coolfijiwater's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, War, and Child death
Moderate: Rape and Torture
nyah_ellexa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Truly an amazing look into the Nanjing Massacre, and in a much more approachable medium for some people who may not know anything about it. A great introspective with complex characters and an art style that is the perfect fit for this gritty story. I can’t wait to read every book in its bibliography.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Colonisation, Rape, Genocide, War, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Hate crime, and Racism
steveatwaywords's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
An ambitious and under-discussed subject suffers from its limited scale/scope. Two Chinese soldiers attempt to escape Japanese-occupied Nanking while encountering a set of horrors. The pacing is fast, the characters chosen realistic and tragic, and yet Young is able to offer us a complexity of motives and choices in these quick and dramatic moments. Don't look for "justice" from history; perhaps only from its telling. And while the storyline focuses (mostly) on the Chinese point of view, to not offer it would only perpetrate the erasure of history pervasive in Western education (by omission) and some Asian education (by political determination). For those unfamiliar with this story, Young kicks the door open but does not enter too far; for those who know, he underscores the human scene rather than statistical one. All in all, the Asian theater of the 1930s is one of the most under-explored: it deserves far more, yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, War, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Rape and Torture
More...