Reviews

Koolaids by Rabih Alameddine

esmeroda's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

okay wow
one of the most unique reading experiences i’ve ever had. definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone in terms of narrative structure and it was so so worth it. excellent reflections on the AIDS crisis and the Lebanese civil war and in general, the types of tragedy so great they can only be described (mourned? reflected on?) through other tragedies of a similar caliber.

sabrinaliterary's review against another edition

4.0

I want to read about living with, and dying of, AIDS! No no, I want to read about the Lebanese civil war! Thanks to this book, you can have both.

loveinthetimeofmrsa's review

challenging emotional funny informative medium-paced

5.0

bearrigan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

adelineee_graceee's review against another edition

3.0

last book for winter semester 24 wooooo

greeniezona's review

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

kelsiepixler's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

litprof's review

challenging dark funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Poignant, ingeniously interwoven narrative about the Lebanese Civil War and AIDS epidemic, full of wonderful lines like:
“Perhaps the whole root of our trouble, the human trouble, is that we will sacrifice all the beauty of our lives, will imprison ourselves in totems, taboo, crosses, blood sacrifices, steeples, masks, races, armies, flags, nations, in order to deny the fact of death, which is the only fact we have” (125).
“I still have no feeling in my fingers. I can't touch home” (167).
“The guns have not been silenced. They have simply begun using silencers when killing” (218).

dramaqueenv's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• 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

4.25

mcancian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75