Yay: Quite gut-wrenching, and I mean that in the best way. The reader feels the loss, hope, and anguish that riddles Sarat's life. You vacillate between wanting to cheer for her, or throttle her; but overall, you're left with more of a disgusted pity.

American War is incredibly well-written, with several smaller moments within the book echoing the overall theme of the warping of humanity in times of cruelty.

This would make an excellent book club pick. I wish I had someone to discuss it with.

Nay: The underlying cause of the war required more suspension of belief than I was willing to give. It seemed incredibly unlikely that in a matter of 60 years, the Middle East has unified into a peaceful, thriving empire, racism/classism in the US is gone, and the main source of contention in the US is along regional lines.

arc received from the publisher for review