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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
A powerful book about a future where America has endured another civil war, one full of chemical and biological weapons. Turns the tables on preconceptions of American superiority and the necessity of violence in a world of desparation.
I really waffled between 4 and 5 stars. This was *really* good. I found it All Too Plausible. I suspected (and just confirmed) that the author has some experience with refugee camps; they felt very real. Plus Guantanamo (I read this before the 20th anniversary) and all that.
Not just a future history, with the war and violence, but also a story of what happens after. And even after. A touch of dystopia, but really readable, even given *gestures at everything*. And a female protagonist, but not like any other that I've read lately.
I've thought a lot about the ending, and
Not just a future history, with the war and violence, but also a story of what happens after. And even after. A touch of dystopia, but really readable, even given *gestures at everything*. And a female protagonist, but not like any other that I've read lately.
I've thought a lot about the ending, and
Spoiler
while I was initially aghast he burned the important historical record, I have come around to having her deeds forgotten. (Although I'm still a little appalled. I hate unsolved mysteries.)
The premise of a dystopian future and war brought upon by climate change may be a bit campy, but the human aspects are just astounding.
✅ What I liked: the author is a journalist by trade, and his experience documenting real civil wars is very evident. The conflict feels real, and the chapters that utilize primary sources as a vehicle for information are very effective at creating depth. he does a good job at showing how the "causes" that justify a war are ultimately irrelevant for many of the people affected. What does Sarat care about the use of fossil fuels? she's involved because violence begets violence, and often it really is as simple as that.
❌What I didn't like: many of the characters did feel flat to me, even Sarat sometimes. I felt the most disappointed by Dana's character. I'm not sure what purpose she had in the story. it felt like she wasjust there to die . What was the purpose of emphasizing how un-feminine Sarat was? of emphasizing how feminine Dana was? why did the feminine character die? It just felt a little lazy. what was Dana's personality beyond her love for attention, makeup, and her beauty? very tropey. The author is just not very good at the complex character work and uses tropes (misogynistic tropes) to do the work for him.
❌What I didn't like: many of the characters did feel flat to me, even Sarat sometimes. I felt the most disappointed by Dana's character. I'm not sure what purpose she had in the story. it felt like she was
It's clear why this ends up on lists of excellent post-apocalyptic fiction. This was intense, and the author did an excellent job of creating a lot of conflict in the mind of reader as far as right and wrong, vengeance and forgiveness. Is Sarat a hero or a villain, victim or persecutor? In many ways, this book was largely about control and the lack of control - how the actions of the few cannot be controlled and yet can affect the fate of many. Adults over children, governments over citizens, soldiers over prisoners. The narrator of the audiobook was outstanding, covering the voices of each character with ease and without being cartoonish.
In the future and after the water has risen and swollowed up huge swaths of the nation - our second world war erupts between north and south. This book follows a young girl, Sarat, and her siblings throughout the war and into adulthood - the choices they make and the hardships they face.
I struggled to get into this book, but once I did it went from okay to good.
Just excellent writing and storytelling. Read this if you like dystopian(ish) books that read like historical fiction and not science fiction. No mystery to solve here - I could feel the main character’s fate looming from the very start; this story - her story - was about the journey.
I have many thoughts about this book and am attempting to gather them before I type anything resembling a review!