Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
A terrible, grinding war, a back and forth of revenge that leads to so much suffering and death. Too grim by far for me. Sarat begins as a happy young girl, then the war destroys her again and again, her revenge terrible but pointless.
Terrifying, sad and gripping
A dystopian novel that feels all too possible. This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster as you read what could all too easily be our futures, filled with poignant observations of the human condition and capacity for suffering and revenge.
It was tragic, haunting and memorable.
A dystopian novel that feels all too possible. This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster as you read what could all too easily be our futures, filled with poignant observations of the human condition and capacity for suffering and revenge.
It was tragic, haunting and memorable.
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
A frightening vision of a second American civil war that is all too easy to imagine coming to some kind of fruition.
Highly recommend!
9.5 southern refugees out of 10
Highly recommend!
9.5 southern refugees out of 10
Pretty harrowing view of one vision for a second civil war. Could have done with a smidgen more world-building but at the very least, the idea of never being able to leave the war behind rings true (though in the end, what was anyone fighting for truly?). The post-sea rise maps are among the most chilling aspects of this, as are their implications...
A very readable novel of a speculative late 21st century America. El Akkad creates an admirable version of a society battered by climate change, disease, and political strife, with odd echoes of the 19th century American Civil War. The storytelling is very good too, though I personally never quite warmed to the main characters. Still, this is a well-written page-turner, and a worthwhile entry in the expanding and necessary field of contemporary literature that some have called "climate fiction."
The first 60% of the book is why I can’t give it more then 3 stars. The irony of Patience was not lost at that point. I didn’t find the book consistent in pace or even theme. I was expecting something different then what I got. Most of the time it just felt a bit empty and forced. The ending saves a lot of the book, but flaws in delivery are ultimately what’s hurts the story telling the most.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Ending is heartbreaking and unexpected
I read this book as Throughline interviewed El Akkad, and the premise sounded interesting. It was hard to read this book as a lifelong resident of the southern US. I felt beaten over the head with confederate redneck tropes, and Sarat felt like a caricature. The violence and horror of state sanctioned torture in the book made me angry at the failure of American ideals that Guantanamo represents. Before I listened to the Throughline interview my rating was 2 stars, but when I understood the rednecks’ representation mirrored US media’s treatment of brown and black refugees I increased my rating.
phenomenal, best fiction book ive read in awhile...very dark, incredibly engaging.
this dystopian novel addresses the trauma of war by imagining a second american civil war in the late 21st century, after global warming has erased whole states and coastlines, causing the south to be essentially uninhabitable. yet the concepts of heritage and family keep people where they are.
the novel focuses on the southern population of the u.s. and while no one really comes out looking good, it does not look down on anyone. rather, what i found most engaging is how the novel explores how concepts of heritage, family, land and the fights over them truly do not dissipate.
i cannot stress enough how, well, depressing this book is, but i cannot also stress enough how incredibly arresting i found this book to be. i absolutely never wanted to put it down.
this dystopian novel addresses the trauma of war by imagining a second american civil war in the late 21st century, after global warming has erased whole states and coastlines, causing the south to be essentially uninhabitable. yet the concepts of heritage and family keep people where they are.
the novel focuses on the southern population of the u.s. and while no one really comes out looking good, it does not look down on anyone. rather, what i found most engaging is how the novel explores how concepts of heritage, family, land and the fights over them truly do not dissipate.
i cannot stress enough how, well, depressing this book is, but i cannot also stress enough how incredibly arresting i found this book to be. i absolutely never wanted to put it down.