bookinista08's review
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A much darker read than what I had expected (trigger warnings for sexual abuse, blood, war violence), but the writing style was absolutely intoxicating and hypnotic and even if I took my time with it, I enjoyed every single minute spent reading this book.
kittyka0s's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, War, Pedophilia, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Child abuse, Gun violence, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
georgina_bawden's review
2.0
I really enjoyed the opening of this book but it sort of lost me in the middle. I think the issue might have been one of expectation - I thought it was going to be about the women who fought in the Italian invasion of the 1940s and that is part of it, but an enormous amount of time is given to the men involved, Ethiopian and Italian, and ultimately I felt I didn't get enough of the story of these women. There is also a lot of sexual assault in this book - no female character is spared I don't think. I find that quite hard to read personally which affected my experience of the book, and made it particularly hard to care about the male characters doing the assaulting! The story of the Jewish Italian soldier did add some interesting texture. I felt it didn't quite come together or live up to its premise (or indeed it's prose!).
shosh00's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kayode's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
graysand's review
I think this is probably a very good book, but the writing style was not for me. I found it hard to concentrate on what was happening because it was so "prosey." My mind just started to wander. I would consider picking this up again in a different season of my life.
drdreuh's review
5.0
A breathtaking novel set in a period of history I knew nearly nothing about. At some point I found myself wondering if the author was male or female - a strange thing to wonder. The intricacies of war and the intricacies of relationships are both so exquisitely - shockingly - detailed. 'The Shadow King' is just magnificent, and I walked away needing to know more.
Great interview with Maaza Mengiste, from the Nerdette podcast: https://pca.st/episode/b477922b-224d-40cd-83e6-d94e73be3eb4
Great interview with Maaza Mengiste, from the Nerdette podcast: https://pca.st/episode/b477922b-224d-40cd-83e6-d94e73be3eb4
kimberly28's review
3.25
I didn't hate the book, but I'm left mostly with a lot of "why was this written like this" questions, that I feel detract from the writing. If I typed them all out it would look like I hated this book. Long review short, this should have been Hirut's story alone, IMO. Keep it clean, keep it focused.
wateriscool1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0