State Of Wonder

State of Wonder

Author: Ann Patchett
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Lydia

          

Ann Patchett’s newest novel, State of Wonder, begins slowly but manages to hook the reader halfway through the story and then never lets go. Patchett fashions a believable world as she details the story of Dr. Marina Singh, who travels to the Amazon rainforest to uncover the truth behind her friend and coworker’s mysterious death. Tied in with this tragedy are questions of environmental and human ethics as Marina also tries to make contact with another coworker from her company who is also in the Amazon researching and developing a powerful drug.

In a place populated by savage tribes, poisonous snakes, and deceptive friends, Marina must uncover the truth behind each of these two intertwined mysteries. My favorite aspects of the novel are the descriptions of each locale, as well as the way the characters seem to come to life on the page. There is a major twist (or two) at the end of the book, and these major turns in the novel save this book from the rather slow beginning.