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Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content
💫Gist: When war photographer Maali Almeida dies, he finds himself suspended in a purgatory, where he has seven moons to get his affairs in order and advance to the afterlife. Unfortunately, things aren’t that simple. As Maali struggles to remember how he died, his living friends rush to find and publish potentially explosive photos that expose corruption of NGOs, rebels, and the Sri Lankan divestment.
I have never read a book that more creatively encapsulates the impacts of colonization. As our macabre narrator floats around the afterlife, he illustrates the futility of moral superiority when the game has been rigged against you. From casino floors to guerilla war camps, how much control do we ever truly have over our own destiny? Not to suggest we should succumb to despair... but instead, find peace in a "pointless cause to live for" (and do as little harm as possible along the way).
Anyway, if your idea of coping with mortality is cracking jokes... this may be the book for you. Maali brings top-notch sarcastic humor and a promise that "the universe does not care what you do with your meat suit." Karunatilaka has a snappy and satirical writing style that spares no one from critique.
Bonus points for the introspection of Sri Lankan ethos, although our book club agreed we'd like more descriptions of the country itself!
Final thoughts: ❤️ Loved.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, War
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Car accident, Outing, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Abandonment
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
Graphic: Death, Torture, Police brutality, Murder
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
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: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, War
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt
Minor: Gore, Sexual content
Graphic: Gore, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, War