The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
athnyx230's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, War, and Death
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Death of parent
blake245's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and War
ellacramer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
Graphic: Violence, War, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic
wafflepolly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Torture, War, and Death
Moderate: Genocide, Death of parent, Confinement, and Grief
foxgallagher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Torture, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Author: Omar El Akkad
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: January 30, 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Plausible • Unsettling • Inventive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Narrated by Benjamin Chestnut, an older man living in neutral Anchorage in the aftermath of the war, American War begins in 2074 in a post-apocalyptic world where climate change was wrecked havoc on the coastal United States. In an attempt to halt emissions, the government has banned the use of fossil fuels, greatly upsetting the Southern states. Sarat Chestnut is only six as the second American civil war breaks out, and soon finds her and her family forced into the sprawling tent city known as Camp Patience.
💠T H O U G H T S
What a fierce and powerful cautionary tale from debut novelist Omar El Akkad!
I didn't expect this to be a book for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. While reading, the storyline felt eerily plausible with a future America torn by it's own political tribulations, climate change, plague, and power struggles and conflict. It forced me to imagine the uncomfortable realities of our current world and the complex ruins and implications of war at many different levels. The writing and the story are equally powerful.
My one qualm would be that it was overly detailed at times, but other times there were gaps in the world building. Overall, a solid read worth picking up.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• dystopian fans
• readers who enjoyed The Underground Railroad
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"You fight the war with guns, you fight the peace with stories."Â
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, War, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Rape, and Racial slurs
lucyob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, War, Death, Police brutality, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
keegan53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Torture, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, War, and Murder
egleezy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Violence, War, Grief, and Death of parent
wing_san's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture and Death of parent