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abrownb15's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such a devastating and often explicit book about war and aggression. Told through one man’s thoughts and experiences. Tough to read but important.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Violence, and Sexual violence
hannahdavey's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Gore, and Grief
mordshunger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This one was not for me.
Repetitive quirks in the style that I grew to despise, graphic violence, weird ending.
Repetitive quirks in the style that I grew to despise, graphic violence, weird ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, War, Death, and Violence
metalcutesolid's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Gore and Rape
Minor: Slavery
aden_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape
innastholiel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m a little torn about this one, to be honest. I really enjoyed the writing, it’s very compelling (God’s truth, repetitive though it is). But what I don’t enjoy is the weirdly objectifying sexual imagery. Like, I get it, the trench is your home and because your mommy left when you were a kid you think of it as a womb, so you think of its entrance as a vagina, but still. It’s weird without really making a point. I really would like to pretend that there is a legitimate reason for including this imagery that I’m too dumb to understand because I’m not a literary academic, and I want to pretend that this isn’t just — to bring my own gratuitous sexual metaphor into it — society having a boner for objectifying women and seeing them suffering. Of course both of those things could be true, but if it’s only one of them, I think we all know which one is the more likely candidate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, War, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Excrement and Colonisation
bookishbrenbren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Alfa, a young Senegalese man, goes to France with his best friend to fight in WWI and loses both his friend and his sanity in the process.
This was a good examination of war and trauma and defense mechanisms brains struggling with PTSD will use to protect themselves. I enjoyed the fusion of, like, oral storytelling mechanisms? If that's how you'd call them. The commentary on racism at the front was also very well written and well-incorporated into the story but, on the whole, I just really mostly feel like WTF did I just read? Like, no plot all vibes, but also there is some plot but secondary to the story? Also, the MC raped a female character for symbolism and I just didn't find it all that necessary to promote the author's point. It feels like this whole story was about how these Senegalese men were duped into war, which in the author's point is the ultimate act of victimization, of violation, and then he holds up an actual rape and is like "we're both raped now" like oh nice you really got back at those racist colonizer french aristocrats by raping this random white woman. Shrug.
This was a good examination of war and trauma and defense mechanisms brains struggling with PTSD will use to protect themselves. I enjoyed the fusion of, like, oral storytelling mechanisms? If that's how you'd call them. The commentary on racism at the front was also very well written and well-incorporated into the story but, on the whole, I just really mostly feel like WTF did I just read? Like, no plot all vibes, but also there is some plot but secondary to the story?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Blood, Gore, Sexual violence, Murder, Colonisation, Mental illness, War, Violence, Body horror, and Racism
nadas's review against another edition
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
1.25
154 times. that's how many times he's said "god's truth" across 145 pages.
this was so boring and repetitive and tedious to read despite such an interesting premise and title. the execution was so bad it's unbelievable.
Also the writing sucks I'm sorry there's nothing poetic about the lines "the brazen rumour ended up with her legs spread,her ass in the air"
and this is just one example of such stupid sexual imagery that add nothing to the plot or scene and makes this book even harder to read.
genuinely upset I thought I was going to love this.
this was so boring and repetitive and tedious to read despite such an interesting premise and title. the execution was so bad it's unbelievable.
Also the writing sucks I'm sorry there's nothing poetic about the lines "the brazen rumour ended up with her legs spread,her ass in the air"
and this is just one example of such stupid sexual imagery that add nothing to the plot or scene and makes this book even harder to read.
genuinely upset I thought I was going to love this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Torture, and Body horror
Moderate: Rape and Sexual content
thebookstamp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Rape, War, Gore, Racism, Violence, and Death
madisonmc's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Have you ever sat down and just listened to someone that was spiralling? Did you ever give them the space to reap their soul of all their torment?
That is what this entire novel is, on a very dark level. It’s tiny and it’s rather powerful. A world, a picture, and a story is built with each new chapter. Then each consecutive one, aspects of the previous are broken down, then built back up with new foundations. With every paged turned, the ripple effect is pungent and cathartic. As much as the actions are “savagery” you gain an understanding. As much as you recoil in disgust, you grow in sympathy.
At Night All Blood Is Black, by David Diop (translated by Anna Moschovakis) has a very unique writing style and voice. A perspective of WW1 that you don’t often see. A West African fighting for France in the trenches, not knowing the language, and being encouraged to play the roll of ‘savage’. It was all too common, and not at all that well represented in main stream media. The character, ‘Alfa Ndiaye’s’ journey is an insight into a world of celebrated brutality until you comrades change their mind. It’s a tumultuous downwards spiral of the human mind and the progression of how one decides to deal with what he has experience in an attempt to cope and reconcile with himself.
Note Trigger Warnings: Violence, Gore, Torture, Mental Illness, Rape
That is what this entire novel is, on a very dark level. It’s tiny and it’s rather powerful. A world, a picture, and a story is built with each new chapter. Then each consecutive one, aspects of the previous are broken down, then built back up with new foundations. With every paged turned, the ripple effect is pungent and cathartic. As much as the actions are “savagery” you gain an understanding. As much as you recoil in disgust, you grow in sympathy.
At Night All Blood Is Black, by David Diop (translated by Anna Moschovakis) has a very unique writing style and voice. A perspective of WW1 that you don’t often see. A West African fighting for France in the trenches, not knowing the language, and being encouraged to play the roll of ‘savage’. It was all too common, and not at all that well represented in main stream media. The character, ‘Alfa Ndiaye’s’ journey is an insight into a world of celebrated brutality until you comrades change their mind. It’s a tumultuous downwards spiral of the human mind and the progression of how one decides to deal with what he has experience in an attempt to cope and reconcile with himself.
Note Trigger Warnings: Violence, Gore, Torture, Mental Illness, Rape
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Rape, and Violence