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A review by sphynxreads
Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

4.5

An incredible snapshot of not just Duterte's drug war but also recent Philippine history written in a manner that effectively contextualizes many memorable events often reduced to soundbites and TikToks. Evangelista's command of language is astonishing and her ability to show the bigger picture without losing the necessary emotion of more intimate moments is worthy of thunderous applause. The accounts herein are as harrowing, frustrating, and tragic as much as they ring with clarion truth. All that said, while I understand that this was written with an international audience in mind, I do feel that a lot of things are lost in translation and are portrayed through a more Western lens. Much of Evangelista's sentiments and the way in which she frames certain behaviors, language, or events doesn't feel like it would be relatable to the average Filipino. There was also something about one of the latter chapters, touching on the contrition of previous Duterte supporters, that felt a bit off-putting. Overall though, a highly recommended read for anyone, whether from the homeland or abroad, who wants to make sense of the countless murders that took place during the time of Duterte, if sense at all could be made of them.