Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
It’s okay, but it already feels a little dated and it’s only 6 years old. The story is about a second civil war and a deadly pandemic. So some of the notes hit different than actual history.
I’m a “Yankee/Midlander” so this isn’t about my regional history, so I cant really comment on how accurate it feels. But the story was interesting and the main characters were well written.
I’m a “Yankee/Midlander” so this isn’t about my regional history, so I cant really comment on how accurate it feels. But the story was interesting and the main characters were well written.
Stunning and powerful. Sarat's radicalization, the role of climate change, glimpses of reconciliation, revenge, all weaved together in an awful imagining of the future.
I really liked this book. Really really liked it. I still think about it all the time. The politics were interesting, and the development of the main character was heartbreaking, although understandable. The story says a lot about what goes on in other parts of the world right now. It's not a happy read, but I like the serious ones that make you think. This book definitely did that.
I really liked this book at the beginning, and it was really interesting. But then it lost steam, and I lost interest by the end of the book. Like The Handmaid's Tale, the future we see in American War is one I can picture easily. You do get a good look at what a modern war would look like, and it's interesting that climate change is what triggers the issues between north and south. I would have it expected it to be over something else, women's reproductive rights, LGBT rights or something involving religion. I know it's terrible to make an assumption like that, but I do like that climate change is what triggers because it is different than what you might expect. I felt like a lot of things weren't really explained or addressed, and it felt like something was missing regarding the use of fossil fuels. I don't know if maybe Sarat's perspective really limits what we know, since she was 6 when war broke out, but a little more broad of a picture would have been nice. American War gets 3 stars.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I both liked and disliked this novel. I enjoyed and appreciated the stories of individual people, especially the primary protagonist, Sarat. BUT the more I read the novel, the more I was bothered by the fundamental structure and associated assumptions of the novel. IF the US were to have another Civil War (the premise of this story), it would be Blue vs Red but it would NOT be North vs South. I increasingly found the geo-political dynamics presented in this novel to be wholly irrelevant to the issues plaguing the US today and to be erroneously modeled on US conflict in the 1800s. The focal point of South Carolina, the secession of the Southeastern States, the battlegrounds being primarily in the South. All of that at first seems "natural" as it reflects the first civil war. But if you stop to think about it, its not what would happen today or in the near future. there are rifts in this country but they are no longer drawn on those geographic lines. In fact, we should be so lucky that such a war would be so geographically "neat" and defined were it to occur. Because, it wouldn't be; it would be much worse and more chaotic.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Whew. Reading that book at this point in history. That was an emotional reading. Visceral. Gut-wrenching, far too believable. Great book but I need a minute to recover.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-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
American War starts out like historical fiction but gradually morphs into the diary of a radicalized youth. The future Akkad describes is eerily believable, and the protagonist is the perfect guide through a messy, complicated war. At times the prose is a bit overwrought or the narration overly didactic, which dulls the impact of an otherwise dramatic, heart-wrenching story. For a book that is crammed with politics and war it really has little to say on either subject. It never fully commits to character introspection or plot pacing, which diminishes the strength of each. But it's rare to read a story from the perspective of a violent radical; even more so to feel such tenderness in the depiction. It's a really unique book, which makes it a worthwhile read despite some technical shortcomings.
Brutal and amazing. Sarat's story will stay with me.