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wenwanzhao 's review for:
Martyr!
by Kaveh Akbar
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh my god can Akbar write. I love how this novel has such effective commentary on its themes while remaining a snapshot of a moment. That's not a great way of describing it, but it's like, Martyr explores martyrdom, death, meaning, addiction, and identity in a really thoughtful manner that I think works really well in the confines of the story. At the same time, we only really see a moment in Cyrus' life, with flashbacks and ruminations that illuminate how we got here. As cheesy as it is, it felt like the real story was just beginning, with all the pain and misunderstanding coming to some kind of resolution, the future of the characters felt expansive.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, War, Injury/Injury detail