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aelbergan's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bracky's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
grdelbene's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
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? Yes
2.25
ommsetu's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
katel1970's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
christiek's review against another edition
4.0
I found this to be incredibly interesting. It has a great sense of place, and the main characters get pulled into difficult and dangerous political problems. They don't really do anything wrong, but there are no good choices. I find that makes for good tension and I enjoy it. I have some quibbles: it's not as interesting a reflection on being human as Billy Lynn, it can be overly descriptive which is tough in a long bppk, and some plot complications end quickly and conveniently.
lokroma's review
4.0
I expected this book to be a run of the mill spy thriller, but I was completely surprised at how exceptionally good it is. Fountain must have spent a lot of time in Haiti, because the richness and vibrancy of the settings and characters feel like being there.
Set in 1991 immediately after Aristide was deposed, the country is in chaos and warring factions are trying to gain control. Matt Amaker is an American ex pat running a scuba dive operation who is caught in the upheaval and whose life is violently disrupted. His close relationship with a Haitian American brings him into contact with powerful people who use him and his diving skills to try and enrich themselves.
There is of course a tough female CIA agent, numerous Haitian generals and their well armed soldiers, a beleaguered doctor in charge of a run down clinic, a gorgeous Haitian English literature major visiting her family while on leave from Brown University, and numerous other mostly oddball characters. The dialog is smart and there is a lot of Creole thrown in, but you don't have to translate it to get what's going on.
The main character here though is Haiti. A dismally poor Haiti that has been exploited over and over again throughout its history. In this story the wealthy Haitians share nothing with impoverished Haitians and divert aid sent from other countries into their own pockets for yachts and palaces. The military and political leaders fight each other for dominance and use weaponized militias to kill and intimidate whichever Haitians annoy them at any particular time. And the U.S. inserts itself everywhere, trying, often unsuccessfully and with disastrous consequences for innocent people, to maintain control.
Set in 1991 immediately after Aristide was deposed, the country is in chaos and warring factions are trying to gain control. Matt Amaker is an American ex pat running a scuba dive operation who is caught in the upheaval and whose life is violently disrupted. His close relationship with a Haitian American brings him into contact with powerful people who use him and his diving skills to try and enrich themselves.
There is of course a tough female CIA agent, numerous Haitian generals and their well armed soldiers, a beleaguered doctor in charge of a run down clinic, a gorgeous Haitian English literature major visiting her family while on leave from Brown University, and numerous other mostly oddball characters. The dialog is smart and there is a lot of Creole thrown in, but you don't have to translate it to get what's going on.
The main character here though is Haiti. A dismally poor Haiti that has been exploited over and over again throughout its history. In this story the wealthy Haitians share nothing with impoverished Haitians and divert aid sent from other countries into their own pockets for yachts and palaces. The military and political leaders fight each other for dominance and use weaponized militias to kill and intimidate whichever Haitians annoy them at any particular time. And the U.S. inserts itself everywhere, trying, often unsuccessfully and with disastrous consequences for innocent people, to maintain control.
catreads62's review
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
emzone's review
3.0
Not very cohesive and jumped around too much without proper character development. Well researched and interesting!