The jungle watches, the dead remember: Rainforest by Michelle Paver #Rainforest #NetGalley

The virgin rainforest seems a paradise to Englishman Simon Corbett. A last chance to salvage his career. A final refuge from a terrible secret.
But the jungle is no Eden. It hides secrets of its own. It does not forgive.
As Simon is drawn deeper into its haunted shadows, he learns to his horror that the past will not stay buried. For there are places in the forest where the line between the living and the dead is thinner than the skin of water.
A terrifying supernatural tale from Sunday Times bestseller Michelle Paver, author of Dark Matter, Thin Air and Wakenhyrst.

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Hi and welcome to my review of Rainforest!

I was so excited when I spotted this book! I previously enjoyed Wakenhyrst by this author and I was drawn in even more by the unusual setting. Unfortunately, I ended up with mixed feelings.

As expected, I adored the rainforest setting. The main storyline and protagonist might not have been all I’d hoped they would be, but the setting certainly was. I wasn’t at all surprised to learn from the acknowledgements that the author spent quite a bit of time in the jungle herself. Her writing is vivid and assured, and I found the vibrant depictions of fauna and flora very interesting. The jungle is a vibe and I was there for it.

Alas, other elements didn’t work quite as well for me. Rainforest is told from the POV of Simon, an entomologist with a bit of a murky past, through his diary entries. While a diary can be a great way to experience a story, Simon’s didn’t really work for me. I didn’t like him, but I also didn’t fully hate him, which means I felt kinda meh about him and that’s no good. It meant I never became fully invested. The author did a great job capturing the 1970s Zeitgeist, with its feelings of entitlement of white men and the destruction of the forests and indigenous cultures, but unfortunately, for me, that mostly meant I found most of the characters pompous arses I wanted to be rid off…

In terms of storyline, I guess I just expected more. More horror. More eeriness creeping in, at the very least. I’m a thrill-seeking horror reader who was just teensy bit bored now and then. I did enjoy Simon’s trippy experiences, and the fact that I never really knew for certain if he was just completely off his rocker, or if the jungle, or Maya ancestors, were indeed trying to tell him something.

Overall, I had an okay time with Rainforest, even if it wasn’t everything I’d hoped it would be. Don’t let my personal hang-ups discourage you from picking up this book!

Rainforest is out on now in digital formats, hardcover and audiobook.

Many thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.