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stabilesero's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
I'm really keen to pick up Mengiste's other novels, The Shadow King was beautiful.
It wasn't perfect, I agree with other readers who also said there were a lot of side characters and names to keep up with, but I see why there were so many by the end of the book. A little bit of repetition regarding describing light and surroundings, but again, it didn't put me off.
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, War, Sexual assault, Child death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
stindex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, War, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Death, Genocide, and Medical content
ragna_'s review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Rape, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Genocide, Sexual harassment, Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Death
athenaia's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
hardcoverhearts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, and Forced institutionalization
sarrasegway's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Antisemitism, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, and Gun violence
tabitha_isabelle's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
alicerossi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Genocide, Grief, Rape, and Sexual violence
boogsbooks's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A portion of the story is also told through the lens of Ettore, an Italian photographer who has no business being in war. Ettore’s story revolves around his father, where his father comes from, and how that defines him. While I was interested in the layer Ettore’s father added to the book, I felt as though Ettore was here simply to carry the novel’s focus on photography as storytelling. Excerpts throughout the book are told as descriptions of photos. This worked well but made me question the role of Ettore as a central character.
This was my final read of 2020 and it felt like such a fitting ending. It’s epic in all of its forms. It left me reflective, cheering for the underdog, acknowledging pain in repeated history, and finding hope in moving forward.
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia