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I absolutely loved Station Eleven and would consider it one of my top reads this year. Oooh, that "favorites" button is tempting. When I began reading, I was not necessarily in the mood for a novel with multiple storylines or a more serious theme, but Mandel drew me right in. Since each story revolves around one character, we already recognize the connection, making shifts in time and person a bit easier to keep straight. I found myself wondering, what happened before this chapter? What happened after? Also, unlike other books where one storyline is interesting and another is skim-worthy, there was never a moment I didn't feel drawn back in to Station Eleven .

Be warned that this book discusses a pandemic and its after-effects. I don't imagine all would enjoy reading how the world might crumble (considering our current pandemic), but I found it to be an engaging and realistic take rather than a more science-fiction perspective... All the more eerie. (view spoiler)[ I was thrilled reading about the moments when characters were notified of the pandemic, how the news spread, the fear, the way people behaved in the first year vs. a few years in. It was fascinating, too, to read about how the new way of life influenced children vs. adults who had lived before the pandemic. I also really enjoyed reading about Arthur's relationships, even though he jumped from one to another. I felt like Mandel described the influence of fame in a very realistic way. (hide spoiler)]

God, I loved this book.