Scan barcode
leah_alexandra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a really good follow-up to The Sympathizer. The stakes felt a little lower due to the change of settings (drug dealing scheme vs. war), but the book has the same compelling urge and forward momentum. Viet Thanh Nguyen is just such a strong and effective writer. I'm so glad I picked up both this and The Sympathizer, as they're not the types of books I generally read. You must know going in, however, that this book is violent and graphic. Content warnings abound.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
More...