Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - Timanttisilmä

While not my favorite of hers, it is excellently written and a good story, as well as, being well researched. I enjoyed the fact that she used a lot of Mila's own biography as source material.

Content Warnings

saliwali's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

sandysmith's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.25

It is an intriguing story based on a female sniper Mila Pavlichenko on the front line in WW2 fighting against the germans for the Soviets. She is Ukrainian, so it is interesting to read about her commitment and her Russian beliefs. Hard to read in the current political climate. Whilst she is written as a cold killer, her love for her son and her historian background shines through. Her first husband is horrid, seducing her and getting her pregnant at 15. Her love interests in war make good reading. I loved her official and unofficial memoirs. Told from a dual timeline war and later in her trip to America and friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, it makes a smashing historical read. Fab stuff.

Content Warnings

ka_ke's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

3.0

My thoughts and feelings regarding the Diamond Eye are difficult to explain.

On the one hand, I chose one hell of a time to pick it up seeing as Russia has cruelly invaded Ukraine and they have been at war for 1.5 years at this point. Therefore, I find myself unable to sympathize with Lady Death and the Russian people as they struggled through Nazi invasion.

On the other hand, the Diamond Eye is an excellent lesson in the theory of intersectionality and my understanding/belief in it.

Lyudmila is a Russian woman, a student majoring in history, a single mother whose husband abandoned their family. She is then forced to become an infamous sniper for the Russian army.

So while I can support a woman doing what she feels is right and proper to protect herself and her country, I am torn by my disgust at the present day uncalled-for actions of Russia against the citizens of Ukraine.

Content Warnings