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lizziaha's review against another edition
3.5
It’s hard to rate this one because some parts of it struck me so deeply, while others fell short. Lincoln’s grief was exquisitely portrayed, and though it was devastating, I almost wish I’d seen more of it. Saunders’ take on ghosts is intriguing and manifests in an interesting way. But because of this, the huge cast of characters can make the book confusing and hard to follow at times. I also felt a little uncomfortable with the portrayal of BIPOC characters (though I understand the book is set during the civil war, there were still moments that I felt could’ve been handled differently).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Death, Slavery, Grief, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Racism, Rape, and Child death
Moderate: War, Blood, Pedophilia, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Classism, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia, Drug use, and Excrement
eli_like_a_lie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Rape, Homophobia, Body horror, Suicide, and Cursing
Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Excrement
lilifane's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book wasn't for me and I can't really pinpoint why because there are several aspects of it that I really liked/found interesting.
I really liked the setting and the idea of the book. The way it is told is really unique, and I appreciated that.
The book starts with the death of 11-year-old Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son. And we get chapters full of accounts from contemporary witnesses regarding the death and Lincoln's reaction to it. I liked these chapters, they helped me a lot to get immersed into that time period. But funnily they also reminded me of my assignments at university where I basically copied and arranged a lot of quotes and then wrote my essay around them. Saunders doesn't add anything to the quotes he uses, though, just strings them together. Sometimes they repeat the same thing over and over again. But I actually liked that.
And then we have the chapters that take place at the cemetery at night. And we learn that the ghosts of the dead actually wander around the premises. They can see and interact with each other, but not with the living. (Didn't expect this at all when I read the book on Halloween weekend. :D )
And although I liked this idea, I really didn't care for the things these ghost said or did most of the time. I think, I only cared for the 2-3 main narrators, but I skimmed through the rest. And there was a lot to skim.
I do think grief, the need to cling to life and the fear of letting go were depicted really well in the book, but maybe the time period wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Racism, Suicide, and Slavery
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual assault, War, and Blood
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