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whatnovareads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I usually find a good quote from the book to summarise the main theme but in this instance there are too many. The writing is simply beautiful- elegant. I can’t believe this is a debut novel! I would encourage everyone who reads this book to also read the Author’s Note - it’s fascinating.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, and Gore
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Homophobia
iftheshoef1tz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I found Gaunt’s friends’ acceptance of his homosexuality really beautiful, and of course it’s upsetting that that happens and he really begins to come into himself
Quote:
They were clear-eyed, the Greeks. They did not dress up the world with romance and chivalry, did not lure poetry-hearted fools into evil.
Tropes:
The horror of war
Boy soldiers
Killed by the bottom of the page
Just…say what you feel!!
Yearning that just breaks your heart
Like ships in the night
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Antisemitism
msouth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Sexism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Genocide, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Classism
jessicas_library_card's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, War, Mental illness, and Gore
arayo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Suicide, Medical content, Homophobia, Bullying, Gun violence, Blood, Child death, Gore, War, Mental illness, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Classism, Outing, Cursing, Antisemitism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit, Excrement, Xenophobia, and Sexism
ellislilylovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Body horror, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
booksletusescape's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Mental illness
writingcaia's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
What many dream of does come, a war, but little did they know it would be called the War to End all Wars.
One by one, reaching adulthood and even before seeing 18 they depart to the front and butchery.
In a boys school two friends feel differently, but inevitably, one because he doesn’t want to be called a coward or a traitor (being of German descent and eighteen), and the other because he cannot conceive of his best friend, his loved one, dying without seeing him again, enlist.
All the courage and bravado they felt while reading the In Memoriam with the list of the brave boys before them will soon die, along with thousands. It’s not glory they will face but a world of sickness and death, of loss and grief, of trauma and despair. A world they could not in their wildest dreams ever conceive.
Focused on our beautiful love bird boys on a relationship of miscommunication, this book still tells much of the tragedy of WWI especially among the younger boys, their disillusionment with God and Country, their loss of limbs, of face, of mind, of life. It also gives a peek at a world where boys full around with boys when it’s seen as a young boys “thing” but in war it’s a crime to love one another and act upon it.Another of the themes approached is the different ways in which aristocratic kids like these were treated and promoted compared to civil workers.
The love story drives the plot but it is so much more than that, and that depth of feeling, the poetry of love for country, than hate for it, the love for their friends and the grief for the lost ones.
This was one of my favourite books of 2023, and one I won’t forget!
Totally recommend for historical fiction fans, romantic historic fiction, WWI fiction fans, and lgbtqia+ romance fans.
Graphic: Violence, War, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
Minor: Antisemitism
bexh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, War, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, and Violence
zoemaleah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, War, Body horror, Grief, Homophobia, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma