Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

American War by Omar El Akkad

4 reviews

wandering_seal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oooh this was good in the most grim, unremitting way possible.

I did struggle with the pacing at the start, but overall this was such an interesting piling on of events. I particularly loved the shifting focus at the end - the conclusion was exactly what I expected and also not at all.

I listened to this on audiobook, and while I thought it was so, so well done I do wish I'd a physical copy of the book so I could flick back between some of the events and documentation as well.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

underwaterlauren's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

this was just so wholly unpleasant to read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Xenophobia and Vomit

lucyob's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Super fun and light read that was perfect in our Current Political Environment and definitely didn’t stress me out at all!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia and Racism

pollyandthebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War