maximillionmax's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Genocide, and Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism, Suicide, Abandonment, Child death, Classism, and Colonisation
Minor: Deportation, Kidnapping, Torture, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and War
yvespiders's review against another edition
Graphic: Cannibalism, War, and Violence
dominicangirl's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Cannibalism and Genocide
Moderate: Murder, Antisemitism, Police brutality, Excrement, Deportation, Violence, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Xenophobia
jennifer_vars's review against another edition
5.0
This is an intense book that took some time to get through. People always say they can't imagine how people sat by while atrocities occurred. This book shows exactly how such things can happen through propaganda, isolationism and fear. The book also illustrates that there are deep wounds still left open in the collective memory of Ukrainians, this knowledge helped me better understand the current crisis.
It also shows just how complicated history is. Applebaum writes that when the Germans first entered the country, Ukrainians were naive and hopeful. Girls even presented troops with flowers. Can you imagine? So eager they were to escape Stalin's terror and then found themselves in the midst of another.
Estimates range that anywhere between 3-10 million people died during Stalin's famine known as "Holodomor". Ukrainian culture and language was meticulously eviscerated as well during this time and even before all of this, the land has a long history of occupation and conflict. And yet amazingly, Ukraine still exists on the map and continues its fight for independence. Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля (The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished)
Graphic: War and Violence
xhelat's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Classism, Miscarriage, War, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Genocide, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
srm's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Xenophobia, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Torture
Minor: Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, and Racial slurs
annikalula's review against another edition
4.5
However this book is SO important!!! Before reading it I've never heard of the Holodomor let alone its brutality. While working in my project and telling people about it I did not come across a single person who knew what the Holodomor was, I even had to explain it to my history teacher.
So I hope this book gets even more attention that it already got as the Holodomor probably one of the biggest crimes of the 20th century and the education about it is beyond problematic. Please read it!!
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War