Reviews

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

bellsduckquack's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

selina__gilbert__'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m not 💯 on the rating - I need to think on this one. 

pjroeder's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

carly_l23's review against another edition

dark informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

debmed's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

paige394's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Really really phenomenal. Great glimpse into the specifics of the Sri Lankan civil war, human violence more generally, and also into what it means to have a soul

talislibrary's review against another edition

I don't know why, but it seems to drag

arenasg's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

dashie's review against another edition

5.0

If I meet the author, one of the first questions I will ask him is if anyone who is not Sri Lankan can truly understand this book.

It was a fascinating tale, written in the second person, which disoriented me for all of 5 pages, and then I didn't even notice. There was an ending, but it took some unnecessary loops to get there, but I'm guessing this version of the tale is far more concise than the previous edition titles Chats with the Dead. Despite the meandering and the very dated Lankan-uncle-humour that made me both laugh and cringe, I was riverted to every page. It was almost bizarre watching a story I know unfold in a landscape I frequently travel around. Shehan Karunathilaka's Colombo is actually pretty, mystical, and mysterious. Even when there's dead bodies littered all over the prose. The real Colombo could never.

I want to meet the author because I have 2 questions. The one at the start of this review, and the other: how much of the stories in this tale were made up? And how much of it is derived from the truth?

toastyg's review against another edition

dark funny informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0