Content levels
Heroine archetypes
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Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
From the author of Annihilation, a brilliant speculative thriller of dark conspiracy, endangered species, and the possible end of all things. Security consultant “Jane Smith” receives an envelope with a key to a storage unit that holds a taxidermied hummingbird and clues leading her to a taxidermied salamander. Silvina, the dead woman who left the note, is a reputed ecoterrorist and the daughter of an Argentine industrialist. By taking the hummingbird from the storage unit, Jane sets in motion a series of events that quickly spin beyond her control. Soon, Jane and her family are in danger, with few allies to help her make sense of the true scope of the peril. Is the only way to safety to follow in Silvina’s footsteps? Is it too late to stop? As she desperately seeks answers about why Silvina contacted her, time is running out—for her and possibly for the world. Hummingbird Salamander is Jeff VanderMeer at his brilliant, cinematic best, wrapping profound questions about climate change, identity, and the world we live in into a tightly plotted thriller full of unexpected twists and elaborate conspiracy.
Tags
Is Hummingbird Salamander appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This literary thriller contains moderate violence, conspiracy themes, and sustained tension as the protagonist investigates environmental destruction and becomes entangled in danger. Strong thematic content about climate catastrophe and societal collapse.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include death, violence, and conspiracy (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will find the mystery compelling and thought-provoking as Jane unravels clues about extinct species and global conspiracies.