Jun 23

Jun 23 In Ascension

About the book

Author: Martin MacInnes
Publisher: Black Cat

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

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Bookshop.org (print)

My Review

In Ascension probably wouldn’t have made it to the top of my TBR had it not been longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize, but I’m really glad it was — this ended up being one of my favorites from the list. I’m also glad I read this with a book club, because holy moly is there a LOT to process after that ending.

Beautifully, compellingly written, In Ascension simultaneously contemplates both our place in the universe and our relationships to one another. It’s about a woman named Leigh whose search for escape from physical abuse as a child leads her to a career as a microbiologist studying the deep sea and the cells that became the origin of life. A mind-boggling research voyage early in her career eventually sends her her to (literal) heights she never could have imagined, but she always feels pulled back home as well.

This is one of those books that toes the line between litfic and sci-fi in a way that’s perfect for someone who loves both (like me), but may go a bit too far for those who typically read one or the other. Too much science for the litfic crowd; too much ambiguity and scientific wiggliness for the sci-fi crowd. But as someone who has a high tolerance for both, I liked it very much.

The prose here is the biggest shining star, but I also just sank into the story and felt compelled through it. In fact, it was going to be a five-star book for me until I hit the last ~125 pages. Unfortunately, the penultimate section broke the momentum and felt like an unnecessary 100-page epilogue. But the very, very end — that was awesome.