An allegory for alienation and climate catastrophe and a psychological tale where myth and fantasy are not the dominion of childhood innocence but the poison fruit borne of the paranoia and violence of contemporary life.
... Eerie and unsettling ... The novel emphasizes atmosphere and incidents over plot, implying that the pleasures of narrative resolution are out of reach. Occasional flashbacks fill in the family’s history, but offer no explanation of their predicament ... Written in startling, imaginative vignettes, At the Edge of the Woods is an evocative, terrifying story about a family’s efforts to survive a crisis.
... too mysterious to be fully pinned down ... The novel takes on an episodic feel, created by various characters who wander in and out of the narrative ... The novel also has an odd sense of humor, often presenting an acerbic angle on everyday life ... The book's most lasting impression might be the anxious mood that pervades the novel, the sense of the world--including other people--as irrational, unknowable and threatening. Some readers might think At the Edge of the Woods has perfectly captured the mood of the times.
... haunting, memorable ... Eschewing chronology and plot, Ono’s immersive narrative accrues insights about the nature of violence and mercy. It’s an accomplished work by a masterful writer.
