1/5

One day New Yorkers wake up to find that their city has rearranged itself. Buildings and whole boroughs have switched places, displacing thousands of people, destroying the power grid, and causing chaos. It's the Unmapping, a strange phenomenon that seemed to be a hoax but has just proven it's very real. Esme Green works for the Emergency Management team of the city, she is competent and prepared to deal with such events, but she never expected something of this magnitude, or that her fiancé would go missing. Arjun Varma is another worker of this team, he's out there in the thick of it helping people and he enjoys it even, it's finally his time to be the hero. As the Unmapping continues, the locals will have to cope with a completely different way of living and existing, one that will make everyone reevaluate their lives.

The Unmapping as a concept is fantastic, is such a creative plot and opens up a world of possibility. If only the author had stuck more to it instead of the main characters. Esme and Arjun were both unbearable in different ways, did not care for either of them though being stuck in Arjun's POV was way worse. His only personality traits were being annoying and popping his anxiety medication pills. And then the author had the guts to add sporadic POVS from other characters dealing with the aftermath of the event, I felt this was superfluous when you already had two main POVs.

I admit I soft DNFd this at 60% and then skimmed it, but it was so boring. This had no reason being 400 pages long. Waste potential of a great idea. I came for the Unmapping and thinking I was going to get a reflection about global warming perhaps, and got stuck with the world's most annoying character exploration.

3/5 deeply disappointed stars

The Unmapping was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2025, and I feel a little guilty that it took me so long to write a proper review on my ARC. That being said, I needed some time to process my thoughts. In concept, this should’ve been an instant new favourite, and yet for some reason, the moments of brilliance were buried under the dominant feeling I was left with after finishing it: this was underwhelming.

What I loved:
We start our story with perhaps my favourite premise for a speculative novel recently: every night, at 4 AM precisely, New York City descents into chaos as every buildings, blocks and street in town switches places randomly. You could go to sleep in the Bronx and wake up with your house suddenly connected to the foot of the Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue.
In the shadow of this ongoing crisis, the lives of the New Yorkers are scrambled just as much as the buildings. Through multiple pov’s, specifically focusing on 2 members of City of New York’s Emergency Management team, we explore themes of climate change, political unrest, and life in a state of emergency.
Conceptually: chef’s kiss. I wish this had been my idea and have absolutely nothing to add. Then why did the execution not work for me…

What I didn’t love:
I think I could summarize my main critique of The Unmapping in 2 words: scope and depth. When writing in this subgenre of “literary-apocalyptic spec-fic”, there are two routes you can take. You can either go panoramic, zooming out and focusing on the event itself and its societal implications. Mostly, these stories will use the apocalypse as an allegory for a societal issue or a moral failure of humanity. Alternatively, you can go intimate and narrow in on the lives of a few individuals against this background.
Basically, I think Denise S. Robbins could’ve gone either of 2 ways with this novel, but by trying to do it all in the same book, she spread herself too thin. Instead of critiquing every element of the book, I’m going to describe the two version of this book that I think would’ve worked better:

Version one takes the more traditional sci-fi approach. We focus on the event of the Unmapping as a metaphor for the disconnect in society, and follow multiple fragmented stories of people working together to fix it. We see Denise S. Robbins make a start at this with her wide scope of characters, called only by their function-titles (e.g. “The Mayor of New York City”). She also works in various allusions to different themes: climate change, capitalism, societal inequity and lack of cohesion, etc. as possible catalysts for the Unmapping. Yet she never picks a single one to develop further, and elevate the message beyond something akin to “plastic Christmas-trees and pollution are bad…?”

Of course, not every sci-fi concept needs to be explained. Instead, in version 2, Robbins could’ve leaned full into surrealism and left the Unmapping completely unexplained. That would fit a more character-driven, intimate story best. Unfortunately, in their current form, our protagonists lack the depth and development to carry such a story. Both Arjun and Esme are flat and one-note, and any growth they do show near the end feels unearned. For example: Arjun has anxiety; we know this because he mentions his medication about every 2 chapters. In the epilogue, he’s seen having reduced his medication and being able to work through his attacks in other ways thanks to his therapist. Yet we never got to see the in-between stages of that journey, nor his therapist, on page. We just jump straight to the conclusion.
Esme is a different story entirely. Her arc revolves around one man at the start of the novel, and another man at the end. Outside of the men in her life, I’m not sure what her goals are.
This lack of focus isn’t helped by the stream of consciousness-style of writing. I think I understand why the author chose it for this particular story; as it could’ve added to the surrealist, almost dreamlike feeling of it all. In combination with the aforementioned, it felt less “dreamlike” and more “insubstantial”.

Overall, this book had so much potential, but unfortunately didn’t live up to it in the way that I hoped. It should be said that this is a debut novel, by a new imprint, and with ideas like these though, I’m very curious to see what both this author and the imprint do as they grow.

Many thanks to Bindery Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love The Unmapping of Denise R. Robbins. The concept is compelling and there are moments where the writing almost taps into something profound. Overall, the execution fell flat for me.

The narrative felt disjointed and hard to follow at times, with some stylistic choices that seemed more confusing than artistic. I get that the book is about identity and unraveling layers, but the structure made it difficult to connect emotionally with the story or the characters. Denise’s voice occasionally shines through, but too often I found myself skimming, waiting for something to click.

There are interesting ideas here, and I appreciate the ambition, but ultimately it didn’t resonate the way I hoped it would. I can see why it might work for other readers, but for me, it was a miss.

I really enjoyed the central theme of this book and it was read brilliantly - I ended up listening to the audio. I though the set up and main characters were written well and I got to know them and like them.

I loved the Unmapping itself as a concept and a response to climate change that made the plot unpredictable in the best way. I guess this is one of those books that gets so many props for concept just up front because it felt so beautifully put together. And the beginning! All the descriptions of the unmapping itself were gorgeous and I don't really know New York at all.

I also liked the main storyline. There were a lot of character vignette's which I mostly enjoyed, though some people could have gotten names earlier in the book. I also think two of the storylines were not central enough to the plot to keep me interested and I actually found one of the plotlines a bit annoying / dull. I really enjoyed our MC Esme when she was at work and talking through everything that was happening (it felt very Murderbot in that it was complex and intense and many many words but I still wanted to keep reading all of them), but things that felt too separate from the 'disaster' somewhat frustrated me.

That said, moments in this book really made me feel (literally, shouting into nothing at some of the character's actions) and that was a result of good tension building and intensity. And that cover! And the audiobook narrator was amazing.

Huge thanks to Bindery Books and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

This had a really promising start, but tried to bring together WAY too many disparate storylines. Particularly the cult storyline (never my favorite) felt really underdeveloped and I think its omission would have served the story better. The trapped child storyline wrapped up strangely and I'm not sure what its aim was.

Arjun seemed to fall into the Nice Guy pitfall - a caricature of the kind of person who expects things of others on the basis of them just being nice to them.

This book wasn't what I expected. The story was engaging, but the characters were frustrating at times. Still, I gave it a fair chance, and I think it has potential.

Great book! I look forward to Denise's future works.

My full review can be found on Goodreads and Storygraph.

Loved this book! Very inventive and creative. The whole concept of a city with moving parts is far out there. I love it. I can't wait for Denise's next book!

✶ PRE-READING ✶
I read the blurb and was immediately drawn in - I love a good disaster novel or movie. I was expecting a surreal disaster novel - something in the vein of Station Eleven or The City We Became - where the world turns sideways and characters fight to survive and adapt. The concept of a city reconfiguring itself overnight promised urban surrealism, and I was prepared for action, tension, and a hint of the apocalyptic.

✶ POST-READING ✶
As I thought... Yes, this is a disaster story - but not in the typical sense. There are no explosions, no zombies or invasions. Instead, it’s about how systems falter when reality itself becomes fluid. It reminded me a little of When We Were Real in that way. The logistical and emotional toll of navigating a city in flux was deeply immersive, and the worldbuilding felt alarmingly plausible despite its surreal core.

It surprised me by...How introspective and philosophical it is. The physical rearrangement of New York mirrors an inner unmapping for the characters: grief, identity, and the illusions of control. Esme’s struggle isn’t just about finding her fiancé - it’s about understanding who she is without certainty. Arjun's hero complex isn’t just noble; it’s a shield. Arjun's anxieity was painful to read about at times, showing how well the author had represented it on the page. The book pushes you to ask what maps we rely on - personal, societal, political - and what happens when they fail.

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦
Book Recommendation: Severance by Ling Ma – for the introspective take on disaster and systems decay

TV Recommendation: The Leftovers – for the mood of grief, cults, and existential aftermath

Denise S. Robbins’ The Unmapping is not just a speculative thriller about a city literally shifting beneath its citizens’ feet, it is a deeply introspective meditation on what it means to live through upheaval when the familiar becomes unrecognizable. Set against a near-future backdrop where New York City’s buildings and streets move every morning at 4 a.m., this novel uses its surreal premise to explore themes of loss, resilience, and the messy, vulnerable beauty of the human condition.

What sets The Unmapping apart is how Robbins captures the emotional turmoil of solastalgia, the distress of seeing your environment change while you remain in place, and makes it pulse through every character. Despite the chaos, people still crave connection, love, and understanding. The city may shuffle nightly, but the human inner lives are vivid, amplified rather than muted by the external instability.

The story follows Esme and Arjun, young emergency management workers grappling with the fallout from the unmapping. Esme works quietly behind the scenes, anxious and analytical, while Arjun seeks recognition on the chaotic streets. Their personal journeys ground the novel, reflecting the heavy responsibilities younger generations shoulder amid a fractured world.

Robbins deftly weaves in sharp social commentary on climate change, systemic corruption, and social disparity. The novel’s grassroots movements and cult-like “red cloaks” highlight how people seek community and meaning in crisis. While some symbolic elements, like nameless figures representing collective grief and the enigmatic “trutrees,” add layers of mystery, they occasionally leave the reader grasping for clearer answers. This ambiguity may challenge some, but it enriches the novel’s speculative and philosophical texture.

At times, the novel’s pacing slows, particularly toward the end, and the blend of speculative fiction with social commentary may feel uneven to readers expecting traditional sci-fi or fantasy. The science behind the unmapping is intentionally vague, and certain plot threads, such as the cults and lucid dreaming, remain tantalizingly unresolved. However, this strangeness is part of the book’s charm; it embraces complexity and discomfort rather than tidy resolutions.

Characterization is a strong suit here; Esme and Arjun feel authentic and flawed, embodying the contradictions and hopes of a generation forced to confront uncertainty and responsibility. Secondary characters appear in vignettes that reflect the broader societal fractures and personal struggles that ripple through the narrative.

In sum, The Unmapping is a creative, emotionally intelligent novel that lingers long after the last page. It is a book to spark conversation about how we live, grieve, and adapt when the world we know shifts beneath us. While it might not satisfy readers seeking a clear-cut sci-fi adventure, it offers a powerful exploration of humanity’s endurance, vulnerability, and quest for meaning in chaotic times.

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 1.8/5 .ᐟ

so it's very much on me for not liking this. there's blaring warning on the blurb that this is not going to be my taste: "character driven, literary speculative exploration," "for fans of exit west." there was zero chance of me enjoying this from the beginning, and it's very much on me. i feel like i've taught myself to ignore blurbs because i've been reading ya/na fiction recently and they always lie through their teeth in blurbs ("for fans of holly black" in all caps but then it's barely for fans of holly white, like who is this holly black you speak of?) but no, this blurb is absolutely true to the book.

of course, there's plenty to dislike about this book, specifically, as opposed to the genre.

first of all, the boring characters i was unable to connect to, and characters were this entire story. there's no plot, no action, not anything else to grab you, so the tedious characters were very... hmm. the fact that all of them but two were nameless didn't help, and neither did the fact that arjun(?) was basically a caricature of an indian nerd bordering on incel with zero social awareness. the one scene with the white woman running away in fear that was half-heartedly spun into a race thing? no, that had nothing to do with karens or race, as a desi girl, i would have fled from him faster. the romance between that girl (i couldn’t tell you her name with a gun to my head, and she's one of the two characters that have names) and arjun (don't think that's his name either, actually) was so... unromantic and dull. then all the nameless characters being named at the end and it turns out all them are critical to the unmapping? now, obviously, this is a book, not real life, and that's how it tends to go in media. however, the way it was written felt so cheap and uninspired.

and the resolution was so ridiculous. the explanation for the unmapping, everything that the characters end up as, and the kumbaya conclusion. i keep saying dull, but i don't have a better word for what this book was like.

maybe people who like speculative fiction will find this more to their taste, but this was not for me. i was so miserable about this, i think stopped reading anything for weeks, actually. i received a copy from netgalley in exchange for a review.

I wish this book had more to say. When reading the description and getting into the book, I was extremely interesting by the core concept of the unmapping. Imagine your hometown constantly reorganizing. One night you live next to your best friend, the next you live next to a dump. It’s unpredictable, unstudied, and unfamiliar. Now imagine this happening in New York City, a city that is lively and full of the most interesting people you know. This concept was extremely promising, and yet I feel as though the book missed the mark. I ended up feeling like this book tried its best to make a statement, but wasn’t strong enough to stand ten toes down on it. If it hadn’t sort of tiptoed around and just never mentioned the message at all, I wouldn’t have felt this way, but mentioning this “controversial” topic at all raised my expectations to a place that the book just didn’t meet.

At its best, The Unmapping told interesting stories about people struggling with this new phenomenon and what it means for their already messy lives. At its worst, this book either didn’t have a whole lot to say or didn’t take it far enough for it to stick.

Thank you to NetGalley, Denise S. Robbins, and Mareas for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A really interesting addition to climate fiction, The Unmapping delves into questions on community and fear in the face of an uncertain future. Robbins has a really voicey writing style, which I think lent itself very well to this book, especially as it takes a more kaleidoscopic, multi-POV approach. Excited to read more from Robbins and Mareas press in the future!

I was very excited about the premise of The Unmapping. How exactly would this work!? In truth, I have no idea still. The concept is still interesting, and the characters had to deal with a lot of ramifications of what happened after places changed, but that is about the extent of my enjoyment. Here's the truth: I was bored. So bored. We mainly follow Esme and Arjun, two characters whose personalities are akin to watching paint dry. We're treated to their inner monologue as they navigate the aftermath of all the places moving, but it just reads like one giant, rambling, obsessive thought. And look, I get it, as someone who deals with anxiety on the regular, I am sure my inner monologue is annoying too! But I think because of that, I certainly didn't enjoy reading someone else's incoherent ramblings.

The thing is, both Esme and Arjun are not only kind of dull as characters, they are frustrating characters. Esme has no self esteem or self worth outside her shitty fiancé, and there is really not much growth either (and definitely not any on-page). Arjun is equally unsure, but his kind of makes sense because he's sort of a fuckup in general. That, and his whole personality is "looking longingly at Esme while popping klonopin". But I think the biggest bummer for me was that I didn't get any real answers on the Unmapping in general! Like... give me some details! The end was decent, comparatively, so it did have that going for it. Still not really answering my questions, but I liked it more than the rest of the book, so that's something.

Bottom Line: Cool concept, but hampered by dull characters and a lack of answers.

This book had potential. It seemed like it was going to be similar to another book I had read called The Measure where some strange and unexplainable earth altering occurrence happens and we see how people learn to deal with it and with each other. That’s what this book should’ve been like. Instead it was a confusing mess.

This book focused mostly on two people, Esme and Arjun, and how they deal with what is called the “unmapping.” The writing style and choices Robbins uses for her characters was odd. For both main characters you see side characters treat them with some weird, passive aggressive attitude, as if they are children or incompetent. Esme, throughout the novel, seems quite intelligent and very capable. She has a high stress and fast paced job that requires her to think quick on her toes. However when it comes to her fiancé, not only does he treat her as less than, she acts completely out of character and irrational. Nothing about their relationship makes sense.

Arjun however, comes across as being possibly neurodivergent in someway but it is never clear. Honestly, being that he is a character from a foreign country, his demeanor could be due to cultural differences because it’s not consistent. He is a very poorly written character. Some of this is explained (poorly by the way) by his struggle with anxiety but it doesn’t explain why he misses social cues, is oblivious when he is being treated terribly, has an obsessive need to be the hero and then at the end all of this seems to disappear and he doesn’t even seem like the same character.

There’s entirely too much time focused on trying to explain the “unmapping” which is irritating because it is so weird and so unrealistic this would have needed to be a completely different book for that to work. And then to, ultimately, blame it on global warming?! Seriously?! That was lazy.

All that being said, I think Robbins’ writing style was good. There’s plenty of humor and the way she interacted with the reader in some of the early chapters was entertaining. Unfortunately her execution of the story was messy at best. I’d be willing to read from this author again to see if her story structure improves.

***Thank you NetGalley, Denise S. Robbins, and Bindery Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

The concept of this book is truly unique—it follows an ensemble cast of characters as they navigate a natural disaster. I especially appreciated the slice-of-life perspective, which added depth and realism to the narrative. The story offers some thoughtful insights into human behavior under pressure, which makes it engaging on a personal level.

However, the ending felt somewhat unresolved. While this ambiguity might have been intentional, it left me wanting more closure. A stronger sense of resolution would have made the story feel more complete and satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for a copy. This is out now!

The Unmapping is a unique speculative fiction novel with a premise I keep thinking about weeks after finishing the book.

We have a cast of central characters instead of one main character which I always love and I think the different perspectives make any story more layered and engaging.

Even though I loved the premise of this and honestly the execution in so many ways, I can't say I enjoyed my time reading it immensely. It is quite long and constantly has you asking questions (which I love!) but most of those questions remain unanswered. The lack of resolution in a lot of the character arcs and plotlines might be a positive for some but left me pretty frustrated with the ending.

This is very much one I'll recommend but not necessarily for me.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery/Mareas for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Bindery Books for the ARC of The Unmapping! I was so intrigued by the concept this book was written about - neighborhoods changing through buildings rearranging every night at 4am. This book follows the “unmapping” of New York City, while also describing the first city this phenomenon starts in. We learn about Esme and Arjun - our main characters who work in emergency services and have to help the city amid this disaster. Discussing the lives of other characters and the impact the Unmapping has on their lives, Robbins gives a glimpse of humanity amid the madness. From protests and grassroots activism to small interactions where people help each other - we can feel the hope people have despite global warming, political unrest, and a change in everyone’s lives.. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi/dystopian fiction. This is a fun read!

As New York's Emergency Management team is getting ready to face a freak out of season storm, a new, even more concerning disaster strikes the city - the Unmapping. At 4AM, without any sign or sound, all buildings in the city switch places. The department now has the deal with all the disasters
such a reshuffling would come with - gas explosions from broken lines, electricity and water supply, creating emergency shelters, people who lost their homes. And the worst thing - every night, exactly at 4, the map will change again.

We follow two primary characters Esme and Arjun at the Emergency Management Team. Esme is trying to keep the city from collapsing while also trying to gleam any information about her missing fiancée, while Arjun is on the field struggling to help people who don't seem to want his aid, and gets involved with the Save Anthony movement, advocating that the government save a boy who was trapped underground when the first Unmapping happened.

While those two are the central characters the narration isn't limited to their perspective. The narrator's style is reminiscent of the omniscient narrator from Frederik Backman's Beartown - it jumps from character to character, perhaps knowing more that it lets on, painting a fuller picture of the city and its occupants.

I was really impressed with the worldbuilding - it was obvious that the author had considered how the city would realistically respond to that disaster if it actually occurred. The story dealt with the bureaucracy of emergency systems, a lot of thought was put in how the shuffling of the buildings would affect gas, transport, utilities and what would be done to prevent gas explosions and other disasters and all of this was written with just enough detail to give realism to the story.

Another element of the story that I liked was the mysteries - not just the central mystery of how and why the Unmapping happened but with the tiny ones that are personal to the characters - the mystery of Esme's disappeared fiancée, what's the deal with the aluminum Christmas trees, etc. I have some reservations about the ending and perhaps I wish we had some more precise answers about some of the mysteries but that's pretty much the full extend of any criticism I can level at this book - overall, it's a very good book I'd gladly recommend.

There was so much potential that I am truly sad to give it two stars.

The first 10% was incredibly gripping and I thought it would be an easy 5 star read but by the 25% mark I was just frustrated, annoyed, and forcing myself to not dnf.

The POV jumps around in the middle of chapters, we have POVs that that are essentially single serve moments. I actually think this would make a great format for visual media such as a movie or show but on the page it does not translate well and creates a messy and unfocused narrative.

Arjun reads like a stalker and being in his head was not fun. I feel like the author was trying to write someone who is neurodivergent but it didn’t hit that mark for me. Esme is said to be this badass but she read more like a YA Romantasy heroine who is boy crazy. Unfortunately Esme is not the only example, another character gets robbed, loses her phone and wallet and all she can think of is the date she’s missing out on. To be honest I don’t think there’s any woman in this story that could pass the Bechdel test.

While there were moments of brilliance specifically when the author focuses on The Unmapping and the trapped kid but sadly that’s not the main focus of the story.

The premise was outstanding but the execution was lacking. I think focusing on one pov would have been more impactful than all the jumping around which made the characters feel shallow and incomplete. The dialogue did not help as it was used mostly for world building and made it seem like long monologues rather than organic conversations.