This book left me speechless. At a time when we are witnessing the genocide of the Palestinians, this story was another reminder of the cruelty and absurdity of war. Of its utter destructiveness but also of people's resilience that seems to go beyond what's humanly possible. The author explores all of this so masterfully, using a mix of strong chatacter development, humor, supernatural elements, and not sugarcoating anything. (This book was a lot darker and includez more detailed descriptions of deadly physical violence than what I generally read. So if that's you as well, I definitely recommend reading the content warnings.)

I didn’t know anything about Georgia before reading this and learned a lot. A propulsive, emotional story that has just the right blend of tragedy and triumph in the end. 

This novel is heart-wrenchingly poignant, moving, and beautifully written.

I enjoyed the characters, who were well developed over the course of the book with some emotional reveals about their past, and their connections with one another. 

The plot progressed at a reasonable pace to be both immersive yet with steady direction. I'd describe the pace as relatively slow; but, there was enough suspense and curiosity that I never lost track of what the goal was supposed to be. I don't want to say anything about the ending to avoid spoilers, other than it wasn't what I expected. 

I read this via audiobook, which was well done and easy to understand. I found it helpful for the pronunciations of words; although, the accents could have been a bit more regionally accurate.

I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 because it was depressing, although that to be expected given its subject matter. 

I love the sense of place in this book, and the characters are interesting, but at the end of it all, I'm not sure what it make of the story.