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katie_hg's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book highlighted the true experience of veterans in world war 2 and very heavily focused on themes of appearance vs reality.In my opinion, the ending of this book was unsatisfactory but I do understand that it was a result of personal growth of the main character Francis Cassavant
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
etiolation's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
saladfingers69's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shereadsbookssometimes's review against another edition
5.0
I had to read this for my GCSE in English, however i didn't expect for the novel to be this good.
"My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and i have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and i have no face"
Francis is a very blunt character, he tells things like it is. In the vivid description of his wounds (chapter 1) you can straight away tell that he isn't affected by them, yet he wants to stay anonymous so he hides his face. I couldn't help but pity the character of Francis, after all he's been through: fighting in the war, the grenade, his wounds, his heartache over Nicole. He still remains a strong character.
Nicole is a minor character in this book, yet she plays a huge part in the story line. Being Francis' first love she holds a lot of power over his actions. She kind of reminded me of Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men (written by John Steinbeck) but then i realised that, well, Nicole is just a young girl that apparently is so beautiful that she is Francis' love at first sight. Rather that a character that flirts with every male in the story for attention *cough cough* Curley's Wife.
The book is written in a style that jumps from present tense to past tense, through this you get the chance to see a more in depth development of the characters- mainly Nicole and Francis. Even the whole historical context of the book is expressed in such detail that you can actually picture the veterans walking around in their uniforms with scared faces and missing limbs.
Simply fantastic- no other word needed- it can be summed up that easily. Because thats what this book is. Fantastic!
"My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and i have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and i have no face"
Francis is a very blunt character, he tells things like it is. In the vivid description of his wounds (chapter 1) you can straight away tell that he isn't affected by them, yet he wants to stay anonymous so he hides his face. I couldn't help but pity the character of Francis, after all he's been through: fighting in the war, the grenade, his wounds, his heartache over Nicole. He still remains a strong character.
Nicole is a minor character in this book, yet she plays a huge part in the story line. Being Francis' first love she holds a lot of power over his actions. She kind of reminded me of Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men (written by John Steinbeck) but then i realised that, well, Nicole is just a young girl that apparently is so beautiful that she is Francis' love at first sight. Rather that a character that flirts with every male in the story for attention *cough cough* Curley's Wife.
The book is written in a style that jumps from present tense to past tense, through this you get the chance to see a more in depth development of the characters- mainly Nicole and Francis. Even the whole historical context of the book is expressed in such detail that you can actually picture the veterans walking around in their uniforms with scared faces and missing limbs.
Simply fantastic- no other word needed- it can be summed up that easily. Because thats what this book is. Fantastic!
teebles's review against another edition
2.0
Still not my fave, but I liked it more than the first time I read it.
I feel like reading it more than once really helped to understand the story and to understand the depth of foreshadowing.
The metaphorical journey that Francis goes on is really inspiring. The only thing is that it can be a little bit boring. However, the actual metaphors associating to war were great.
I feel like reading it more than once really helped to understand the story and to understand the depth of foreshadowing.
The metaphorical journey that Francis goes on is really inspiring. The only thing is that it can be a little bit boring. However, the actual metaphors associating to war were great.
lyonstails's review
3.0
I read this book because I'm tutoring someone who is studying it and wanted to be on the same page to help with his work. He assured me it was pretty boring, and that he preferred the other text they were studying, so I didn't jump in with too many expectations as I know that feeling too well from my own school days studying war books.
I finished it in a day (not too difficult considering the size). It was an excellent study on how we perceive veterans and reasons young men may have signed up to war other than anticipated glory. The character of Francis was extraordinarily portrayed and the novella was a perfect length for what the story needed to be.
I'm just waiting to see my student again and tell him my thoughts. It's the first time I acknowledge I will be considered a giant nerd, and the first time I'm totally okay with that.
I finished it in a day (not too difficult considering the size). It was an excellent study on how we perceive veterans and reasons young men may have signed up to war other than anticipated glory. The character of Francis was extraordinarily portrayed and the novella was a perfect length for what the story needed to be.
I'm just waiting to see my student again and tell him my thoughts. It's the first time I acknowledge I will be considered a giant nerd, and the first time I'm totally okay with that.
spiderhands's review against another edition
1.0
This is the worst book ever written. I had to read it with my Year 9s and this is the single least engaging book of all time. I felt bored while I was reading it with them. How many goddamn ping-pong descriptions can one man write? GOD.
speedy_marsupial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
em_how's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25