saraaaa's review against another edition
4.75
I feel like the author went for an explicitly didascalic approach, unambiguously denouncing the horrors of the war through the first person account of the young protagonist's personal experiences and reflections.
The strong accent on the loss of youthful dreams and teenage convictions makes it, in a way, a hybrid between a war novel and a bildungsroman.
The style was poetic at times, especially when reporting the protagonist's considerations, then moving to a kind of matter-of-factly journalistic style when describing the soldiers' routine and daily sufferings.
Last but not least, it's the first – and so far the only – war novel I read that managed to give a realistic account of a teenage boy's perspective on women and sexual attraction without falling into misogyny.
Graphic: Body horror, War, Blood, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Death, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, and Racial slurs
logar86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, War, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Gun violence, and Blood
mme_carton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Body horror, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
mrbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Murder, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and War
Moderate: Colonisation and Grief
philodora's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, War, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
autumn_franks_03's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Blood, War, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
maxlexn02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Medical content, Cancer, Blood, War, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, and Death
kalisaur's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, Violence, and Medical trauma
queenkath32's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, War, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death, and Violence
diddlydoo333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Violence, War, Gore, Blood, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Physical abuse, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Excrement, Body horror, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Confinement, Murder, Misogyny, Medical content, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Gore, Genocide, Alcohol, Blood, and Mental illness
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Sexism, Sexual content, Cancer, Ableism, and Child death