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Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Abandonment, War
The book is set in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1990, and tells the story of the death of Malinda Albert Kabalana a.k.a. Maali Almeida, a photographer documenting the civil war, who is also a compulsive gambler and a closeted gay man. He wakes up, confused and dazed, in a crowded office where he is informed that he has seven moons in the "In Between" to attempt to communicate with his family and friends, to find his photos and negatives that will bring down the government.
The story, told in the voice of an omniscient narrator, was sometimes fast paced and engaging, other times it slowed down and became drawn out. It does include some heavy subject matters including war, torture, suicide, genocide and matters of life and death.
I borrowed this book from Taunton Library and listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox. I read this for prompt 5, Magical Realism, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Car accident, Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug use
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Police brutality, Murder, War
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Car accident, Murder, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic: Genocide, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Murder, War
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Murder
Graphic: Death, Murder, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Suicide, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide attempt
The imagery, the mythology, the historical context, and even the 2nd-person narrative. I usually hate 2nd-person, but this was done so thoroughly well that I loved it. It made me reconsider my bias against 2nd person. The entire story was poignant, intriguing, and hopeful in its own way. Not only that, it gave me the opportunity to learn more about Sri Lanka.
In the end, when he finds out how he died (because that's the whole point) and he
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Torture, Grief, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Suicide
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Alcohol, Dysphoria