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scifi_rat's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, Infidelity, Violence, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Confinement, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Death, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Racism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Religious bigotry, Torture, Abandonment, and Excrement
romonko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Genocide, Grief, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
This a totally graphic and descriptive book that does not spare any punches about the horribleness of warnatalieba's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Much of the story is raw and almost hard to read - torture abounds and the author doesn’t shy away from drawing a detailed picture of what life was like for Malayans during the Japanese occupation. The family at the heart of the story has lived for years alongside trauma, pain, and terror, and it is impossible to read this story with any sense of hope - only the hope for survival. And is that even worth seeking out when so much has been destroyed? It was truly bleak.
I appreciate learning more about this (for me) uncovered aspect of WWII, knowing that these kinds of stories are no doubt happening in war-torn places today. But, despite claiming to touch on ‘pain and triumph’ (according to the publisher’s blurb), this novel seemed to only focus on pounding home the malicious, dark side of humanity. The blurb goes on to call the novel a ‘dazzling saga about the horrors of war’ and I don’t know how in the world the word ‘dazzling’ could be used to describe such a thing as war (or this book).
Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Torture, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Rape, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Addiction
violeteel's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Rape, Alcoholism, War, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Physical abuse
beranceknows's review
- 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
2.25
Moderate: War, Racial slurs, Violence, Trafficking, Misogyny, Vomit, Torture, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Pedophilia, Excrement, Pregnancy, Blood, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Classism, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Death, Confinement, Colonisation, and Child death