How High We Go in the Dark

Dieses Buch ist eine Verkettung tragischer Schicksale mit leichtem Sci-Fi Touch. Ich musste bei mehreren Kapiteln zu Taschentüchern greifen. Traurig aber wunderschön.

I literally have no idea how to begin talking about this book. ''How High We Go in the Dark'' is an intense and powerful read, set up in stories, all intimately connected. In 2030, researchers discover an ancient virus, unleashing a pandemic quickly traversing the globe. If you intend on reading this, let me give you a trigger warning: obviously this read deals with death, grief and destruction. But it's also one of the most tender and beautiful books I have ever read. I really can't put into words how much it means to me. And bear in mind, usually I don't go for dystopian reads or any books set up in stories - in this case, I'm glad I did!

I love this book. It was one of my absolute favourites of 2022. Set in the present and reaching far into the future “How High We Go in the Dark” is a collection of interconnected short stories. In the beginning the reader follows scientists discovering a human body in the permafrost. It contains a deadly virus which starts a global pandemic. Do we really need another pandemic disaster? Isn’t our own life enough? Yes and no. Nagamatsu mirrors our own experiences of quarantine, mass infection and social distancing but at the same time he invents different solutions of an impossible situation. There are quite a few elements of science fiction in this book while being relatable at the same time. In every chapter the reader follows a different character who needs to deal with the reality of a radically changed world. I was emotionally invested in every story and intrigued to see these people deal with problems similar to our own. Reading “How High We Go in the Dark” can be quite heart-breaking, especially if you have young children (due to this virus being the most dangerous for young people). Next to being a depressing book it also made me think a lot and even month after reading it, the stories stay vividly in my mind.

This book is not bad by any means. It is fantastically written and the short stories leave enough room for the characters to develop very well, it just leaves you emotionally wrenchded. And I think I was not ready for it. Be ready for a very close look at what humans are made of.