Reviews tagging 'Death'

American War by Omar El Akkad

26 reviews

blake245's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • 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

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frogggirl2's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a stunning, impactful, important, well-characterized book!   There are a lot of complex things discussed here with a lot of depth and grace.  
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wafflepolly's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • 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

I think this is one of those books that is going to stay in my head for a long time. I strongly recommend listening to the NPR Throughline podcast episode "Extremist Futures" which features some really insightful input from the author about his thoughts, metaphors, and own experiences behind the book.
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cara_elaine's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • 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

4.0

a twisted and disturbing idea of what our future could hold. set in the near future- the book details what another american civil war and splintering of the country could be. 
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hopefulpterodactyl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
  • 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

5.0

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deparme's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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foxgallagher's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad slow-paced
  • 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

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced
  • 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

Title: American War
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." 
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lucyob's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • 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

Super fun and light read that was perfect in our Current Political Environment and definitely didn’t stress me out at all!
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keegan53's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced
  • 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

An amazing book. The world building is fantastic and there is amazing character development. So well crafted. 
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