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s_fz's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
z1z_in_ur_b1z's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
njoky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
vii67's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, and War
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
lindyloureads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
elizabgr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
krgraham6's review against another edition
With the understanding that this plot is about a soldier's descent into madness, I just couldn't continue on with how repeating every single chapter is. Not engaging for me but I definitely recognize the talent of the author
kate327's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
who_created_god's review
4.0
The story is incredibly compelling. I was expecting worse with regard to the gore and violence, but not only did I find it less horrific than a lot of war fiction, in a way, the brutality on the battlefield in the book is a shadow of the true horrors inflicted on colonized populations, and I think Diop is in fact alluding to this in the story. In that light, it's much easier to understand the violence as more than a device contributing to our questions about the mental state of the main character. There are many little pieces like this that have a double meaning, that make you want to re-read this book. The only reason I would take away a star is that I think the author is trying to get to a point about gender and the treatment of women as objects of fantasy (although not always desire), but it feels a little unfinished.