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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
“Everyone fights an American war,” and the shared misery of war, and being groomed towards and agency in violence.
So well written, I enjoyed listening and I’d like to reread the physical book.
So well written, I enjoyed listening and I’d like to reread the physical book.
This book was fantastic. It was science fiction, but a very empathetic look at the perspective of refugees, terrorism, and human conflict. Highly recommended
A book I wanted to like, but couldn’t. The book’s interesting premise (a second American civil war) is undercut by an unwieldy and inconsistent POV, characters with unclear motivations, indelicate world-building, a choppy timeline, and ham-fisted attempts at modern political commentary. A few glimpses of interesting prose or well-written action sequences weren’t enough to keep this novel from falling flat for me.
Unsettling but beautiful read, that makes you wonder what any of us would do for those we love.
I added this to my list after hearing the author interviewed on the radio several times. The concept was intriguing...what might America be like 50 years from now, what nation will our divisions give birth to? This is a weighty book, with much to think about. I suspect it is one of those books that will forever stick with me.
That said, I wasn't completely swept away with the writing style. At times it seemed a bit confusing, trying to comprehend the timeline of events, trying to figure out this new America that Omar El Akkad has created. Maybe I just wanted the book to tell me more than it actually did. That's probably the only thing that really kept it from being a 5 star book for me.
I'm looking forward to reading whatever comes next from El Akkad. He's got the journalistic chops to tackle difficult issues, and the imagination to bring them to life as fiction.
That said, I wasn't completely swept away with the writing style. At times it seemed a bit confusing, trying to comprehend the timeline of events, trying to figure out this new America that Omar El Akkad has created. Maybe I just wanted the book to tell me more than it actually did. That's probably the only thing that really kept it from being a 5 star book for me.
I'm looking forward to reading whatever comes next from El Akkad. He's got the journalistic chops to tackle difficult issues, and the imagination to bring them to life as fiction.
ALA did it again. Another book I would have never picked up. But I will be thinking about this one for a while. War sucks.
“This is not a story about war. This is a story about ruin.” Perfect summation of a heartbreaking story following Sarat, a girl forced to grow up through some of the worst that war has to offer. I did not want to put this book down but had to a few times, to take a break from the devastation. In all, a gut-wrenching reminder that no matter the cause for conflict or what side you’re on, war devastates all that it means to be human.
about a second American Civil War that takes place at the end of the 21st century, basically as a result of changes to the economy/landscape/etc due to climate change. the book tried to capture 1) similarities to the real Civil War with the North/South divide and 2) similarities to modern Middle Eastern wars and the development of terrorists. The South, seceding from a climate change standpoint, doesn't make all that much sense otherwise. Re point #2, it was clear that Sarat being the plague bomber was where the book was headed all along, which made it less fun/more predictable to read. There were other cliches/obvious allusions that I found unnecessary... Overall this book takes a fresh idea and then kind of mangles it, but I can see why it got a lot of buzz because of the climate change element. It will be interesting to read the formal online reviews...
This book was so unexpected in how it turned out for me that I still think about it all the time and I think it's themes are so prescient in the current political climate. It's always one I recommend to people if they're looking for something new.
I was trying to get into the sphere of cli-fi books and got this one from the library thinking it was going to be one thing and felt like it turned out to be something completely different. The cautionary tales of climate change and imaginative outcomes for a post-sea-level-rising world are in there and exciting to read about but where this book really gets me is its incredibly nuanced examination on political violence, insurgency, and armed conflict through great story-telling. I think Sarat is one of the most interesting character developments I've read. Maybe other's feel different but I think Akkad never really prescribes a way of how we should feel about Sarat throughout the story, leaving the reader to make their own judgements on her actions with the full story of her past. It eliminates the labels of good and evil and just presents people and their circumstances in a way that forces us to ask ourselves, would we react any differently to the tragedies our characters face?
I was trying to get into the sphere of cli-fi books and got this one from the library thinking it was going to be one thing and felt like it turned out to be something completely different. The cautionary tales of climate change and imaginative outcomes for a post-sea-level-rising world are in there and exciting to read about but where this book really gets me is its incredibly nuanced examination on political violence, insurgency, and armed conflict through great story-telling. I think Sarat is one of the most interesting character developments I've read. Maybe other's feel different but I think Akkad never really prescribes a way of how we should feel about Sarat throughout the story, leaving the reader to make their own judgements on her actions with the full story of her past. It eliminates the labels of good and evil and just presents people and their circumstances in a way that forces us to ask ourselves, would we react any differently to the tragedies our characters face?