##The premise of *The Unmapping* is immediately gripping: overnight, New York City physically rearranges itself: buildings shift locations, residents vanish, the power grid fails, and every morning the map is redrawn. As chaos sets in, we follow Esme and Arjun, members of the city’s emergency response team, trying to restore order while navigating their own personal turmoil.

This is weird fiction at its finest, and the opening chapters deliver that sense of thrilling disorientation brilliantly. I especially enjoyed how the novel lets readers experience the unmapping through a wide range of characters. That multiplicity of perspectives adds a richness to the story’s emotional and thematic impact without becoming overwhelming.

The book also weaves in commentary on contemporary issues like political unrest, climate change, and the power of collective belief. While these themes are more ambient than central, they add texture and resonance to the narrative.

That said, the book's structure and writing style may be hit or miss depending on the reader. The prose dives deep into the characters' internal monologues, often veering off into thought spirals that don't always feel necessary or connected to their development. Both Esme and Arjun undergo significant growth, but the final stages of that growth felt sudden and not fully earned. I found myself wishing for more narrative cohesion and fewer digressions—it felt like the story could have delivered the same emotional punch with a tighter page count.

Still, this is a bold, original debut that will appeal to fans of speculative fiction with a surreal twist. While I didn’t connect with every aspect, I appreciated its ambition and the thought-provoking questions it raises about identity, perception, and resilience.

Dnfed very early on as I could tell this one isn’t for me. The pov switches rapidly with no warning mid chapter, I think it’s intentional to add to the chaos of whats happening but I found myself confused and taking a page or so to reorient myself before I felt back in the flow of the story. This constant shifting was jarring and kept throwing me out of the story which was frustrating. Interesting writing technique just not one that worked for me

What would happen if New York City suddenly decided to rearrange itself one night? And then again every night after that?

This fun speculative fiction story depicts exactly that and all the chaos that ensues and the interpersonal relationships and how they change in this new and ever changing world.

With multiple character perspectives, you really get a feel for how the public would react to such a strange and somewhat catastrophic event. It also shows the hope that can be found in community and banding together to make things work no matter the circumstances. You get the inside look at people’s thoughts and lives and the way that life is still happening and still has to be dealt with even during a crisis, so you see relationships being built and broken down by the same the events, hope gained and lost.

If your looking for a speculative fiction about the world being plunged in chaos but still ends in hope, this is your book.

This book had so much potential, and there were some really great aspects to it. I was immediately hooked by the premise - the idea that our surroundings could suddenly move, leaving us unmoored. Actually, now that I think about it, unmoored is a good word, because that's how the book felt, as if there was no central tether. I loved the references to ants. When their surroundings are disturbed, ants immediately find a new route, but it almost felt like the author didn't ever find a new route, and there were aspects that just did not ever truly fit, although if I stretch my brain I can see the reference. I actually think I would have preferred the book without the entire "Gleamwood City" subplot. Ultimately, there were things to love and things that just didn't work.

Bindery is absolutely killing it with all their books and this is no exception! I love the premise of the story and the execution didn't fail. I was so invested right from the start and it kept my interest, making it hard to put the book down.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the E-ARC. *2.5 STARS*

This was just OK for me. I was drawn in by the premise, which is great. But then immediately you are confronted with two protagonists that seem either underdeveloped, or like they've lived their lives being at the mercy of other people's decisions, thus not finding their own distinct identity. And that could have been part of their respective arcs, but it just was not fleshed out enough. Their transformation away from those starting points was not convincing.

My other major problem was the frequency with which the reader is led right to the precipice of action (that there has been some degree of build up to) just to have the scene or chapter end. All the action seems to happen off the page. A lot of telling instead of showing things happen. And I'm not one of those people that looks for this sort of thing, but it was just so hard to ignore after the 6th time of being literarily blue-balled.

And then how it all resolves was just wholly unsatisfying. The romance arc that was similarly not fleshed out - we were just expected to believe that these things all settled without any actual closure? To me, the ends didn't justify the means here. 400+ pages is too many to have underdeveloped protagonists. The vignettes into un-named side characters were somehow more interesting, and there were a lot of good parts of the book. Unfortunately, a strong concept cannot carry the full weight of a story. Also, the inclusion of climate change in the book was so insignificant that I don't even know why it was mentioned as a potential cause of the Unmapping.

2.5 🌟

The concept for this book was super interesting. However, I was expecting something completely different.

My first thought while reading was “WHAT IS HAPPENING.” It goes straight into chaos. With this being a sort of contemporary sci-fi, I was expecting to dive into more of what was happening, how, and why. What I got was character points of views on how the events were impacting them on a personal level, and that really wasn’t hitting with me.

I wasn’t a fan of our main named characters - Esme was consumed with finding her fiancé and Arjun was running around like a child trying to find ways to be a hero for others while crushing on an engaged woman and coming across weird. While admirable, the things that drove them didn’t interest me, and the repeating of their goals slogged. There was a multitude of other characters that went unnamed, and I didn’t really get the point of that when the story attempts to follow character development so heavily.

The POV shifts were confusing. The chatty run-ons about people issues were boring. The focus on emotions would have been fine if the characters were actually likeable. There was so much potential with this imaginative idea, and it fell super flat for me. I found myself skimming through a lot of the messy paragraphs.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for this eARC. Opinions are my own!

Publication Date: 06/03/2025

Soft dnf at about 20%

First, the good.
The Unmapping is a really unique concept. The writing is beautiful. The premise of waking up one morning with the city having moved around you is fascinating, and the exploration of how society responds in a crisis is frustratingly relevant.

While I didn't dislike what I read, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the story. I've picked this up and put it back down several times, and at this point I feel like forcing myself through it would be a disservice to both myself and the book.

I'm going to revisit this when it's out and I can purchase and read a physical copy. Occasionally there are books that my brain likes more in certain formats, and I'm hoping this is one of them.

I'm incredibly grateful to Bindery for the opportunity to read and review. While this didn't work for me right now, I can see the appeal and I truly hope that other people can enjoy it.

This was such an interesting concept, but the book was not what I expected.

One morning, the citizens of New York City wake up, and nothing is the same as it was yesterday. Buildings have changed locations, jumping boroughs and rivers. The Unmapping has arrived.

If you are expecting a thriller-esque story with lots of action, you will be disappointed. This book is much more of a character study of various people who live through the Unmapping.

The flow of the book was very disjointed, jumping from POV to POV, and not always giving the names of the people. While this was a bit disorienting to read, it didn't feel out of place. Rather, I, the reader, saw things unfold as they went and learned things as the characters did.

There were so many characters, though, and I had a hard time keeping up with them all. It was hard to tell exactly what the purpose of some of them were, as well. This also led to me not really connecting with any of the characters, which ended up being a good thing, because not all of them had their stories wrap up.

This book was much more character-driven than plot driven, which is not my personal preference. The idea is intriguing, and I do like the author's descriptive style of writing.

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I dnf’d at 20% (might not be a fair review)

I couldn’t get into this book. I rarely dnf but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. It feels very emotion and descriptive based, whereas, I was expecting more of a dramatic feel considering it’s like an end of world/disaster story. The way the character pov switches in third person regularly, confused me and I couldn’t get invested. I always give up until 20% for a book to change my mind but I wasn’t sold.

I’m sure this book will be great for people that are expecting what I didn’t but my mind was set on a different way of writing and telling of this story

I received an eARC of this book for review from Bindery Books | Mareas via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The premise of this book is unique and fascinating, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy the execution. It is literary ecofiction with nice prose and an interesting setup. The idea is that cites have started to rearrange themselves daily for unknown reasons. We explore the effects of this mystery primary through the eyes of two emergency workers, a woman with a distant and noncommittal fiancé and a man with a hero complex and a crush on the woman protagonist. Neither is particularly interesting to follow. As I was reading the end, I recognized themes related to human society and impact on nature. Unfortunately, only a day later and I no longer verbalize those connections.

There is an audience for this book... those that seek out speculative literary novels should give this a try. It just didn't work for me.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 on NetGalley

Imagine waking up one morning and your home is not where it was when you went to sleep. This is the Unmapping and every night at 4am New York’s buildings rearrange themselves.

We follow two employees of the Emergency Response Department in New York City, Esme and Arjun. Esme has a mind to solve problems, as she works to solve blackouts and gas leaks what really is weighing on her mind is her fiancé who is missing. Arjun is part of the teams on the ground and he desperately wants to be a hero.

This is a thought provoking literary dystopian about an unbelievable situation that is eloquently explored by following the two main characters and brief side quests. There is a surprising dry humour weaved in.

There is the baffling bureaucracy of it all but the story is more about how individuals and society react under pressure and uncertainty. The things that push us forward in a crisis or hold us back. It’s about relationships, how we come together or fall apart, whether in person or through social media.

The Unmapping 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review:

Imagine Christopher Nolan got high and wrote a Day After Tomorrow Fan Fic and it was edited by Fredrick Backman.

One day, a city mysteriously moves around and two emergency responders have to deal with the aftermath math. Meanwhile, regular citizens have to adjust to their circumstances.

Dual meaning:

If you remain comfortable in life, for the sake of being comfortable or if you stay in a situation you shouldn’t be in, then life will force you to change.

Climate change, if not fixed, will eventually force humans to adapt and change how they live.

But humans are resilient and if natural disasters start happening through community we can continue to survive and rebuild society.

Arjun giving dude from 500 days of summer that was the “nice guy” and thought he was entitled to the girl he watched from afar.

Esme confronts him and tell him why he thought she would be willing to drop her whole life while she was engaged.

A story that was told in 294 could have been cut down by 234 pages and still gotten the same result and messaging.

Left me feeling dead inside.

The Unmapping follows a mysterious event that takes place in New York City, switching locations of buildings and creating general confusion and chaos. As the characters struggle to make sense of this, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways.

While I found most of the characters unlikable, the mystery of the unmapping motivated me to complete the story, and I enjoyed the multiple POVs as they offered a layered perspective on how the event impacted different people.

The ending was ambiguous and many questions are left unanswered, but the journey itself was engaging enough to make for an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mareas Books for the e-ARC.

This book was quite a unique experience. I think this would be the definition of literary sci-fi. There were a lot of dystopian leaning points that parallel our own society. I enjoyed the pace of the book as well as the interaction between the characters. I was sad to not have more resolution in the story but that is life as well/
I will definitely seek out more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4.25⭐️
Cults and Christmas trees and hurricanes, oh my! The Unmapping packs a lot of chaos into its pages, but it does so with a talented hand and a clear focus, guiding readers through the storm (both internal and external) that our characters are thrown into. This book was really reminiscent to me of An Absolutely remarkable Thing, which is a favorite- the use of a giant, world disrupting event to reflect on our current climate is a structure that works really well for me as a reader. I think a point a lot of readers might struggle on however is the “likeability” of the characters. The characters we follow are not perfect representations of how we strive to be but instead complex and imperfect, trying their best to navigate through the challenges presented to them. Personally I much prefer this as a reader. I can’t WAIT for the Unmapping to find more of its audience because it is truly such a great book, and if you are looking for your next slightly weird, chaotic, and exciting read, I HIGHLY encourage you to pick it up. It will not disappoint.

Thank you to Bindery and Netgalley for this eARC- a note that I am a supporter of the Mareas Bindery imprint, though this review is entirely my own honest opinion

The premise of this book was very good. It was interesting and thought provoking. I love books that present new ideas. I did find myself struggling to remain engaged and emotionally connected to the characters, that may have just been my preference as a reader rather than a problem with the book. Overall, it was a great book!

Wonderfully weird!

The Unmapping has a wild and simple premise. At precisely 4 AM, all the buildings and blocks in New York City switch places randomly. Sheer, utter chaos ensues. Robbins does a phenomenal job of capturing how a city would respond to this chaos and follows a few key characters through the Unmapping. The book reads like a fever dream, surreal in all the plot points. I have a soft spot for books like this, and I was entertained thoroughly. This is very much a character-driven book, even though the plot is the really interesting thing about it, which would make this difficult to recommend to people. I went in expecting a fun read that would provide little to no explanation, and that is close to what I got, with a dollop of insightful prose, so I'm pretty happy with it.

Some things that really irked me though, was the one-dimensional characterization of most of the women in this book, and the stereotypical depiction of India. Esme was a favorite, but Arjun's character was pretty superfluous. I've forgotten every other character's name, but they were part of some brilliant world-building.

All in all, I think Robbins did a fantastic job of capturing a crisis that spreads (a very obvious inspiration was taken here) and creating fictional people who live in such a crazy world. Having gone through a global event or two in the past few years, I chuckled along with some of the things in this book. Buildings could start switching places and we'd still be expected to go on with life—yeah, I can believe that.

I have one final question though. Where did Central Park go? Did it stay together or get broken up? I demand answers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery books for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited about this book as the synopsis sounded fascinating. While I did enjoy it, and this is a positive review, the book didn’t pull me in as I’d hoped. I expected a more plot driven narrative and instead found it to be more character driven. Readers who enjoy character driven books should give this one a try.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely love the premise of this book, that at 4am every day the buildings in New York City rearrange themselves. I love the focus on collective action, city workers and grassroots groups responding to the emergency. Less into the characters and their personal struggles. But this is an interesting book, worth checking out especially if you like things like The City We Became.