Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, War
Moderate: Animal death, Rape
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
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, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, Excrement, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Rape
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Police brutality, Religious bigotry
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism