Reviews with content warning for Death - Ascension

The science went over my head at times but this philosophical, sci-fi exploration of grief and the meaning of human existence was still gripping and I always felt compelled to finish. The ending didn’t quite hit home for me but I still appreciated the ambitious swing this book took. Felt 3/4 Blake Crouch, 1/4 Susanna Clarke.

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schubertan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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casparquarius's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

a quick fun read. I enjoyed the sense of confusion and urgency, and loved the format of the narrative. it wasn't particularly scary or as tense as I was hoping, but still definitely enjoyable

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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3.5

Had to suspend my disbelief a bit to consider this epistolary. No one is writing letters like this, especially in life or death situations. The plot was entertaining enough and i appreciated the character relationships, but ended it thinking “what was the point?”
And yeah, the reveal was…a bit cheesy.

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ceredonia's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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andrew_matteson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I found Ascension is a fun horror read with Lovecraftian tropes. There are scenes that are memorable in their shock value, and the abiding sense of cosmic horror is well done. Basically all the characters, except the narrator, are flawed in their two dimensionality. This leaves several reveals in the book quite wanting, especially the final ones.

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torismazarine's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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misshelenjunereads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I'm really not sure how to rate this book. I went into it looking for an adventure/mountain climbing novel with elements of weird, and found one of the most complex and challenging (on a scientific level) books I've ever read. I even wondered a few times if I just wasn't smart enough to be reading it, but I persisted.

The premise lulls you into a false sense of preparedness by being so simple. A mountain appears out of nowhere and a team of various scientists are gathered to investigate it - after only two members of the previous team come back alive but very changed. One of these survivors is the ex-wife of our protagonist - Harold - and the story is largely told in the form of letters written to his estranged niece, which have been discovered after his death and his surviving family is now trying to make sense of.

The book does not shy away from the realities of mountaineering in extreme weather conditions, but as well as that the team soon begin to realise that the fabric of reality works differently in this place. There are questions about time, about the place of humanity in the universe, and our scientific understanding of how our planet works and why. I found these questions fascinating, as well as the slow reveal of Harold's own past, and the tragedies therein.

This story is far more sci-fi than horror, but there are deaths, injuries, and other moments of unease, with a pleasing Lovecraftian edge to the goings on. Like the characters you will find yourself questioning everyone and everything as the situation deteriorates and paranoia increases. It is not a story I think anyone could rush - but I think how slowly you'll engage with it depends on how well you can follow the ideas.

For all this - and all my admiration for it - I struggle to give this 4 stars. There is a reveal at about 84% that's so silly, and honestly felt so juvenile, I felt it took the wind out of the sails. I understand what the author was going for with it, but looking at those words on paper I burst out laughing instead of feeling horror, which is a huge shame.

I feel this is a book that won't appeal to everyone - or possibly not many at all because of how heavy the science and thought experiments are - but I do think it's worth the effort. If you're looking for a challenge, this is it.

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