A review by e_gracereads
The Devil of Nanking by Mo Hayder

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed this book, more than I even expected to. It was horrific — which is to be expected, considering it’s a historical fiction about the Rape of Nanking — but it was incredibly well written, haunting, and mysterious. It’s going to sit with me for a while, I think, especially this: is ignorance forgivable? 

Incredibly poignant. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Torture, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and War