Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

An anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist, and a biologist all walk into an area named X. There they are to gather samples, map the terrain, and document their observations. But this is the twelfth expedition to Area X, which has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Each previous expedition has reported back something different, with many members disappearing or dying under mysterious circumstances.

This group, all women, arrives thinking they are fully prepared, but there is a large unmapped structure that defies easy categorization — the biologist dubs it a "tower," while others insist it's a "tunnel."

The story is told solely through the biologist's lens, and I loved how contemplative and introspective she was — prone to melancholic musings and not a little bit of a lost-girl feel. I really liked this one; it's moody, it's atmospheric, it's untethered. But there's some level of resistance to the narrative itself, like it was holding back, part of which is just the characterization of the biologist and part of which I assume is just a gap from which I wanted more. But I'm definitely interested in reading some more of VanderMeer's books.

Audiobook, as narrated by Carolyn McCormick: McCormick did a fantastic job — and there is a lot of emotional ground to cover here from a narrative and a character, both all over the place. I'd love to listen to another audiobook narrated by her.