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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Just incredible. I hope they'll teach this in high schools some day.
I liked this book, but I had a real and nonstop issue with the basis of the second civil war (no spoilers I promise). There were some mention of "color of their skin" etc, but given how we are absolutely still fighting for civil rights and the issues people of color face daily, fossil fuels was the reason SC, GA, MS and AL broke off? I don't think so.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more before the trump era. Impossible to know, I suppose. But the very premise of the (premise of) the book was so flawed that I found it impossible to REALLY like.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more before the trump era. Impossible to know, I suppose. But the very premise of the (premise of) the book was so flawed that I found it impossible to REALLY like.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best books I've ever read
The novel is sometimes pat, sometimes melodramatic, nauseatingly violent, and pretty predictable, but it centers around an interesting thought experiment. I'm not sure that it totally pays off, but it's a thrilling experience. El Akkad builds a fascinating (if not totally believable) world where we can re-contextualize some of the tropes of terrorism in a dystopian United States. He stops short of challenging us with his central character, though, leaving me feeling a little bit cheated out of something more interesting and wholly within reach.
AKA making a terrorist
War is fought with guns. Peace is fought with stories.
War is fought with guns. Peace is fought with stories.
I thought this was going to be a stark look at a possible future for America. Turns out it's just a stark look at the reality of how a kid can grow up to be a terrorist. I suspect the radical right wing will totally miss the point on this book, but if they read it at all they'll just ironically agree with the freedom fighters that they'd usually dismiss as terrorists.
This is a cleverly written book with a not so subtle subtext. I hope that anyone who reads it will be given a better appreciation of why not everyone in the world sees the United States as the greatest country in the world, whether or not their President is a raving lunatic.
This is a cleverly written book with a not so subtle subtext. I hope that anyone who reads it will be given a better appreciation of why not everyone in the world sees the United States as the greatest country in the world, whether or not their President is a raving lunatic.
I kind of liked the book??? Like I think 3.5 stars but leaning towards 4. It made me think a lot but the beginning was soooo slow and the news stuff was pretty dull
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Character building was fantastic, super compelling protagonist.