It's not surprise to report that Karen Russell has created a masterpiece with her latest novel THE ANTIDOTE. A singular voice in fiction, Russell has been on my radar for years as an author who continually surprised me with her creativity and magical realism. This book, which I'm sure will be a blockbuster next spring, was a profound and deeply engaging book with lots of themes, fascinating characters, and a setting I'm not especially familiar with - the dust bowl and Nebraska in the early 20th century.

It wouldn't be a Karen Russell book without some magic, and in THE ANTIDOTE, we have a prairie witch who acts as a vault for people's memories. They can make deposits, which she cannot hear, and once they do, they forget them as well. They are able to retrieve them whenever they would like to. This is all well and good until a dust storm seems to wipe her powers away. There are also sub-plots about a farmer whose farm seems to be curiously untouched after the storm, his niece who becomes the captain of her high school basketball team, and a string of murders in the town being investigated by a corrupt police department.

It's a lot packed into one book, but Russell handles it with ease and creates a beautiful novel that I had a hard time putting down. I know tons of people are thrilled to read her new work and I'm happy to report you will not be disappointed.

In The Antidote, Karen Russell delivers a captivating exploration of the intersection between personal crisis and the larger forces of nature and society. Known for her inventive storytelling and unique voice, Russell's latest work is a blend of magical realism and sharp social commentary that keeps readers both enchanted and reflective.

The novel follows a diverse cast of characters as they navigate their lives amidst a backdrop of ecological upheaval and societal change. Russell’s prose is rich and evocative, filled with lyrical descriptions that transport readers into the heart of the narrative. The setting itself almost becomes a character, with the natural world vividly depicted, reflecting the turmoil and beauty of the human experience.

At the core of The Antidote is the theme of transformation—both personal and environmental. Russell skillfully intertwines the characters’ journeys with larger questions about identity, resilience, and the quest for meaning in a chaotic world. Each character grapples with their own challenges, often mirroring the struggles of the world around them. This connection between the personal and the universal adds depth to the story, making it resonate on multiple levels.

One of the book’s strengths is its character development. Russell creates individuals who are flawed yet relatable, each with their own dreams and disappointments. As their paths intersect, the complexities of their relationships unfold, revealing the interconnectedness of their lives. Russell's ability to delve into the intricacies of human emotion allows readers to empathize with the characters, even as they navigate difficult choices and moral dilemmas.

The narrative structure is inventive, with Russell employing a non-linear approach that reflects the chaos of life itself. This style, while initially challenging, ultimately enhances the reading experience by mirroring the characters’ struggles and the unpredictability of their journeys. The pacing is deliberate, allowing moments of introspection to balance the more dramatic events, creating a rhythm that is both engaging and contemplative.

While The Antidote is undoubtedly a thought-provoking read, it is also infused with Russell’s signature wit and humor. This blend of levity and gravity enriches the narrative, making it accessible without sacrificing depth. The book invites readers to reflect on their own lives and the broader implications of the choices we make.

In conclusion, The Antidote is a beautifully crafted novel that showcases Karen Russell’s exceptional talent for storytelling. With its compelling characters, vivid imagery, and profound themes, it is a work that lingers long after the last page is turned. Russell's exploration of the human condition in the face of uncertainty is both timely and timeless, making this book a must-read for those who appreciate literature that challenges and inspires.

I couldn’t get into this and I really tried. It’s not the books fault either. Life just kinda exploded and my brain shrunk and couldn’t process anything bigger than a Hallmark movie. I’m sorry!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced review and I’m sorry that I couldn’t finish to review this properly in the time frame given to me. I hope to try this book again when life settles down.

Like Swamplandia!, this novel by Russell is original and clever and quirky, full of memorable characters and events and ideas. But, also like her first novel, it isn't as strong as her short stories. The momentum of it comes and goes, and despite the depth of the characters, manages to keep them at a distance from the reader. Moments of high tension collapse into reverie that drags and ambles away from the reader, but without offering anything truly compelling the reader to continue following the story.

Being a lifelong Wizard of Oz fan, the many connections between this book and that were not lost on me. Some were quite clever. The dystopian nature of this story in Dustbowl Nebraska centered around 5 characters (one of them a scarecrow!) was interesting and engaging. The time-traveling camera held by the photographer character could capture past and present, warning of climate change impact, etc. I enjoyed but wish it were shorter.

I love Karen Russell. She has such a way with words. I'm so used to her surreal short stories, I expected a lot more "strange". This was a wonderful novel filled with so many things. A lot of authors who try this don't get it quite right and the story is just all over the place, but Karen wrote it beautifully and told us a very interesting, heartfelt, novel with just a wee bit of her magic.
I will continue to read anything she writes.

The Antidote by Karen Russell
Received as ARC.
Brutal drought and windstorms in Nebraska in 1930’s. A tale of a young girl Dell and a Prairie Witch.
Dell’ basketball team needed money to travel so she works with the witch aka the Vault
Chloe An African American photographer for the government who’s photos have unique exposures of history and future
Dell’s uncle Harp whose crop and fortunes of life did not fail with the drought and windstorms
They group together to stop police corruption of an innocent man blamed for mass murder

Harp Oketsky’s farm in dust-drowned Uz, Nebraska, is flourishing even as his neighbors’ are failing. And a serial killer is on the loose, even if the town sheriff tries to bury the plot. Central to the story though is a “prairie witch,” the antidote in the title, whose strength as a keeper of secrets might be on the wane. Russell is famous for elements of magical realism and this novel too weaves strands in expertly. At times the stories of the various characters strain to merge into a cohesive whole but the vivid and energetic narrative is a winner nevertheless.

The Dust Bowl meets horror and magical realism and social justice. This was a wild, stressful, strange story set at the height of the dust bowl in small town Nebraska. It weaves multiple viewpoints, including a scarecrow’s and cat’s, as a found family tries to make sense of history, memory, strange luck, and a string of murders. This story felt BIG and is something that’ll stick with me for a long time.

All my thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this ARC.

To say that Karen Russell has done it again would be to imply that she's ever not.

This is a book that will one day be taught to others looking to learn Magical Realism. It is lush with rich characters, rich descriptions, in a world that is the opposite of that. Each strange or wonderful or awful thing is taken in stride because it's told with such great care that you can only move forward. To say that I enjoyed this book would be an indecent understatement.

I've not read Swamplandia, though I've read every short story she's ever written. I now consider that a great personal failing that I must remedy at once.

This book is a testament not only to the breathtaking way that Karen Russell sees our world, but to the years and practice and honing her art. She is as ever, at the top of her game. The prose is stunning, the story is profound and vast. And this look into the forgotten people of a (nigh) forgotten era is one I've never see before - at least not like this.

Swamplandia was a finalist for the Pulitzer - I hope this one wins the prize.

This is one of the most unique books I've ever read. One of the most creative, most caring, and most evocative. Since reading it, I can see the land that is now called Nebraska through the eyes of the Pawnee, the Polish settlers, and the people who will inhabit it in years to come. But beware. Reading this luxurious story requires some patience, because it's not anything like an ordinary novel. It describes the world through a number of points of view, including a cat and a scarecrow. And we experience magic and more magic, to the extent that magic becomes commonplace by the end of the tale. Magic seems to be baked into the Nebraska prairie, but you need the right eyes to see it. And when you finish this wonderful novel, you will have them. I promise.

I received an advance copy of #The Antidote about a week ago. Karen Russell is a mighty talented tale teller and in # The Antidote she immaculately constructs a flawless allegory tackling 2 of MAGA’S favorite targets-climate change and immigrants, but the main story takes place in 1935 sandwiched between 2 meteorological crises in fictional Uz, Nebraska: The Dust Bowl spawning Black Sunday eventually leading to A Bibical Tornado and downpour causing massive death from the 24 inches of rain that pours in 24 hours.# The Antidote is prescient in the past tense as it cleverly hints at the future. A Standing Ovation to Karen Russell for #The Antidote, a frightening and magnificently written tour de force.

I will refer to this as historical horror.

We all deal with trauma in our own way.
Put yourself in the prairie with a club in your hand…….
Now read for yourself & see if you can figure out which memories are real & which have been conjured up to help one continue living a peaceful existence.
Beautifully Creepy!!

This book was frustrating for me. It took me a long while to finish, and I really tried to like it, but it felt a little schizophrenic and all over the place. I appreciated the author getting into the 30's Depression-era America, particularly in the writing style, which took a lot of getting used to. The pictures from the era which were interspersed throughout the book was a great touch, and gave the reader more of a feel about the circumstances. The changing points-of-view was a little confusing, as was figuring out the when the events were occurring in the story. I'd never heard of a "Prairie Witch" before, and the concept was interesting, although how she used her stored-up memories at the end was a little surprising. There were elements of the paranormal, murders, cover-ups, basketball games, dust storms sprinkled throughout, and it just felt (to me) a little scattered.

I think many folks will love this story; I liked it, but it was a struggle for me to get through.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

This was a really good book! I love how it is a blend of genres: historical fiction, horror, and a touch of sci-fi!!!> Such a greatly paced book, with lots of themes, a fast pace and writing that makes you want to keep on reading until the very end!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I adore Karen Russell and was thrilled to receive an ARC for her latest novel, The Antidote.

Love: Russell's lyrical prose, captivating characters, and the mysteries of a sentient scarecrow (!) and time-travel camera (!!).

Didn't love: I think this ARC needs one more round of copyedits before it's ready to be an ARC. The second half of the novel was riddled with continuity errors (e.g. the sheriff facing the wrong direction to get a hat blown into his face) and the chapters start to appear non chronologically (particularly Harp's chapters after the storm). It felt messier as the book went on, to the point where I was reading for errors more than I was enjoying the story.

Definitely not my favorite work of Russell's, but I'll likely recommend with reservations to folks who I think would enjoy some elements of the story.

I am so excited to share how remarkable "The Antidote" is. Is it historical fiction? Yes. Is it horror? Absolutely. Is it impossible to put down? Just look at the bags under my eyes.

The novel opens on Black Sunday, April 14, 1935, the day when a tsunami of dust rolled over the Great Plains, nearly smothering the town of Uz, Nebraska, suffocating people and adding to the crisis of dust pneumonia. Karen Russell looks at this phenomena using five set of eyes: a prairie witch known as the Antidote, whose body serves as a receptacle for the nightmares and dreams of the local populace; a Black New Deal photographer assigned to photograph the dust's devastation, but whose camera reveals the land in the past and the future; a farmer whose Polish family recreates the injustices done to them in Europe on the Nebraska prairie; his niece, daughter of a murdered mother; and a sentient scarecrow. Every one of these voices is so fully realized that they could spark their own book.

"The Antidote" constantly surprises and excites. Russell is wonderful to read and hard to leave behind once you've turned the last page. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for a digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Karen Russell the author of Swamplandia! is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and MacArthur recipient.
The Antidote is a swirling story of the Dust Bowl and 5 characters who reside in dying town Uz, Nebraska during the Great Depression.
It's Black Sunday, and a raging dust storm falls upon Uz, unearthing the violent secrets of it's Beginnings.

We soon learn the sad tales of the characters and what brought them to the dead-end town of Utz including the Prairie Witch, the farmer, a New Deal photographer with a magical camera and a sparky basketball teen star. Russell's novel is a work of art as she includes themes of generational trauma and the readiness to forget what transpired before. The story of the Antidote is a harbinger for the future tying in climate change and our own foretold demise.
#knopfpantehonvinatge #karenrussell #theantidote