Reviews

American War by Omar El Akkad

camillehkiel's review against another edition

4.0

This book was VERY very good and so interesting!! The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is because it basically drops race as an issue, which makes it completely unrealistic given the setting and topic it deals with. Other than that, it was an eerie read, especially given it was written in 2017, it hits so real now. Def recommend!! Also it has a map!

dellaposta's review against another edition

3.0

I thought the author is a really talented writer and the concept of the book (a Second Civil War) is an interesting one. However, that premise seemed to be too half-baked to really hit home. Without spoiling anything, I could not really figure out why the South was rebelling over fossil fuels, or how political divisions in this version of the late 21st century are seemingly identical to contemporary ones while racial divisions—in a re-seceding South—have seemingly vanished. I know it’s fiction and all that, but the lack of attention to the world building just took me out of the story and I never really got as into this as I thought I would.

a_mingled_yarn's review against another edition

Too real-world and depressing for me. I read fiction to escape this stuff.

kvanhook92's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

librarylandlisa's review against another edition

4.0

I classified this as historical fiction even though it is history about something that has not happened yet. I enjoyed this book more than I had initially thought I would. This is one of the books that I almost did not read because I did not like the cover art. Kind of a silly reason, but it happens.

arthur_98's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5

Beginning good, middle okay, last 100 pages I read in one sitting. Ending amazing.

soph2962's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

ziggymusic's review against another edition

5.0

Review of advanced reader copy:
Reading this was like watching a Black Mirror episode - a speculative future that doesn't feel as uncanny or impossible as it probably should. There is more than enough reality in this fiction to make it a frighteningly plausible version of the worst possible outcome. (The 'worst possible outcome' also being a euphemism for our current administration.) It'd be easy to dismiss this story as wild extremist fear-mongering if it didn't reflect so much of the very real and widening divide between the U.S.'s polarized parties.

Anyway, besides being an impressive and well-executed dystopian plot, the writing is great and Sarat will be difficult to forget.

reality_x's review against another edition

1.0

The grand background of this fiction is that America got into a civil war due to drastic climate change. I get that the background is rather an attention-worthy topic but the story just doesn't deliver. The plot is boring and the consistency of the characters is almost none. The protagonist can tolerate 3-day straight in the woods being still and peeing herself in her pants to keep stealthy but can't stand the bedsheet with the smell of others in a shabby hotel. The only motivation that drives me to turn the page is the money I paid for this book.

avidreader63's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Violent in spots. Sad and difficult to read at times.