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.

The Unmapping was an interesting character driven story that has earned it's spot in the CliFi Genre. The concept of a city "unmapping" it self brought on by Climate Change is a unique and interesting story. This book has group of characters and they cope with the changes happening in New York city is gripping, and while not all the characters are likeable, in fact there is one you will probably not like period, it really hits the nail on the head on how moments of duress and chaos can manipulate a persons behaviour and character.

Bravo to Denise on an excellent debut.

I very much enjoyed the concept of this book - the city of New York "unmaps" itself every night leaving the city in chaos and the emergency response departments and workers in complete confusion. The story follows two of these employees and the lives that intertwine with theirs throughout the city as everyone scrambles to figure out how to live in and navigate - literally - the city each day. It may have been my mindset while reading this, but it fell a little flat for me. I think I was expecting less emotion and character driven plot and more sci-fi, science-y based plot. I'm still processing this book - it's pretty heavy at times - but overall I enjoyed it for what it was.

I thought this was such a cool premise for a science fiction book! The characters felt very vivid and alive to me, and I burned through this book. I also feel like it is a great love letter to New York City, and does a great job of capturing the very real way this plot would affect people.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Bindery Books for the ARC of The Unmapping by Denise S Robbins.

This debut novel begins when one day, at 4 AM while most people are asleep, every building in New York City spontaneously switches its position to a spot previously occupied by a different building. Basically, a city-wide game of musical chairs, starting the next day in a completely unfamiliar urban landscape with millions of inhabitants completely reshuffled.

A novel with a plot unlike any other, that draws you in like a fly to sugar, that will have you wondering what the heck is happening.
A reflective read for me especially after Covid and climate change that was a very strong debut read.

Solid 4 out of 4 stars

This book was very different from books I usually read, both in terms of writing style and subject matter. There are definitely elements of the story that hit home in ways that are uncomfortable, and facing those truths is something we all need to do.

The idea of an "unmapping" as a sort of response to climate change is fascinating and unique. I did enjoy the underlying commentary on how humans interact with nature, each other and with the artifical worlds we have built.

The narrative style is a bit all over the place - while we have a few main POVs, there is a lot of vaguely named or not named characters from all around the story. I did sometimes find myself a bit lost, especially when returning to the story after not reading for a few days. I also found the main named characters as fairly unlikeable, which I think contributes to a sort of unsettling feeling while reading.

Definitely a unique voice and story in this day and age, and one that I will continue to think about for a while.

Cli-Fi is a newer genre for me but I love an interesting premise and this immediately caught my eye. This captured the overwhelming panic & unknowing that happened when COVID hit without mentioning pandemics. There are many characters arcs in this and sometimes the jumps in POV were a bit confusing but once I figured out who everyone was it became easier to manage. However, it’s possible Robbins did that to mirror the cities' movement and jumps but maybe I am reading into it too much. Check this one out if you’re a fan of speculative fiction.

The premise of this book is so fascinating; the buildings of New York City start spontaneously changing locations every day for seemingly no reason. I was hooked for the first 100 pages as I really enjoyed the disaster management aspect of the story where city officials and emergency services were working to manage the crisis and reduce harm to the population.
We meet many different characters throughout the course of this book, and while they provided different perspectives on the crisis, the book began to drag as too many characters and storylines were introduced. I really enjoyed the portrayal of humanity and the vulnerability of the individual and the power of finding a group and sense of belonging in a crisis, but there were a few too many characters to keep track of, which lessened my personal attachment to many characters and the sense of community that they find.

This book was absolutely brilliant. I’m just sitting here, bobbing in its wake, floating on that sublime feeling I only get from reading transcendent literary fiction.

Books like The Unmapping are why I continue to request books by authors I’ve never heard of and that sound a little crazy. It’s books like these that remind me why I truly love reading: I opened it to see if today was the day I’d read it and was immediately sucked in. I read voraciously throughout the day. I skipped lunch.

Of course this book had to be set in New York. It’s one of the most-photographed cities in the world, with one of the largest populations, has some of the most recognizable landmarks on a global scale, and already has some of the most impressive disaster coordination and response measures in place. What better place to set a novel that plays a screwed-up game of Perfection! with its characters? You’d need a large city that would challenge the reader in the best ways. That’s New York.

In the beginning chapters of this book I said something about how the writing felt like Erin Morgenstern was writing a speculative eco thriller (which would undoubtedly be cool by me), but as I got further and further into the book, this feeling gave way to a more distilled feeling of this book belonging to Robbins alone, with brisk pacing, insightful narrative voices, entertaining dialogue, absolutely delightful worldbuilding, fantastic characters, and we can’t forget the plot (which is a dream for someone like me, who wanted to be a crisis manager at one point and has a degree in urban planning).

It’s diverse, fun, thought-provoking, well-written, and I bet you’ll see it on my best-of list at the end of the year. 5⭐️



I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Literary Fiction/Speculative Fiction

I love reading books and giving them a chance to prove themselves, regardless of reviews. But, damn, is it disappointing when they don’t live up to my expectations! There are so many points of view that it gives me whiplash. I really want to know from the author: why did you choose to include so many characters' perspectives? I only cared about Antony, Esme, and a bit about Arjun. Even then, I was disappointed because Antony’s perspective could have been so tension-filled, but we got nothing. The rest of the characters felt like background chatter; they were a bit interesting, but not important to the plot or to me, lol.

The book has a lot of potential, but I don’t think the author addressed the right aspects for me. There was so much focus on the characters' perspectives, yet not enough exploration of the unmapping, which is what I was really interested in. Additionally, we received no answers regarding why the unmapping started or why it chose NYC. In the end, I was glad to be finished with it, but after spending all day contemplating what to write, I feel that the book would work much better as a show, as it makes more sense in that format.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books publishing I received a ARC for an honest review !

I had the misfortune of reading this book while reading at the same time one that had a similar mysterious emergency plaguing New York (and the rest of the world, but nothing is ever as important as New York, is it?), and that other book managed to touch on very similar points in a concise manner while still feeling breathable. I had a lot of trouble reading The Unmapping, so much that it's probably the first book I request on Netgalley way before its publishing date and still not manage to read it in time.

The speculative elements of The Unmapping, namely those of a city that every night at four am becomes disjointed and untethered, where buildings shuffle themselves and end up in new boroughs and society has to rearrange itself to fit into this new reality, were the only things keeping me interested, but even those ended up blurring into a magical realism made up, of all things, of lucid dreams and fake trees made out of real tree pulp.

The two protagonists, Esme and Arjun, are emergency workers tacking this new reality while nursing their own specific grievances and preoccupations, which end up becoming what their entire personality hinges on, The characters were born to be specifically two dimensional, I'm sure, as they're both shown to be people that live with an absurd amount of devotion to another person - or to a job that might define them ao much so that it ends up eclipsing their own personality and sense of self, but despite being told (veeeery later on) that this changes, I never saw it.

A corollary of mostly unnamed characters offers perspectives into the rest of the city and the new ways society is moving, with rampant violence and theft, protests against the government and the formation of cults (who might or might not be capable of magic) taking over the country.

The tone the author chose is one that prefers to remain surface level and only hint at things (the biggest emergencies reach their climaxes off page and we hear about their results only after many weeks of distance, which, in a book about an ongoing emergency with emergency workers as protagonists doesn't bode well with me). The focal point of the novel is never what is happening though, but the internal machinery of the main characters and their personal relationships, recounted to the reader in a meandering and repetitive way. (Another reviewer also pointed out that all the women's storylines somehow revolve around a man, while it's never the same for the men, and I haven't stopped thinking about it).

Despite having a few BIPOC characters, and offhandedly mentioning economic and racial discrimination, as well as having a point of view of the very own MAYOR of the city, I didn't feel like the novel was political enough, and remained surface level on this aspect as well. We know from the global experience of Covid, and ones that are local to the USA like Flint and Navajo Nation, that any kind of emergency will always have its worst effects and repercussions on racial minorities and the lower class; a vocalisation and exploration of this sentiment that didn't come across as superficial or fodder in between descriptions of a flowing river would have been nice.

Also, very personal pet peeve, the author wouldn't know what Catholicism is even if it smacked them in the face.

All in all, I'm really sorry but I really did not enjoy it.

Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this so bad but it wasn’t the disaster story I thought it was going to be 😭😭😭

I couldn’t connected to a good chunk of the characters but it was beautiful so it’s definitely just a me thing

A fast-paced novel (I downloaded it yesterday and read in two sittings). And one with a very interesting premise. A good one overall, but didnt' quite grab me all the way through.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bindery, and Mareas for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

The world is on fire! Okay, not really; but New York is! Esme is making her way to work as she normally does at the early hour of nearly 4 a.m. when everything seems to change. The city has unmapped. Nothing is where it used to be and the city is crumbling rapidly. Esme works in the Emergency Management Department for New York City along with Arjun, a sweet friend who is more boots-on-the-ground while Esme is face-in-the-screens. They are working in parallel to assist with this unprecedented disaster all while working on saving themselves. Esme quickly realizes her fiancé is one of the missing throughout the city while Arjun is desperate to be a hero and mean something to someone. As our main characters struggle to save their city, we are given a look inside their heads as they struggle to find solid ground.

This book was soooo interesting! This is my second cli-fi book and I feel like I have a stronger understanding and expectation within this genre. I know this book will not be for everyone but I think it would be great for everyone to try! I truly enjoy how relevant this book is without the over use of modern social media, slang, or political environments. This book will hold up in the future as we continue to see similar climate, political, and social themes throughout our near future. I don’t know how to explain this book. I loved it. It speaks volumes about so many things and I can’t even list them all. Race, income inequality, broken governmental systems, climate change, bias, self-centeredness, and so much more. And let’s not forget, a cult! Overall, I’ve settled on 4/5 stars.