Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
A hard to put down portrait of war and radicalization, told through an imagined second US Civil War beginning in 1975, mostly through the perspective of southerners. Some things wrap up too neatly or seem simplistic, and I’m not sure we needed the frame narrative, but I’m glad I read it. The author is a journalist who has covered conflict and revolution, which comes through in depictions of refugee camps, drone strikes, etc., and it’s clear the goal is to make Americans think about those who may hate us beyond our borders, and put ourselves in their shoes. Perhaps on the nose at times, but effective.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Torture
"What was safety, anyway, but the sound of a bomb falling on someone else's home?" -Omar El Akkad
This dystopian novel was eerily believable. Relying on commoners, not politicians perpetrating the worst of crimes and showing what might happen when we refuse to compromise.
This dystopian novel was eerily believable. Relying on commoners, not politicians perpetrating the worst of crimes and showing what might happen when we refuse to compromise.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I think this is one of the oldest @bookofthemonth picks that I hadn’t read yet, and it definitely surprised me. It starts slow, at the onset of the second American Civil War in 2074. Sarat Cheatnut is six, and the story follows her through the war. Her family spends much of the conflict in a refugee camp, where she meets an unlikely mentor whose teachings set her on a treacherous course through the rest of her life. I found myself growing more and more attached to Sarat, and ended up racing through the end of this one. Interesting and would make for good conversation.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
No
No quotes due to having proof copy. The review for the Sunday Times can be read here: http://bit.ly/2qyELH3
This book had so much potential, but feel flat. It was a reflection on how a "terrorist" is created, but meh. The writing was subpar. The characters were decent. Well developed. I just didn't care by the end of the book. I kept waiting for something more to happen.
Timely and intriguing premise, strong writing. It just didn't hold my interest and I wasn't eager to get back to it, so I gave up. Life is too short to slog through 100 more pages to finish it when there are many more unread books on my shelf to look forward to.
Amazing climate change-related speculative fiction. Set in the American(?) south.