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getlitty's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
3.5
The story is worth telling and learning from but the book itself felt like it was trying to hit word count the entire time. There is a lot of repetition and long duplicative descriptions of death. There is also alot of descriptive language likening humans to meat or food, which can be a powerful tool when used sparingly but here one too many "BBQ" descriptions lost their punch. In the end, it was a worthwhile read though.
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Deportation
Minor: Racial slurs, Rape, and Sexual assault
melanders_07's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
very beautiful writing on an important topic that is rarely talked about
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood
jashanac's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racial slurs and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death and Deportation
atsundarsingh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Incredibly written, poetic, but unflinching in its portrayal of the violence of the weaponized USA desert in what is now Arizona. I was not shocked, having read on the topic before, but I was so, so impressed at the humanity that Urrea manages to spread around to all actors in this story. Mandatory reading for the region, and for people who have strong feelings about the Southern US border.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail