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not_another_ana's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
He couldn't even remember what it was like to spend time with another person, to simply be in someone else's company, and perhaps it would be worthwhile to do so if he could.
In an evacuee camp in the middle of Sri Lanka's civil war Dinesh, a Tamil youth, is shaken out of the monotony of surviving by a sudden proposal: to marry Ganga, a young woman he has never met before. Ganga's father believes that their union will make sure his daughter is taken care of, while Dinesh might avoid being conscripted by the militia. Thus starts this short odd marriage, between two people who don't know each other and must come to terms with what this means for them, for their future if there's any left, and what being close to someone after so long can do to someone in the middle of a war zone.
Meditative and detail oriented, this is a book that focuses on how the experience of war, of being displaced, bombed, losing everything marks people. Dinesh is disconnected from himself as a way to protect his sanity. He can't feel anything because if he does, even for a second, he won't be able to go on. He's all alone surrounded by death doing the same thing day in and day out. The marriage proposal and wedding break that monotony and force him to reckon with the situation and with himself, and the author expresses this through Dinesh's relationship with his body.
The prose is detail oriented and takes us on this reconnection journey with a slight stream of consciousness. It mostly happens internally in the main character and, while interesting and lovingly crafted, can get a bit heavy at times. There's long descriptions of bodily functions that never manage to be too crass because they're balanced by the poetry of it all. It is deeply sad and moving, the title being an inescapable premonition for the characters.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gore, and Excrement
The book takes place during Sri Lanka's civil war, specifically in an evacuee camp that gets bombed daily. There are descriptions of death, body parts, amputations, children suffering, etc.gilnean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
victoriathuyvi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Excrement
lucyedwardes'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Violence and War
flavoredfaeman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
lalaboots's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mpolkadot_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and War
megan_bbender's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Although this book is beautifully written, sometimes there is just too much. I often found myself rereading pages to understand what was going on and at some parts I was skimming the pages rather than reading them.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Cursing and Sexual violence
shihara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood