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Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, War
Moderate: Animal death, Rape
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Torture, Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Blood, Car accident, Sexual harassment
Minor: Kidnapping
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Murder, War
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
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: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Death, Murder, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Torture
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, War
Moderate: Torture
I was gone on this book from that first paragraph. I loved the irreverent literary voice, the second-person narration, and the way the story encompasses both an incredible scope and an exquisitely detailed setting and cast of characters. The details are by turns hilarious and truly horrific, and I have to add a major caveat to my recommendation: there are lots and lots of gruesome images in this book, (it follows a dead photojournalist in a war zone; he bears witness to terrible things, so we do too), and for some readers the disturbing will outweigh the wonderful. But I loved this book. The magical realism and sense of humor made the heavy subject matter bearable, and the acceleration toward the end literally raised my heart rate. The denouement dragged a bit, but I was reluctant to be parted from the characters so I wasn’t mad about it. Also, the narrator of the audiobook is fabulous—I will definitely be looking out for more from him, and from the author.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment