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eegah 's review for:
American War
by Omar El Akkad
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great speculative fiction always feels like it really could have happened in another reality. Reading this in today's climate feels somewhat like reading Station Eleven during the pandemic.
Prose and pacing were both pretty great. The characters and plot all felt real and fully conceptualized. I wouldn't file this under sci-fi, unless the sciences in question were political science and sociology. Reads more like alternate history, which was probably why I liked it so much.
That said, this is a tough read about war and living through it. A lot of violence, but also life shimmering through the cracks.
Prose and pacing were both pretty great. The characters and plot all felt real and fully conceptualized. I wouldn't file this under sci-fi, unless the sciences in question were political science and sociology. Reads more like alternate history, which was probably why I liked it so much.
That said, this is a tough read about war and living through it. A lot of violence, but also life shimmering through the cracks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, War
Moderate: Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Suicide