Named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2021From the author of Annihilation, a brilliant speculative thriller of dark conspiracy, endangered species, and the possible end of all things.Security consultant “Jane Smith” receives an envelope with a key to a storage unit that holds a taxidermied hummingbird and clues leading her to a taxidermied salamander. Silvina, the dead woman who left the note, is a … Silvina, the dead woman who left the note, is a reputed ecoterrorist and the daughter of an Argentine industrialist. By taking the hummingbird from the storage unit, Jane sets in motion a series of events that quickly spin beyond her control.
Soon, Jane and her family are in danger, with few allies to help her make sense of the true scope of the peril. Is the only way to safety to follow in Silvina’s footsteps? Is it too late to stop? As she desperately seeks answers about why Silvina contacted her, time is running out—for her and possibly for the world.
Hummingbird Salamander is Jeff VanderMeer at his brilliant, cinematic best, wrapping profound questions about climate change, identity, and the world we live in into a tightly plotted thriller full of unexpected twists and elaborate conspiracy.
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Fans of VanderMeer’s other novels (he first hooked me with Borne) may not find the same synergy with this particular book–a contemporary, noir-like, environmental mystery with an obsessed, mostly unlikeable main character. It’s a different pace, a more familiar (although still odd) world, and circumstances that are much larger than life. Ultimately, I think I’m not the best audience for this particular novel, but truly, VanderMeer is a brilliant writer. He turns many an amazing phrase in Hummingbird Salamander and I admired it a great deal for his skill at weaving a really intricate tale that dragged me to the end.
A brilliantly written book. A mom goes on a journey to save something bigger than herself. It is filled with intrigue and deceit. The author does an awesome job of of building the tension as the reader tries to determine who the good or bad guys are. It shows how much a parent who loves her child will be willing to do to protect her.
I received a free electronic copy of this environmental novel from Netgalley, Jeff VanderMeer, and MCD, publisher. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. VanderMeer writes an intricately plotted mystery with larger-than-life protagonists, both very good and very bad and occasionally half crazy, and lots of blood, sweat, and tears. The slow degradation of the world, only slightly exaggerated for our times, will give you too much to think about but you won’t be able to forget it, either. It’s a story I hope everyone takes to heart.
I have a 60-year relationship with tree huggers around the world. Hummingbird Salamander takes all those life-long fears and expands them a little, adds a touch of exaggeration, and what transpires should scare you to death. That said, I spent a great deal of the first half of this novel flipping back to see what I missed. There are several places that are a bit disjointed. Once you quit trying to make the story flow it overtakes you completely and the next thing you know it’s the end. A very good book.
Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer is a highly recommended biotech speculative conspiracy thriller.
An unnamed security consultant “Jane Smith” is the narrator who states that is telling us the story of how the world ends. Jane receives an envelope with a note and a key to a storage unit. Inside the storage unit is a taxidermied hummingbird and a note from someone named Silvina with the words hummingbird … salamander. Jane takes the hummingbird and begins to surreptitiously look into who Silvina is. Jane discovers the note was from Silvina Vilcacampa, a reputed ecoterrorist and the daughter of an Argentine industrialist. Her research, even though it was carefully undertaken, sets into motion a series of events that result in surveillance and danger from unseen and unknown enemies. Jane, though, is a strong, capable woman, physically and mentally, and she continues looking into Silvina’s life even as the danger increases.
Hummingbird Salamander is an absolutely unique twisty thriller with a noir vibe. We have antagonists who are destroying the natural world and involved in exotic wildlife smuggling, but they aren’t absolutely bad. We have protagonists who mean well, but are also running on the wrong side of the law. There are also endangered species, climate change, the approaching end of the world, a dark global conspiracy, and a host of unseen foes who want to stop anyone looking into any knowledge of whatever it is that Silvina was doing – but why? And the attacks are directed at everyone even remotely connected with Jane.
The thriller is extremely well written and carefully plotted to allow an increase of tension as the action carefully unfolds and the danger is ever present, ever increasing. The world described is certainly similar to the one we live in, although not entirely realistic, but in a future transmutation of the world. It is not a created new world/new reality. It does, at times have a sort of cinematic dream-like feeling. As if we are being shown the reality of what is behind the curtain, what could be a future.
Jane is a well-developed character, although not particularly likeable. She wouldn’t care if you liked her either. She was a body builder, she is tall, strong, and already prepared with a go-bag to escape some threat. She is not afraid of defending her self. She does the unexpected in physical fights which put the men attacking her off-balance. She’s in many ways a very good role model for women to be physically strong and mentally smart. On the other hand, she continues to call the large bag she carries “shovel pig” after her boss gave it that moniker. That’s a little odd. But you will also follow Jane’s actions with rapt attention right to the ultimate final revelations.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux via Netgalley
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/02/hummingbird-salamander.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3851817341
A dystopian speculative thriller about a conspiracy, endangered species and a dying world. When security consultant Jane tries to help an old friend and takes a stuffed hummingbird from a storage unit, she sets in motion a series of events that spin out of control. Plot twists kept me turning the pages to the fabulous ending. The stark writing style matched the tone of the book, and I enjoyed the puzzle. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.