You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
corbeyluv 's review for:
American War
by Omar El Akkad
I read this book twice, accidently. I bring this up because I read this twice because it both left little impression on me, combined with wanting to erase the impression.
My Kindle did not track “the percentage” correct and I mistakenly thought it was a book I had not finished. Having been quite a while, and only 20-30% through, I thought it best to restart.
I did.
I remember this… oh yes, more characters I’m only slightly sympathetic to and don’t really like… but maybe this I don’t remember, oh wait, yes, I did not want to remember the prolonged torture sequence… ouch, yes, true, but really… I need a drink.
This is my abridged, mostly un-spoiled explanation of the book but it actually is well written in many ways. The future painted here seems horribly prescient, if not a bit hopeful in happening so far in the future (2070’s). That being said, there is no hope. Characters are purposely given no joy, even when the reader, and the character, and life, need the respite. It’s exhausting. It reminds me of the film Requiem for a Dream, where they lead you down a dark alley, then kicks you, stabs you, asks how you feel before they push you over the bridge? This book is a bit like that.
There are a lot of smart things here, but it is all submerged so deep I felt I needed to come up for air.
I’m writing this now to remind myself why I don’t need to read it a third time.
My Kindle did not track “the percentage” correct and I mistakenly thought it was a book I had not finished. Having been quite a while, and only 20-30% through, I thought it best to restart.
I did.
I remember this… oh yes, more characters I’m only slightly sympathetic to and don’t really like… but maybe this I don’t remember, oh wait, yes, I did not want to remember the prolonged torture sequence… ouch, yes, true, but really… I need a drink.
This is my abridged, mostly un-spoiled explanation of the book but it actually is well written in many ways. The future painted here seems horribly prescient, if not a bit hopeful in happening so far in the future (2070’s). That being said, there is no hope. Characters are purposely given no joy, even when the reader, and the character, and life, need the respite. It’s exhausting. It reminds me of the film Requiem for a Dream, where they lead you down a dark alley, then kicks you, stabs you, asks how you feel before they push you over the bridge? This book is a bit like that.
There are a lot of smart things here, but it is all submerged so deep I felt I needed to come up for air.
I’m writing this now to remind myself why I don’t need to read it a third time.