Reviews

The Tattooed Soldier by Héctor Tobar

aaalison's review

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

While some of Tobar’s narrations about revenge and war were interesting (specifically his indirect use of the main characters as an example for what reparations and repair might look like in the aftermath of atrocities), the novel felt predictable. Plot-driven, action-focused, and following a linear path, this book is not written in a style I usually enjoy. You can tell it was written by a man if you know what I’m saying…..

elevnnn's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

3.75

100booksyearly's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.5

A story of two men from Guatemala 

 living in Los Angeles: one a heartbroken and defeated intellectual and his enemy, a brainwashed ex militia who killed his wife and son. A very dark read about revenge, isolation, war, homelessness, and perceptions of others showing how violence can shape a society.

readingsofaslinky's review against another edition

4.0

A very dark read about revenge, isolation, war, homelessness, and perceptions of others. Finished this in the early hours of Christmas morning.

thebooknook180's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Death and Grief

nljames's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

sagarific's review

4.0

A dark, raw, and real exploration of grief, isolation, trauma, and perspective.

(Read for March 2020 Global Own Voices Reading Challenge: Central America)

taniadoes's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Overall, highly recommend although strong warning of violence. I really liked the multiple perspective approach to telling the events and how it built up that much suspense when getting to the climax points. I don't know how I feel about the ending. It seemed a bit anti-climactic for me, but maybe I just need to think about it more. The overall quote I would use to describe this book is the one mentioned multiple times throughout the novel, "the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love."

missmarauder2's review

5.0

This novel, admittedly, draws on a lot of the political issues I am most interested in. You can clearly see Tobar's journalistic background throughout the novel, and it was very clever to frame the story around a tale of revenge. The writing style was wonderful, the dual timelines were pulled off beautifully, in my opinion. I can't wait to read the rest of his books.

I don't think the characters were as simplistic as some people are writing them off to be, and I thought the play between the PTSD of both the protagonist and antagonist was very interesting. I thought Tobar explored that well. I think it's a very poignant comment on race and immigration in Los Angeles. I really don't think the tale of revenge is quite as simplistic as critics call it, but that may have been from the benefit of reading it in a literature course.