A review by la_karina1818
The Dead Lake by Hamid Ismailov

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A fantastical take on a novel based on Semipalatinsk, a nuclear weapons testing site and the effects of radiation on civilians around the site. Told like a biography of sorts by an unknown narrator, he meets Yerzhan, a man who remains with the body of a 12 year old boy after going into a radioactive lake to impress his childhood love. It has a fast flow to the story, realistic yet fantastical in a setting from either a sci-fi or a dystopia (reminds me of a book like the Kite runner, a mix of the imaginations of children, told in a dangerous setting). It was charming to read at the beginning, but towards the ending the telling of the story got dislluded, as the narrator travelling with Yerzhan begins telling his story instead of Yerzhan continuing. The ending was left a bit abrupt, with the narrator getting emotional over the depth of Yerzhan's story and how he physically remains stuck in time but mentally living through decades of his life, 

losing loved ones in the process.

Maybe at the end there wasn't much to tell after, as he remains alone in the world, where he has come to learn to deal with his condition. It was a quick and impactful read for sure.