grayjay 's review for:

American War by Omar El Akkad

3.0

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After listening to Tahmoh Penikett's defense of this novel on Canada Reads, I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe just more. He was right about it giving an eye-opening account of the evils of the recruitment of child soldiers and I think the portrayal generated sympathy and understanding. I think he overblew how useful this novel's environmental themes are. It is set 50 years into the future when global warming has already caused significant damage to coasts and moved populations, but this is really just a backdrop, not a theme.