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The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida follows (in 2nd person, which is less frustrating once you get used to it) a dead war photographer in the middle of the Sri Lankan civil war trying to piece together the details of his death, which he can’t remember. Through all this he navigates the bureaucracy of the afterlife and the factions of the undead, and there is a ticking clock after which he must enter the light or remain a ghost.
There is a dreamlike, hallucinatory tone that’s poetic and harrowing and dryly funny. This book is dense and packed with information. At a few points I missed details and had to reread sections, but those sections were so pleasant and interesting to read that I didn’t mind. In fact, I could probably read this book twice and pick out all sorts of things I missed the first time around and enjoy it just as much.
If you don’t want a dark or challenging read, this isn’t for you. There is a lot of war horror and body horror in here, among both the living and the dead. There are numerous factions, all with their own acronyms and atrocities. The characters are lovable but deeply flawed, and the protagonist is a closeted gay man who cheats on his partner. The narrative moves from one place to another and back again, interweaving threads in a not entirely linear way.
Personally I found it gripping and informative. I found it both funny and sad, meditative and suspenseful, beautiful and terrifying, philosophical and cynical and hopeful at the same time. At some points I felt like I was on a rollercoasting moving through a whirlwind of emotions and experiences so quickly that I could barely parse them but enjoying every moment.
I’ve certainly never read anything like it.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Torture, Car accident
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child death
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, Car accident, Alcohol
this is peak novel writing. TO ME!!! had to physically put the book down and stare at the wall when the meaning of "King and Queen" finally clicked. i love writing that throws you in the deep end and tells you to keep up. in my opinion this book deserves every accolade it's received three times over.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Death of parent
I would recommend this book to anyone who has the stomach for some mildly graphic descriptions of gore and the effects of war.
If you enjoyed this book/review, you may be interested in checking out other books I recommend: https://www.gossamerlens.com/post/2024-full-year-reading-wrap
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, War
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment
When I first saw that it was written in second person I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it but once you get through the first 50 pages it works as a way to immerse you. Once I reached the ending I fully understood the purpose of the second person pov (both to bring the audience in but also to drive the message of agency and the role of ghosts in), and now I cannot imagine the book working without it. In a book actively exploring the idea of distance/closeness to war the second person pov forces the reader to critically engage with our own position.
For a book set in the context of the deadly Sri Lankan civil war, I found the war violence and sardonic humor to be perfectly complimentary. The straightforward description of the horrors really allowed for the reader to interpret it the way one would an actual photo. In between the horror, the mockery of colonialism-politics-nonsensical violence gives us a respite from everything we see in the page. At times the humor even reminded me of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett (if their books were set in the most horrific real life context imaginable).
I would say that the balance between the scenes that took place in the afterlife and the civil war were not as seamlessly as I would have liked. The switch from one scene to another had a disruptive effect that at times took me out of the story. The epilogue itself I found it to be both refreshing but also a bit muddled (although not enough to change my enjoyment of the book).
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Indeed a very unique reading experience.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, War
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment