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saskiahill's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, War, Suicide, Murder, Medical content, Islamophobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Blood, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Torture, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Sexism, Self harm, Misogyny, and Alcoholism
Minor: Pregnancy
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I first picked this up I thought, at 800+ pages, I'd be reading it for a month. Instead I devoured it in a week. Yes, it's long, but it's completely engrossing and so immersive. Plus, the short chapters meant I was always making time to read just one more little bit.
It helps that Pilgrim is a fantastic character with a fascinating backstory, and I immediately wanted to know more about him. We come into the narrative relatively close to the end, and a huge chunk of the book is given to filling in blanks along the way. We learn about Pilgrim and the Saracen (Saracen's history is particularly interesting), and their characters flesh out gradually as their paths converge.
The story is heavily influenced by the wake of 9/11, and a new terrorist threat to US soil. So it's incredibly emotional at times. Everyone in the book has been affected in some way and it certainly ramps up the pressure. The story is filled with secrets, covert ops and a huge range of sub-plots that connect in really intricate ways.
By the time things reach a head I couldn't put it down, and I read 220 pages in a day. It's a great, epic book, but the end in particular goes nuts on the tension and drama. But mostly I was there for the amazing characters.
It helps that Pilgrim is a fantastic character with a fascinating backstory, and I immediately wanted to know more about him. We come into the narrative relatively close to the end, and a huge chunk of the book is given to filling in blanks along the way. We learn about Pilgrim and the Saracen (Saracen's history is particularly interesting), and their characters flesh out gradually as their paths converge.
The story is heavily influenced by the wake of 9/11, and a new terrorist threat to US soil. So it's incredibly emotional at times. Everyone in the book has been affected in some way and it certainly ramps up the pressure. The story is filled with secrets, covert ops and a huge range of sub-plots that connect in really intricate ways.
By the time things reach a head I couldn't put it down, and I read 220 pages in a day. It's a great, epic book, but the end in particular goes nuts on the tension and drama. But mostly I was there for the amazing characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
quesarah's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, and Violence
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