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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Don't bother - there's way better dystopian novels out there, there's way better nonfiction writings about politics & war. The dialogue is clunky, the character's motivations are either overly broad or opaque and only the action pieces move things forward. By the time it runs completely out of steam, it's pretty much too late to give up on it.
Overhyped.
Overhyped.
I wanted to like this because I liked the premise, as grim as it is. But bad dialogue and hackneyed cliches of the South (up to and including flashes of Ken Burns's Civil War series) made this really rough going. It's thematically grounded in current ideological debates, but projected 50 years into the future, where not much appears to have changed. Perhaps with more empathetic characters I might have been pulled in, but the dialogue is so predictable and wooden that it just failed me. The dystopian novel needs a facelift, but not like this.
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A book that takes real events from the Arab world and places them in an American future
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War
Minor: Rape
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this because of the authors other recent nonfiction book and wanted to see how his fiction compared - was it the same high standard?
It’s a solid novel. A very interesting thought experiment on how the US in the future (2075-2095) remains stuck in an endless civil war.
It’s like the inverse of the world now, whereby the rich, powerful continent far away is actually pulling strings and keeping the US in perpetual combat because it benefits them financially and politically. The US are the ones in need of Aid, they’re the ones who have CIA-style spies infiltrating their country recruiting future soldiers for terrorism. The Guantanamo-style prison complex is also a clear commentary on the harm these places cause when there is no evidence or logic behind detainment except to inflict torture.
I hadn’t seen the ending coming and thought it was pretty clever way to close. Revenge was had but on a colossal scale. I’m glad it wasn’t a sappy ending.
I read this in a couple of days and was invested in finding out what would happen to the characters.
I enjoyed the chapter interjections from various ‘reports’ that give you some plot points and outcomes from a different context.
All in all - would recommend!
It’s a solid novel. A very interesting thought experiment on how the US in the future (2075-2095) remains stuck in an endless civil war.
It’s like the inverse of the world now, whereby the rich, powerful continent far away is actually pulling strings and keeping the US in perpetual combat because it benefits them financially and politically. The US are the ones in need of Aid, they’re the ones who have CIA-style spies infiltrating their country recruiting future soldiers for terrorism. The Guantanamo-style prison complex is also a clear commentary on the harm these places cause when there is no evidence or logic behind detainment except to inflict torture.
I hadn’t seen the ending coming and thought it was pretty clever way to close. Revenge was had but on a colossal scale. I’m glad it wasn’t a sappy ending.
I read this in a couple of days and was invested in finding out what would happen to the characters.
I enjoyed the chapter interjections from various ‘reports’ that give you some plot points and outcomes from a different context.
All in all - would recommend!
If I could split this book in two I would give the first half 2 stars. However, once the Chestnuts are out of “camp patience”. He book comes alive and I would give the second half at least 4 stars.
The first half was slow and not knowing American geography led me to be confused about the North, South, red and blue. I felt no connection or compassion with the characters and almost gave up on it. During the second half the author allows the reader to know Sarat and this is where I became engaged.
If you can re t through the first half, it is with a read.
The first half was slow and not knowing American geography led me to be confused about the North, South, red and blue. I felt no connection or compassion with the characters and almost gave up on it. During the second half the author allows the reader to know Sarat and this is where I became engaged.
If you can re t through the first half, it is with a read.