laurendonnelly3's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Stalking, Pregnancy, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Death
emmonsannae's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It took me some time to gather my thoughts about this book. It was excellent! E.K. is a master storyteller. This book starts as a modern mystery that reveals its roots in a communist forced-labor camp. Like her other books, this one switches seamlessly between generations as the past meets in the present. What was most striking about this novel was E.K.’s dedication to Bulgarian history—in particular, to the histories of the men who lost their lives or their minds in work camps. She’s gentle and respectful while simultaneously refusing to shy away from reality. It made the book difficult to read and impossible to put down. I’d recommend it highly (but mind the warnings—there is a lot of difficult and graphic content).
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Grief, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Murder, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Moderate: Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
mandkips's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Confinement, and Medical trauma
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