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adelinaamouteru's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
What a book. Massive trigger warnings (pedophilia, zoophilia, incest, rape, abuse, and more).
Please leave now if you don't want any spoilers!
Reading this was a hell of a ride.
I am so glad the Italian version of this trilogy comes as one book, because I truly believe these are better read back to back to back. I do not think they could exist as efficiently in any other form. We follow the main characters as kids, then teenagers, and finally we get to their adulthood.
Let me take it step by step.
1. The Notebook
The first book is so bleak. I honestly did not think I was going to make it through. When I read about the dog, I really felt like giving up. I'm glad that I didn't, now.
It starts out with these two children who act as one entity. The oddity of it is addressed in the book, and I was believing it completely. I mean, it seemed plausible, to me, that during the War children could get so close in order to survive.
I felt bad for them, the entire time. They were so smart, so sad. They went through a lot as well, I couldn't help but feel for them.
I mean, they had adults and other kids abusing them left and right, literally every other page. I felt nauseaus the entire time. Some of the worst pages I've ever read, really.
The way they felt compelled to slowly let go of their emotions, deeming them unnecessary—it made me feel sick. The way they would only objectively describe the stuff they were seeing or experiencing, without ever acknowledging the way those terrible things were making them FEEL, it almost broke me. That's what made it all worse for me: The absolute lack of humanity and feeling, in what was being described. To stare cruelty, inhumanity, abuse in the face, with nothing but your own discomfort in it. Truly so well done. I will never forget how this book made me feel.
2. The Proof
I found myself asking why the hell no one would even mention or remember Lucas's brother. My theory at this point was that Lucas had always been just one kid, that he had created an "imaginary friend" before the beginning of book 1 in order to withstand the reality of war, and the solitude of being dropped someplace far away from his Mother. That he needed someboy to share the pain of the atrocities that he was enduring. At the end of the day, suffering with somebody rather than by yourself can really pull you through the darkest days. When by the end of book 2 Peter N. was being skeptical of Claus' return, I was feeling very much like him.
What broke me in this part of the story was the hope. It was starting to feel like hope. Like stability. Lucas, and Mathias. A family.
Lucas, for the first time, admitted to loving somebody: and that was his kid. He would've done everything and anything for him.
It wasreally hard to digest.
3. The Third Lie
So imagine my shock when i read this. I couldn't believe anything. I'm still not sure if I trust this third part. How absolutely brilliant, to make me feel for people who do not exist—while they do. Or do they? I'm SO not sure. It is so brilliantly done. Every time I think I got it, I end up questioning myself.
By using War as pretext, this book explores the human soul. Through a clever use of language and syntax, these books take us through a journey of loss, grief, alienation, solitude, hope, the search for the familiar, for something more, like love, for Meaning—the meaning of life, mostly.
In the third part especially. The entire time, Klaus says he's living to look after his Mother, for the love of his life (...), and especially to Wait For Lucas. When he finds him, though, he lets Lucas go.
It feels so ironic, the way Klaus has spent his entirely life looking for happiness—only to let it go when he finds it at the end.
I don't know. This book certainly is not easy to read, but it will make it impossible for you to leave your chair. You will feel for all of these characters, even the most reprehensible and irredeemable ones, and you will feel sick for that, too, but it is impossible not to want to know what happens to all of them. And then the author takes them away from you in all sorts of ways.
Masterfully done.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Incest
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
pumby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Deportation
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
sofiaacanepa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Deportation
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Police brutality and Antisemitism
yrlaevelyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, and Abandonment
lavendl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Alcohol, and War
ambarri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
vampire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma
A must-read, but don't take the content warnings lightly.maria_pasinetti's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality