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leighsnerdlife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Gun violence
keepreadingbooks's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The cellist in the story is based on a real-life cellist who played for 22 days straight in the rubble from a mortar that killed 22 people waiting in line for food during the siege of Sarajevo. He has no direct role in the book and no lines – we are introduced to him in the very first chapter, but afterwards we only see him through the eyes of the three main characters, Arrow (a sniper) and Dragan and Kenan (both citizens).
It’s a fast-paced and thought-provoking book that does not occupy itself much with the politics or larger schemes of the war – instead, what is highlighted is the war from the citizens’ point of view, the danger and fear and death that has become part of their lives, how they cope and how they resist it (or not), and it is these aspects, shown through the eyes of Dragan and Kenan, that make this book worth reading. And then there’s Arrow.
I’m not too fond of exceptional hero-like characters, which Arrow is. I find it slightly unrealistic that one would, during a war, always hold on to morality and make the ‘right’ decisions – besides apparently being the best sniper around without having received any proper military training. Kenan and Dragan, however, behave and react and think the way I imagine most people do during a war – your own (and your family’s) survival becomes paramount, almost at any cost. You shut down feelings, push away thoughts, in order to stay sane. But perhaps at the cost of living, of your sense of self, and that’s the struggle we follow here. It’s an interesting struggle and definitely the novel’s strongest point.
I’ve read a few reviews that said the book made them cry. I did feel emotional in some places, particularly in the last three chapters, but I was far from moved to tears. I think the story could have been sharper, so to speak. I kept thinking that certain sentences and explanations could’ve been left out to create a bigger impact, and there was a bit too much telling instead of showing in some places. But it was an enjoyable read nonetheless – insofar as a book about war can be ‘enjoyable’.
/NK
/NK
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
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