orestesfasting 's review for:

Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix

4.0

dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Inevitably, this is a soapbox novel, but it is a soapbox (thank god!) with nuance. Delacroix doesn't attempt to sanitise our lead character, but to humanise her - of course she doesn't, and can't care, and that is not kind or right but it is true. It demonises a state and public that look for a scapegoat in her, and it makes visible the awful realities of the refugee crisis.