2.94 AVERAGE


Just a head’s up: from what I can tell from the Jojo Rabbit trailer, that movie is thematically different from this novel. I got this book making the assumption that they’d be closer but wow. I was quite mistaken. My bad.

This is a very serious literary fiction novel about manipulation, not a satire. I shouldn’t have assumed.

Not my cup of tea but you might enjoy it.

I feel bad for this book because I only picked it up since it was listed as the "based on" book for JoJo Rabbit, a movie that I was interested in seeing. But it is clear from the trailer vs the book I just read that JoJo Rabbit is probably more "inspired by" this book than anything else.

This is a VERY dark comedy, with a narrator that isn't so much unreliable as delusional but you know he is delusional because you're not a Nazi.

This review/rating probably isn't fair since I was hoping for a funny book like the JoJo Rabbit trailer and this is much more subtle.
emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A unique and unexpected POV, I was interested up to the final chapters. I would have given 5 stars if I could get over the abrupt, extremely unsatisfying ending.
kokenyreka's profile picture

kokenyreka's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH

i didn’t actually finish this book but marking it as read is my way of getting reparations for the pain and torture inflicted on me by the absolute disaster that is Caging Skies.
challenging emotional slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark funny sad 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

A very bleak novel. Written exceptionally well.
dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was so glad to be done with this book. I disliked it intensely. The main characters were awful, sick people. If I had read this book before seeing “Jojo Rabbit” I wouldn’t have seen the movie. The movie was delightful and uplifting despite the grim circumstances. The movie showed people achieving emotional and spiritual growth, while the book showed them getting more selfish.