correy_baldwin 's review for:

American War by Omar El Akkad

3.0

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Intriguing but ultimately underwhelming. At its best, the novel is a decent portrayal of how (nationalist-inspired) violence breeds violence. And despite its premise, "American War" hardly feels dystopian, inasmuch as the future in which it is set is an entirely credible, if muted, representation of what climate change will bring. However, with uninteresting characters and an uncreative and underrealized world (FM radio? photographs? in 2086??), the book fails to deliver on both an emotional and dramatic level. And for a novel predicting future societal tensions, I would have appreciated some commentary on such things as the rise of neo-fascism, nationalism, racism, and anti-refugee sentiments—the limited focus on climate change felt thin.