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A review by kessler21
American War by Omar El Akkad
2.0
An interesting, horrific tale of America after another Civil War. Mexico has annexed the southwest, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi have seceded, and South Carolina is quarantined due to biological warfare.
While most of the individual story was quite compelling, the motivations and cause of the civil war seem absurd and too simplistic. The issue is gasoline. It's not nuanced or the last straw, or even about economics. The United States bans anything gas powered, and the south secedes.
Then the ending. The whole story leads up to a big, heaping, pile of nothing. Like something is trying to be said but really missing its mark.
I did love a quote in the book. Someone dealing with a horrible past is told, "I don't have to live with what happened to you. I have to live with you are now." It made me think hard about how we can feel sorry and love someone who have had horrific things happen to them, but still set boundaries and not allow destructive behavior.
While most of the individual story was quite compelling, the motivations and cause of the civil war seem absurd and too simplistic. The issue is gasoline. It's not nuanced or the last straw, or even about economics. The United States bans anything gas powered, and the south secedes.
Then the ending. The whole story leads up to a big, heaping, pile of nothing. Like something is trying to be said but really missing its mark.
I did love a quote in the book. Someone dealing with a horrible past is told, "I don't have to live with what happened to you. I have to live with you are now." It made me think hard about how we can feel sorry and love someone who have had horrific things happen to them, but still set boundaries and not allow destructive behavior.