How High We Go in the Dark

How High We Go in the Dark – 5 Stars:

First of all, I’d describe this as a collection of interrelated short stories, though I saw it classified as a novel—interesting distinction.

Telling a larger, overarching story through short, connected chapters isn’t new, but it’s done exceptionally well here. The variety of settings, voices, and timelines never feels confusing. Instead, it keeps the book focused and dynamic. Every chapter has immediacy and weight, allowing the author to show off a sophisticated prose style in multiple tones.

I really enjoyed this book. The theme is bleak, but it’s not a tearjerker—it’s an exploration of human behavior under extreme conditions. That said, a lot of people during COVID behaved 100 times crazier than anything in this book.