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heatherjchin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Trafficking, War, Death of parent, Grief, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship
not_dead_yet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The chaotic structure of the writing draws you in to the chaos of the forces driving the civil war. The chaos continues after death without missing a beat.
Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, War, Racism, Torture, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Genocide, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
cat_22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, War, Violence, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Child death, Body horror, and Homophobia
Minor: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
alisonvh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Drug use, War, Racism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Torture, Police brutality, Grief, Alcohol, Abandonment, Murder, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Blood, Violence, and Child death
vif's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: War, Abandonment, Animal death, Violence, Death, Child death, Torture, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Sexual content
brookes_bookshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, War, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia and Torture
Minor: Alcohol, Abandonment, Death of parent, Animal death, and Genocide
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Cursing, Death of parent, Classism, Confinement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Colonisation, Car accident, Child death, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual violence
sumunun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Torture, Child death, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, War, Abandonment, Alcohol, Homophobia, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, and Sexism
peonydancer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Body horror, Classism, Genocide, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Infidelity, Animal death, Blood, Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Death, and War
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, and Homophobia
rieviolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I quite enjoyed the writing style and the elements of magical realism. The narrative was challenging and even brutal at times, but very much captivating.
I have to admit that I generally struggle with unlikeable characters (especially if they are the main characters) but this is a rare case in which I actually appreciated all of these flawed and at times even unpleasant people, they felt very real and well-rounded in their portrayal.
I also liked that the story is deeply grounded in Sri Lankan history but the narration is not weighed down with long-winded explanatory paragraphs (which I really do not like in fiction as they stand out too much and interrupt the narrative flow), the reader has to pick up pieces of historical information as the narration progresses and/or do further reasearch by themself.
I also want to mention that the final revelation of Maali's fate left me completely stunned, I was speechless, floored, I still cannot believe it, it was truly a plot twist that I did not see coming and it landed like a punch to the stomach.
Some episodes/sections left me a bit perplexed
Because, on reflection, once you have seen your own face and recognized the color of your eyes, tasted the air and smelled the soil, drunk from the purest fountains and the dirtiest wells, that is the kindest thing you can say abut life. It's not nothing.
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, War, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Death, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Police brutality, and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Classism, Child death, Infidelity, Blood, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Confinement, Colonisation, Drug use, Alcohol, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Excrement, Abandonment, Abortion, Outing, Fatphobia, Slavery, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Rape, Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Cancer