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dortz_solivagantreader's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book has been sitting on my shelf for a year before I had enough courage to read it. I'm glad I have waited this long because I didn't have sufficient emotional resiliency back then. This book would have swallowed me whole and spit me back in pieces. Thanks to my book friends in Just Another Chapter book club for being there to help me process what I had just read.
I love it because it's masterfully written with the emphasis on needlessness of war, and its debilitating effects. One of the most haunting lines in the books is "So it goes", an acerbic refrain that comes up every time someone dies or when the author talks about death in the book.
"there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds."
"So it goes."
"You know - we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being caught by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw these freshly shaved faces, it was a shock." 'My God, my God - - 'I said to myself, It's the Children's Crusade."
I love it because it's masterfully written with the emphasis on needlessness of war, and its debilitating effects. One of the most haunting lines in the books is "So it goes", an acerbic refrain that comes up every time someone dies or when the author talks about death in the book.
"there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds."
"So it goes."
"You know - we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being caught by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw these freshly shaved faces, it was a shock." 'My God, my God - - 'I said to myself, It's the Children's Crusade."
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Mental illness, and Medical trauma
dominic_caudill's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
But did anyone ever consider: war is bad?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, War, and Violence
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
fruitysaz's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
it’s time for my favourite game: time travel or severely debilitating ptsd! you decide!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Genocide, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gore, Gun violence, and Confinement
Minor: Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, and Drug use
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