A review by kshertz
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The writing is beautiful which is to say, way above my reading/intelligence level. But at the end it does say it’s not for the dominant white groups so that makes sense. It’s not for me. It’s not linear, there’s no way a book about the Vietnam war is going to have a happy ending. But I learned a lot, which is the whole reason to read it and it challenged me. So, I recommend it if you want to be challenged and learn a lot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail