Reviews

Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan

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rgarcia's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

mmingie's review against another edition

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5.0

Depressing the whole way through, but very well done.
Re-doing this when it's not 2.30 am and I can be more comprhensible... Because while this book isn't a thriller, it was compelling enough to keep me awake until then.
I put this on hold because I heard good things. When it came I had forgotten about it, and reading the description it did not sound great.
But it was great. Sad yes, hopeless even in tone at times, but honest and interesting. I liked how the characters were portrayed, especially seeing how they worked and reasoned through hard choices, and situations where there really was no choice at all.

quadruploni's review against another edition

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informative sad medium-paced

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

2.5

There is an awful lot of bland telling here. I was not surprised to learn that the author is a journalist, and I suspect I would have found a nonfiction treatment of this material far more compelling. As is, the prose feels generic, a quality that the untranslated words only point up; likewise, when the narrator reaches for figurative language, she usually flounders ("Although I had not covered my eyes against the sun, for a moment I was so consumed by heat that I could not even see"). The characters (starting, crucially, with her brothers, but extending so several secondary characters, especially friends and acquaintances at school) are not well drawn, thus hard to keep straight. All that said, while reading I still almost missed my train stop a few times. Only very late does the narrator begin to emphasize unreliability of memory and diversity of perspectives, and to justify the fictional form (“The rest of it I make up”), but it's too little, too late, and I wasn't convinced.

woahimareader's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

this book is truly beautiful. the writing, the purpose, the narrative is unmatchable.

atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

t's been almost a week since I've finished BROTHERLESS NIGHT by V.V. Ganeshananthan, and yet I still don't have my thoughts formulated enough to write an in-depth review. I am still completely wrecked by this book.

This book is a masterpiece. Upon reflection, I felt as though before reading this that I was in need of a glass of water to satiate my thirst. BROTHERLESS NIGHT was that needed glass of water. I was completely taken aback and all consumed by this book in a way that I wasn't expecting.

Ganeshananthan brings to life the story of Sashi, a 16 year old in 1981 living in Jaffna, Sri Lanka during the beginning of the civil war. BROTHERLESS NIGHT follows her as the civil war impacts every single aspect of her family and the choices that she makes.

My heart was ripped open and sewn back together multiple times during this read, and I cried hard during most of it as well. Even as I write this review I'm starting to get teary-eyed. That is a testament to how good this book is!

I love getting to read books with incredible women at the center of the story. Sashi is such a fierce and caring person, with her family in her heart and a sense of doing the right thing. If you read this book, you'll have such a spot in your heart for Sashi.

This is a heavy book, and one should totally be in the right headspace before reading this. But, I can’t recommend this book enough! BROTHERLESS NIGHT could have easily made some award lists and I’m sad that it hasn’t because this book needs to be recognized more!

BROTHERLESS NIGHT is a devastating and heartbreaking story. There is an overwhelming amount of sadness, loss and trauma that I almost can’t believe this story is rooted in truth, by some incredible research done by Ganeshananthan.

Do yourself a favor, and add BROTHERLESS NIGHT to your TBR. I promise you'll find the story as captivating as I did.