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rei_reads's review
challenging
emotional
informative
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
nov_ella's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, War, Violence, Grief, Death, Rape, Suicide, and Murder
happyknitter2020's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely brilliant book. Read as shortlisted for The Women's Prize 2024...think this is the clear winner. The writing is beautiful, strong & clear. Learned so much about the civil war & complex trauma experiments. A definitive 5 star book, will be at the top of my 2024 books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, Death, and Murder
jem_f's review
challenging
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
bookmaddie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I had heard this book would be amazing, and the people were not wrong! Even though I wouldn't say the pacing is fast, it's a book that slowly, but consistently, draws you into the story so that you just want to keep reading to see what'll happen next. Ganeshananthan's writing is thoughtful, reflective, and offers sophisticated examinations of emotions, motivations, and memory during a fraught period of Sri Lanka's history.
This story follows Sashikala as she studies for medical school before and during the Sri Lankan Civil War. I didn't know much about this conflict before reading this book, which is at once believable and unbelievable. The West didn't seem to be involved much, and it was horrible to see how most of the world ignored such a drawn-out, violent, and disastrous conflict. Through Sashi's eyes, Ganeshananthan underscores how unpredictable and complex the Civil War was. After reading such an evocative novel, I definitely want to pick up a longer nonfiction to read about the war—I feel as if I've just scratched the surface.
Ganeshananthan handles such a serious and dark subject matter so well, and also manages to deeply explore family, betrayal, and love. How a family can morph before your eyes, how a person grows up, how morals and visions of the future are tested—all during a period of intense trauma. This story is vast, but still feels deeply rooted in daily life. It felt immediate, yet reflective; tender, yet eviscerating.
I just loved this novel, and now I really want to go back and read Ganeshananthan's previous work, Love Marriage. Her writing is superb, and I want to immerse myself in it as much as possible!
Some quotes:
"I didn't know how old one needed to be to read the whole of a violent story. I didn't know if the whole of any violent story could be told." p13
"What can I tell you about being in the presence of such a warm person? No one looking at the sun thinks about how swiftly it can be eclipsed." p290
This story follows Sashikala as she studies for medical school before and during the Sri Lankan Civil War. I didn't know much about this conflict before reading this book, which is at once believable and unbelievable. The West didn't seem to be involved much, and it was horrible to see how most of the world ignored such a drawn-out, violent, and disastrous conflict. Through Sashi's eyes, Ganeshananthan underscores how unpredictable and complex the Civil War was. After reading such an evocative novel, I definitely want to pick up a longer nonfiction to read about the war—I feel as if I've just scratched the surface.
Ganeshananthan handles such a serious and dark subject matter so well, and also manages to deeply explore family, betrayal, and love. How a family can morph before your eyes, how a person grows up, how morals and visions of the future are tested—all during a period of intense trauma. This story is vast, but still feels deeply rooted in daily life. It felt immediate, yet reflective; tender, yet eviscerating.
I just loved this novel, and now I really want to go back and read Ganeshananthan's previous work, Love Marriage. Her writing is superb, and I want to immerse myself in it as much as possible!
Some quotes:
"I didn't know how old one needed to be to read the whole of a violent story. I didn't know if the whole of any violent story could be told." p13
"What can I tell you about being in the presence of such a warm person? No one looking at the sun thinks about how swiftly it can be eclipsed." p290
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Death, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
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