Original and well written novel, compelling writing and an amazing setting. Will definitely recommend this book. Can't wait for the public to discover it!

I won’t pretend that I understood much of the technical parts of this book, but I was absolutely enthralled and compelled along the story. South American magic realism is a dear, dear favorite, and this novel delivered an interesting marriage of it with science fiction.

Dark Constellations is a very different book than what I usually read. I was excited to read outside my comfort zone and grateful for the opportunity to explore literature from Latin America. Pola Oloixarac hails from Argentina and the setting of the book is partially in Argentina (as well as Brazil and Patagonia).

The writing style is reminiscent of Haruki Murakami -- surrealist, magical, and at times inelegant. The pace moves at breakneck speed in a narrative style that is more like vignettes than linear storytelling. Oloixarac's descriptions are vivid, which is beautiful for depictions of the jungle and even the jungles of technology covered in this story. However, her vivid descriptions of sexual content were less about romance and more about meeting carnal needs. I had trouble connecting to them.

Truthfully, it was difficult to connect with much of this story. I have a background in technology so I understood the technical components of the story, yet did not find the hacker character Cassio likable in the slightest. The book is split into three parts, following three characters whose stories intersect and influence one another over the course of nearly 150 years, but it mostly focuses on Cassio and his work. I would've loved more time with the third character introduced, Piera. Though the final section is ostensibly about her and her research, she acts more of an ancillary character to Cassio's mission.

Up until the final pages, the book felt well within the confines of reality and I imagine we'll be seeing biotechnology like the kinds described in this book in the next 30-50 years. However, the final few pages went off the deep end into solidly science fiction territory. I love scifi, but I simply don't think it fit or flowed with the rest of the story.

Overall, I'm glad I read this book but unless you're a Murakami fan, I wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for a copy in exchange for a review.