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buenas_l's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Murder, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Cannibalism
ahoyitsjoy's review against another edition
3.0
However... I just don't think this was my kind of book. I've seen a lot of people recommend this book to those who loved Endurance, as I did, but The Wager is significantly more grim in a way that didn't make me want to read more.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Racism, Torture, and Colonisation
Minor: Slavery
amy14's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
tigertheory's review against another edition
3.5
On a side note; I recommend looking up Wager Island on Maps after reading for a bit of a laugh.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Vomit, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
saraverboom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
ifeanart's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
juniebug_books's review against another edition
4.25
Sailing into David Grann's The Wager was a departure from my usual reading preferences, but wow what a wild ride! This nonfiction masterpiece skillfully melds the gripping pace of a thriller with the scholarly depth expected in historical accounts. This is honestly the type of book I wouldn’t have read if it wasn’t for all the hype. The nonfiction I normally reach for tends to be memoirs or travelogues, so I was a little hesitant about going for a historical book. I was incredibly impressed—Wager reads like a thriller and more than once I caught myself audibly gasping and yelling at what was happening on the page.
Grann's writing prowess is commendable, as he maintains a dramatic narrative without sacrificing scholarly integrity. Having waded through my fair share of dry history books during college days, I was impressed by his ability to present facts, provide citations, and weave a compelling storyline simultaneously. While the story's trajectory may be somewhat predictable with the inevitable shipwreck of the Wager, the unfolding events read like a slow-motion disaster— you just can’t look away. The abundance of primary sources, especially the firsthand accounts of survivors, elevates the narrative, turning the men who chronicled their Wager experience into focal points. Grann's vivid descriptions instill a profound fear of the sea, dispelling any romanticized notions of maritime adventure (goodbye swinging around the rigging like Jack Sparrow, hello slowly wasting away to scurvy).
The Wager is a gorgeous historical thriller, and if you love (or have ever loved) true crime, adventure stories, or being on the ocean, I would recommend giving it a try. Its graphic portrayal of battles at sea, scurvy, starvation, and human resilience is not for the faint of heart, but weaves a story you won't be able to look away from. I was simultaneously horrified and entranced in the best possible way
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Racism, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
leahthebooklover's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Slavery
codymyre97's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
madmaura's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Classism