Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa

4 reviews

sleepyredwolf's review

emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A heartfelt book, though I wish I could parse the politics and agenda of its author more. For some reason it took me a long time to complete this. I am ultimately glad it exists. I think it may have been more effective if it were about a fictional protest movement as opposed to a work of historical fiction about a real-life event. I say this because I find it odd to place the main character in such a central position - such as being the son of the chief of police - in a real-world event where you've blended together real and fictional events. But then again, I don't read a lot of historical fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality

Moderate: Murder

cheye13's review against another edition

challenging tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

This is an amazing book. A very important read – though difficult – for any American. Not a five star because it didn't strike me personally; I didn't get anything from the story that's unique to me, that anyone else won't pick up on. Still an expertly crafted and vitally important book.

Yapa's nuance with each character and the world within the book is so impressive, and his use of language is flawless. He strikes an excellent balance between empathy and distance, using a stream of consciousness narration that lets the scenes of intense violence ebb and flow, interspersed with scenes of beauty.

I was way too young to remember anything of the WTO protests, but I could not divorce the book from vivid memories of the 2014 BLM protests. A wonderful book, and an unfortunately apt one for our current sociopolitical climate.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, War, Genocide, and Murder

Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Vomit, Colonisation, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault

the majority of the book is graphic, detailed police brutality. It is brief and only once, but there is a description of Sri Lankan civil war that includes horrific and ethnically motivated violence.

emoryscott's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was a fantastic read. I had actually never even heard of the WTO protests, despite having  education in international studies. I love the way the story developed through each of the characters’ perspectives. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Violence, Murder, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

ardinareads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

thrilling, fast-paced, at some points violent and difficult to read. beautifully written. loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Murder