Station Eleven

What's it about?

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

What I Thought? 

This book is a very unique take on the dystopian trend. I loved Kirsten and her journey through this world. She doesn't come across as a super bad-ass, but she's no wilting flower in the corner either! She reacts realistically to the world around her and wonders at times what the point of living in a world that's pretty much dead. The only thing keeping her going is The Symphony and her memories of a time lost forever.

I loved the intermingling of the past and the present. Every other chapter is a jump from the future to the past, explaining the way the present came to be and what humanity looked like then and now. I was fascinated by the parts that showed how some of the characters played out their last "normal" moments. What happened before and how it effects what happens now. That's a strong point in this book!

Kirsten carries a comic book with her that somehow (and wonderfully) connects her to a few characters that are beyond interesting and very well written. The way the plot flows in this book will definitely keep you reading at a feverish pace. I am very glad that this is my first finished book of 2016!

 Station Eleven is a solid, interesting, and engrossing book that I highly recommend!