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geilie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Torture, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Murder, War, and Child death
bagxofxtricks'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: Violence, War, Rape, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
space_corgi'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? It's complicated
4.75
As told in other reviews, the writing is VERBOSE. At some points, it is gratuitously verbose. But that is the voice of our narrator. An intellectual who is trying to dissect himself, but doesn’t quite get there until he is confronted with his own sins. If that sounds cool to you, you would like this book. Otherwise, this is not a spy novel. I mean, it is, but it’s more a reflection on power, control and war.
Also, I would say calling this a thriller is a stretch. You’ll be thrilled by certain passages that you want to underline, frame and paste on the folds of your brain lobes. But the pacing is slow. Arduously slow. And that doesn’t fall in line with a “thriller”.
Now let’s hop into what wasn’t so great. The narrator’s view on women is complex and disgusting at points in the novel. The sexualization of war and disturbingly detached descriptions of women’s bodies is frankly tough to read through. It’s as if every male author who wants to be seen as intellectual subscribes to using sex/analogies to sex/sexual violence as a way to show the primitive nature of any action. Reverting to cavemen? What better way to illustrate than to bastardize all men through what (presumably) they all desire? Come on people. Let’s do better for all the women that have to read through this crap.
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Violence, Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Vomit and Murder
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Classism, and Infidelity
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Confinement, and Colonisation
alexhaydon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: War, Rape, Gun violence, Body horror, Gore, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Child death
kaseyd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
ainereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, and Racism
leah_alexandra's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Racism, Violence, Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Child death, and Racial slurs