In an isolated desert village where the sun is gradually vanishing, two sisters—one a pharmacist, the other a wellness worker—grapple with the mysterious appearance of "Beacons" (villagers whose heads become blazing suns) and the unresolved disappearance of their father. Blending magical realism and quiet apocalypse, the novel explores themes of grief, family bonds, and the search for meaning amid inexplicable loss and environmental collapse.

Reader Review Summary

Set in the isolated desert village of Five Poems Lake, the novel follows two sisters as the sun above them gradually disappears, plunging their world into darkness and cold. The younger sister runs a traditional pharmacy inherited from her great-grandfather, while her older sister, Dong Ji, works at a wellness parlor. As the sun vanishes sliver by sliver over twelve years, the town faces not only environmental collapse but also the emergence of mysterious figures called Beacons—ordinary people whose heads transform into blinding orbs of light. The sisters become entangled in the mystery of the Beacons, which appears linked to the unexplained death of their father, a police officer who drowned in the lake years earlier. The narrative blends elements of science fiction, magical realism, and literary fiction, focusing on themes such as grief, family bonds, the search for meaning, and the limits of knowledge, all rendered in a surreal, atmospheric style reminiscent of authors like Haruki Murakami.

Readers frequently praised the novel's atmospheric world-building and evocative setting, with Five Poems Lake described as haunting and immersive. Many highlighted the writing style as spare, poetic, and effective in conveying a sense of melancholy and dread. The relationship between the two sisters was often cited as a strong point, with their dynamic portrayed as complex, convincing, and central to the story. Several reviewers appreciated the book's exploration of themes like grief, hope, survival, and the paradoxes of knowledge and ignorance. The magical realist elements, particularly the Beacons and the gradual disappearance of the sun, were seen as compelling metaphors that invited multiple interpretations. Some readers also noted the book's ability to blend character-driven storytelling with a surreal, apocalyptic backdrop, and found the open-ended, ambiguous approach to the novel's mysteries thought-provoking.

A significant number of readers expressed frustration with the novel's ambiguity, particularly regarding the lack of concrete explanations for the sun's disappearance and the Beacons. Some felt that the world-building was insufficient or inconsistent, questioning the plausibility of the village's continued self-sufficiency and the unexplained economic and social structures. The pacing was criticized by several reviewers, who found stretches of the book slow or uneventful, with major plot developments sometimes arriving abruptly. Character development was another point of contention, with some readers finding the cast one-dimensional or emotionally distant, making it difficult to connect with their struggles. The ending was frequently described as unsatisfying or abrupt, with unresolved plot threads and a lack of closure for key mysteries. A few readers also noted that the novel attempted to juggle too many themes, resulting in a narrative that felt disjointed or unfinished.

The book is categorized as science fiction, literary fiction, and magical realism, with strong influences from Asian literature and a Chinese setting. It has received a moderate average rating (3.79 out of 5) from over 200 readers, with a mix of highly positive and critical reviews. Content warnings mentioned by readers include death of a family member, suicide, violence, and stalking/harassment. The novel is character-driven rather than plot-driven, with a focus on emotional and philosophical questions rather than action or clear resolutions. The writing style is generally described as simple and deliberate rather than ornate or poetic, and the narrative is open to interpretation, leaving many questions unanswered by design.