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mwmakar's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Brilliant. Incredible plot twist, constant tension and development. Ties in a thorough and brutal history with riveting personal tale. The ending hit the hardest but the whole ‘mid-game’, from the Movie until leaving the US, was vivid.
mkayzeee's review
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
magpie888's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An incredibly clever and well-written book.
abrdly's review
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
saku_3939x's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
camcc115's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
It took me a minute to get into this one, but once I did the only thing I had to say was wow. This is the first book in a long time I've slowed down while reading to savor and make sure I'm getting everything out of. I'll be thinking about this one (and reading reactions to it) for a while.
suzehint's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
miltoniansatan's review
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
katherine_shelton's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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
The writing is meticulous, the characters are complex, the story is fascinating, it's just an excellent book. It's also enjoyable to read, despite being dark and very violent. My Dad is a Vietnam war veteran and I was exposed to all THOSE movies, including Apocalypse Now, at a weirdly young age (WTF, Dad!) and reading about them from the perspective of these fictionalized Vietnamese characters was really embarrassing. I definitely grimaced reading some of the scenes that I specifically remember seeing in film ages ago. The author has a really clever style of writing that evokes empathy without being self-pitying or preachy. It holds a mirror up to American Colonialism, and other atrocities, such as disco fashion, without beating you over the head. In fact, it's hard not to feel like you're on the protagonists side, even though he's very morally flawed. Anyway, I recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
tr_sha's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0