , an unidentified location that once appeared near a coast. It is a place uninfluenced by humanity and its only ruler is nature. But... this nature seems to be quite unusual and uncanny.
During their exploration of Area X women discover an underground complex. It seems to be a starting point for those who want to solve a mystery of Area X.
Absolute masterpiece
As I said, I am totally in love with 'Southern Reach'. This series is so mind-blowing!
The atmosphere of Area X is so psychodelic that you can't be certain what is truth and what just illusion. Since the narrative in 'Annihilation' is first-person one, nothing told by the biologist can be certainly a given. It comes out during the plot that one of the characters is able to control others by hypnosis. What is more, the fungal spores found in Area X has a power to modify characters' perception and it may not be an only organism that has that kind of impact on humans.
Things happening and existing in Area X also are too crazy to be true, they more seem like some kind of narcotic phantasmas. The perfect example is the biologist meeting the Crawler in the Tower. It is unclear for both the biologist and a reader what is exactly seen there. There are also less spectacular details, like the biologist for a moment thinking that the eyes of the dolphin or the boar are somehow manlike. As I said, totally messed up! And it makes an impression of eeriness and uncanniness in you, unforgettable experience.
It all comes down to the biologist not being a reliable narrator and anything told by her should be taken seriously. These elements of 'Annihilation' increase a sense of uncertainity and desorientation in a reader which is absolutely delightful.
The Final Verdict: Why is 'Annihilation' so Good?
What strenghten this sense of confusedness the most while reading 'Annihilation' is definitely a lack of elementary information about Area X and even the main character and narrator at the same time. I still have no idea what Area X really is (I've already finished the second volume of 'Southern Reach' series), what really happens there, where does Area X comes from etc. I am also sure that a reader becomes familiarise with a name of the biologist in the second volume! What is the best, 'Annihilation' raises more questions than it answears to. It all make this book so mysterious and SO addictive. I can't look forward to read the two remaining volumes of this totally crazy series. I just can't wait!
Cover image © HarperCollins Publishers. Used with permission.
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