... dizzying ... This is not to say these plot lines are McGuffins, though they nod toward that convention of the form. At the same time, they are essential for what they tell us about the inability of the psyche to separate what it imagines from what is real. Subjectivity, in other words, although Nakamura has something bigger than that in mind. The issue is less what we see or think than who or what we are ... The effect is of a vast decentering, almost a state of vertigo ... This is a book that doesn’t afford easy succor or any particular comfort at all. In Nakamura’s universe we are all damned, not by our sins so much (although those, as well) as by our ignorance. Who are we? What are we doing here? The answers to those questions are unavailable to us, but it doesn’t matter anyway.
... an elaborately played-out revenge plot. It is a story about identity—not least the creating and changing of identity ... It is a hall of mirrors novel, the characters and readers alike being deceived by what they see and purport to know ... Nakamura's effort here is ambitious, and he pulls it off quite well. The pieces do fall into place—there is relative clarity about the who and what as the novel nears its conclusion—but for much of the time the reader too can feel in a fog of confused identities. The sexual difficulties of the various characters add another complicating layer (and a somewhat unpleasant taste to things, given how much violence is involved). My Annihilation keeps readers on their toes, and guessing, and there are some very satisfying turns and reveals here. It can be confusing, but it's the kind of confusion that one should simply go along with; ultimately, it works itself out quite neatly and well (though not entirely so: Nakamura can't entirely let go of all the ambiguities he's sown). It's a good, unpredictable mystery—if arguably overly complex—and an enjoyably constantly unsettling read.
... a literary labyrinth of forking paths. Surgical memory erasure, subliminal messaging, sexual blackmail and suicide all feature in this bravura work, which evokes the feel of such diverse writers as Calvino, Highsmith, Kafka and Dick ... An intriguing solution to these crimes is all but guaranteed, though it may need to be politically corrected.
Bett does an extraordinary job making sure all these pieces fit together, across tones and intents, especially in a book that aims to mislead at times. Even so, there are times where the waters become more muddied than they should be, and it can be difficult to keep the chronology and characters straight; only moreso because the idea of the 'self' and assumed identities are the terrain Nakamura has chosen to explore ... Unfortunately, as compelling as the questions are, the novel is only partly successful in exploring them. By curtailing the scope to the investigation of a death, and the following search for revenge—in other words, the purview of a noir—Nakamura is only able to go so far. Instead, My Annihilation exists in a thin stretch on the darker side of the human psyche. While it’s not the darkest crime novel I’ve read, and the literary and psychological aspects lift the work, Nakamura doesn’t shy away from delving into death, stemming from both murder and suicide, sexual crimes and deviancy, mental illness, and many more sensitive topics. While I didn’t feel the novel handled anything specifically poorly, it’s certainly not for the faint of heart...That said, this dark approach also gives Nakamura some unique terrain to explore ... held back by it’s adherence to the noir form; unable or uninterested to transcend the genre it finds itself in. The book remains compelling in spite of this, buoyed by a few exceptional and emotional moments, but ultimately settles in beholden to form rather than in opposition to it.
The story becomes a maze of conflicting accounts, back and forth between manuscript and reader—black boxes within black boxes, memory and personality transient, even basic facts losing a foundation ... Nakamura's...dark, elegant novel will appeal more to lovers of experimental fiction than fans of crime thrillers.
It is a dark, strange, violent, frightening story ... Nakamura is a gifted and highly imaginative writer. His characters and the shocking plot are bewildering and bizarre, with even the layout of the book supporting the dark, eerie theme. While this novel may not appeal to some reading tastes, it is a profound, revelatory, and deeply moving examination of the human mind, and for those willing to grapple with the tangled plot and deeply troubling themes, it will leave a lasting impression.
The stakes rise ... Nakamura expertly mixes a look into the criminal mind with a story of doomed love. This fever-dream of a novel will long linger in the reader’s memory.
