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unknownposter's review against another edition
4.0
Not his best by far but still pretty decent and a fast read, it actually gave me a lot to think about.
The story does a good job about not only showing what war does to a person (without being preachy or overly dramatic) but it says a lot about love, good vs evil, forgiveness and revenge.
The story does a good job about not only showing what war does to a person (without being preachy or overly dramatic) but it says a lot about love, good vs evil, forgiveness and revenge.
hannamegs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
briannaandone's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
elenamatas's review against another edition
2.0
Read for school. Was okay. I think there are better books for this age group.
pipsqueakchubby's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
shereadsbookssometimes's review against another edition
5.0
I had to read this for my GCSE in English, however i didn't expect for the novel to be this good.
"My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and i have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and i have no face"
Francis is a very blunt character, he tells things like it is. In the vivid description of his wounds (chapter 1) you can straight away tell that he isn't affected by them, yet he wants to stay anonymous so he hides his face. I couldn't help but pity the character of Francis, after all he's been through: fighting in the war, the grenade, his wounds, his heartache over Nicole. He still remains a strong character.
Nicole is a minor character in this book, yet she plays a huge part in the story line. Being Francis' first love she holds a lot of power over his actions. She kind of reminded me of Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men (written by John Steinbeck) but then i realised that, well, Nicole is just a young girl that apparently is so beautiful that she is Francis' love at first sight. Rather that a character that flirts with every male in the story for attention *cough cough* Curley's Wife.
The book is written in a style that jumps from present tense to past tense, through this you get the chance to see a more in depth development of the characters- mainly Nicole and Francis. Even the whole historical context of the book is expressed in such detail that you can actually picture the veterans walking around in their uniforms with scared faces and missing limbs.
Simply fantastic- no other word needed- it can be summed up that easily. Because thats what this book is. Fantastic!
"My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and i have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and i have no face"
Francis is a very blunt character, he tells things like it is. In the vivid description of his wounds (chapter 1) you can straight away tell that he isn't affected by them, yet he wants to stay anonymous so he hides his face. I couldn't help but pity the character of Francis, after all he's been through: fighting in the war, the grenade, his wounds, his heartache over Nicole. He still remains a strong character.
Nicole is a minor character in this book, yet she plays a huge part in the story line. Being Francis' first love she holds a lot of power over his actions. She kind of reminded me of Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men (written by John Steinbeck) but then i realised that, well, Nicole is just a young girl that apparently is so beautiful that she is Francis' love at first sight. Rather that a character that flirts with every male in the story for attention *cough cough* Curley's Wife.
The book is written in a style that jumps from present tense to past tense, through this you get the chance to see a more in depth development of the characters- mainly Nicole and Francis. Even the whole historical context of the book is expressed in such detail that you can actually picture the veterans walking around in their uniforms with scared faces and missing limbs.
Simply fantastic- no other word needed- it can be summed up that easily. Because thats what this book is. Fantastic!
chicquka's review against another edition
3.0
I was tempted to mark four stars. Cormier is such a precise yet liquid writer, poetic yet straightforward. I wasn't as engaged in this story as others, but certainly enough to read on. As always the ending leaves a bitter question on the air, like the burning powder smell lingering after a gunshot.
lilypadt's review against another edition
2.0
Re-reading this was more effort than I realised between the hurried notes and highlights from my GCSE, but eh - it’s an alright little novella. I feel like I can never give it more than 3* when it reminds me of extreme stress and essay anxiety ✨✨
averagewitch's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75