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alexampersand's review
3.0
I'm kind of indifferent towards it to be honest. It's quite a hard hitting theme, and seeing it in the form of flashbacks through one character gives an interesting and kind of frightening aspect. At the same time, as a fictional story it didn't really grab me.
royallyreading's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Genocide, Violence, War, Death, and Alcohol
roenfoe's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
*Read for university*
This was a deeply upsetting read, as all works concerning genocide should be. It addresses the Rwandan genocide be examining the experience of Rwandans, missionaries, and foreign military personnel. The story flips back and forth between the time before and after the genocide, particularly following the titular character Deogratias. The prevailing emotion of the time before the genocide is thinly veiled ethnic tension and violence, while after the genocide the region is colored by madness and a deep sense of loss.
This was a good graphic novel, but I feel like we only scratched the surface of the multitude of characters. Many are alluded to having had intense/fascinating/difficult life experiences, and yet they are only touched upon in one line of dialogue or for a single plot point. So much more could have been done with this story, and expanding upon these characters would have improved my experience with the work as a whole.
This was a deeply upsetting read, as all works concerning genocide should be. It addresses the Rwandan genocide be examining the experience of Rwandans, missionaries, and foreign military personnel. The story flips back and forth between the time before and after the genocide, particularly following the titular character Deogratias. The prevailing emotion of the time before the genocide is thinly veiled ethnic tension and violence, while after the genocide the region is colored by madness and a deep sense of loss.
This was a good graphic novel, but I feel like we only scratched the surface of the multitude of characters. Many are alluded to having had intense/fascinating/difficult life experiences, and yet they are only touched upon in one line of dialogue or for a single plot point. So much more could have been done with this story, and expanding upon these characters would have improved my experience with the work as a whole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Genocide, Sexism, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
ehmannky's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall, a really brutal and honest look at the Tutsi genocide. I appreciated the context at the beginning of the book, because as an American born in the 90s, I do not know a ton about this genocide. I will probably be seeing if I can track down an English copy of the book written by Beata Umubeyeyi Mairessse (the person who wrote the intro) just so I can see more from her perspective. I did have a hard time tracking the move between the "present day" of the book to the past, and it all blurred together. Which I think is intentional to emphasize the trauma and the fact that Deogratias no longer has a good grip on his sanity. I also think I feel really uncomfortable with the fact the most popular book about this genocide is written by a white man. But overall, I get why it's considered, like, a classic of the graphic novel community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, War, Rape, Murder, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Colonisation
sonjaelisee's review
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
annapox's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Colonisation, and Confinement
arachne_reads's review
5.0
Powerful, aching, complex, and human. Never once does Stassen oversimplify his characters or the brutal genocide through which they lived. A difficult graphic novel, and one that deeply trusts the reader's ability to empathize and connect the events of the unfolding tale. I am still haunted by this work, even a year and a half later.
bodagirl's review
3.0
BookRiot Read Harder Challenge 2015 | Task 19: A Translation
Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge | Task 44: Book originally written in another language
Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge | Task 44: Book originally written in another language