Compelling story-even better writing
352601
Usually reading a memoir about The Vietnam War, the memoir focuses on the fighting and the gruesome conditions that the soldiers faced. Tobias Wolf took a different approach in his memoir, In Pharaoh's Army, by focusing more on his life in Vietnam when he is not on the battlefield and the relationships that he has outside of Vietnam. Wolf portrays this with great use of language and sentence structure.
 Wolf does not spend a lot of time discussing any fighting. Instead he describes his life in Vietnam while he is waiting for fighting to break out. Wolf describes a scene where he is sent ahead to find safe land particularly well. He describes his skin as feeling "crawly" (80). This is a particularly good word to use in this situation because throughout the memoir Wolf tells the reader that he does not feel like he belongs in Vietnam. The word "crawl" has some very interesting connotations that support this point. Usually a person would "crawl" if he is hiding from a danger, like the Vietnam War, and also the word "crawl" makes the reader think that Wolf is trying to move away unnoticed. In this scene Wolf makes great use of sentence structure when he uses a hyphen in the sentence: "If we got hit I intended to call down destruction on everything around me-the whole world" (80). By using the hyphen Wolf emphasizes the idea that if anything happens he will not think twice to destroy everything around him that is potentially dangerous. This creates the idea that in wartime, soldiers throw their morals out of the window and, instead, do whatever they need to do to survive.
 Wolf shows the separation that he feels from civilians when he comes back from Vietnam when he tries to tell the story of his encounter with Captain Kale to Jan when both of them are in a bar. Wolf writes that he is having trouble deciding how to tell the story because no matter what he says he looks like the villain. Wolf says that when telling the story, "as soon as you open your mouth you have problems" (207). A soldier hearing the story of Wolf letting Kale completely mess up his assignment would seem completely justified, but to a civilian the story that Wolf tells sounds like Wolf willingly let Kale blow down some Vietnamese Hooches. This is an example of how Wolf's participation in Vietnam separated him from the civilians back home.
4045017
I will admit that there were a couple different reasons that I chose to read Broken Monsters.  One was that it takes place in Detroit, my birthplace.  Another was that it sounded interesting -- a detective and single mother chasing a serial killer who combines body parts of his victims with animals.  Finally, I had some extra credits on my Audible account thanks to a Christmas present, so I could afford to try out an author who was new to me.

I am so glad that I did.

Broken Monsters not only tells a compelling and captivating story from the viewpoints of a number of different interesting and well rounded characters, it is also beautifully written.  There were a number of times that I found myself smiling at a particular description of turn of phrase.  Lauren Beukes is an amazing writer with the massive toolbox of a true wordsmith.

What is most impressive is that the story moves seamlessly from one point of view to another.  Portions of the story are alternately told by the killer, the detective hunting him, her daughter, a homeless person, and a budding YouTube reporter.  Each character has their own stories as well.  The reader learns about the difficulties of being a woman and a minority in the Homicide division as well as the worries about being a good parent.  The daughter's school life, the secret her best friend has kept hidden, and the dangerous game they play with an online predator are just as compelling as the murder which needs to be solved.  It is fascinating to see how all of the disparate plot threads are woven into one whole.

Then, of course, there is the killer's descent into madness.  Without giving anything away, the reader has to determine if there is a supernatural element to the story of not.

Broken Monsters is a prime example of writing at it's finest.  I am truly pleased that Beukes has other novels which I can delve into.
1920619
WOW!  What an interesting hypothesis - what a well written story.  No spoiler here, but I have to provide some info as a basis for this great review.

The story revolves around a group o people who are transported into the the past - to a past we are all familiar with.  But with a new twist that is delightful to read.  I can't tell you more than to say you have to read it to enjoy it.  I simply could not put it down.

Character development is excellent - unlike the previous book which rolled them out subtlety and almost frustratingly slow, all of the characters roll out quickly, and the depth develops more slowly and more engagingly as the book progresses.  The lead characters were well developed, with engaging stories and histories that enveloped the reader with empathy and a sense of belonging that was deeply felt by me.

I would love to divulge more of the plot, but that would ruin your read.  Like Wool, you have to be willing to roll the dice and dive in.  I believe you will be delighted.  I stood out in my garage two night in a row in a blind desire to finish this incredibly well written and engaging book.
3488203
I grabbed this book from the library on a whim and finished it within three days, something I haven't done in years.
I was worried that the writing and plot would be dark in a gritty, gruesome way; though the story is dark and the author does divulge pertinent descriptions of the crimes that occur, I didn't find it unnecessarily graphic at any point, which I tend to have a weak stomach for.
The story was extremely compelling and moved along at a good pace, creating a lot of suspense and speculation. I really liked the main character- she was someone whose thoughts and personality I could definitely relate to, although she was a little frustrating at points when she would make questionable decision after questionable decision. At times, it was like when the main character in a horror movie goes into that dark basement where you just KNOW the killer is hiding and you start yelling, "Don't do it!" at the TV. However, this is my only criticism of the book.
The biggest strength of this book is the way that it weaves a compelling mystery with a lot going on inside of it with interesting, complex characters, without sacrificing either plot or character development. Both of these components worked extremely well. The writing is excellent yet easy to process; it's not pretentious or flowery in any way, but tells the story in a straightforward yet suspenseful and artfully descriptive way. I would absolutely recommend it, and not just to fans of mystery novels- it's a great story with a lot going for it, so I can see it cutting across a number of genres.
797325
This is better written than book 1 and the story itself is compelling enough to keep me reading.
4111465
Well-written, intriguing story - hope it doesn't end here.
3328889
Beautifully written and compelling characters - very happy I found this author.
539179
Set in a vast empire entering a period of crisis brought on by the very methods (cloning, hierarchical social structure, ultra-sophisticated AI technology, military recycling of the bodies of conquered enemies, space travel) that ensured its success. The story is riveting, told from the perspective of a preternaturally skilled "ancillary," a reanimated (and partially rebuilt) body assimilated to the ancient AI of an immense troop ship (Justice of Toren) supporting the annexation of a conquered planet. The ancillary is, herself, in crisis, the lone surviving extension of its ship's AI, orphaned by a catastrophic development in the empire's structure of command. She (the female pronoun is the default term for all genders in the Radch empire) is a sentient machine in an almost fully human body, and the book achieves the rare feat of making this surprisingly sensitive "corpse soldier" fully believable, morally and psychologically compelling. The chapters alternate between present tense narration of Breq's unfolding showdown with those responsible for the loss of her ship, and the backstory consisting of events some 20 years earlier that led to Breq's current quest for--justice is not quite the right word, since she is also seeking to atone for her past choices, and make sense of what has gone awry in her world. The writing is tremendously agile, easily leading the reader through the complexities of shared minds and intersecting time-frames (the individual ancillary is both "young" and unimaginably old, given its participation in the thought-processes of an AI thousands of years old). Leckie has a real gift for visualizing distinctive places and cultures rich in sensory detail, yet with a minimum of fuss. At the story's start Breq, an unlikely Don Quijote, picks up a most unpromising, infuriating Sancho Panza (who's been in stasis after losing her ship, but Breq still remembers, not pleasantly, from her rotation a thousand years earlier in Justice of Toren); by the end of the book their partnership has come to seem inevitable, and taught us a great deal about Breq's moral temper, and the cultural peculiarities of the Radch empire. The story provides a satisfying narrative arc, yet it also opens the gateway for a sequel. This second volume is about to be published, and I can't wait.
4790793
Beautifully written. A compelling style and an effective use of time and location to tell a very involving story that brings together a number of themes. Hoping for more writing by this author, Christine Piper.
661748
Great story. Compelling reading. Interesting characters. Really like the authors other writings too.
672884
Well written and compelling story set in a world just a degree off from ours.  Not what I had expected - and currently enjoying top billing on my 'you have to read this' list!
2417911
Compelling story. Very talented writer. Expertly weaves in details about Australia and WWI that make the story more realistic and interesting to reader. Very strong in presenting point of view of characters. Hope to read this author again.
3165144
This is a really compelling story. Once you get past the first five pages, it holds your attention to the end. The characters are convincing, and  I found myself rooting for the protagonist, Emma, as she dealt with challenging and distressing events in her relationships. The ending feels true to life and is unforgettable.
3410479
The writing is compelling and logical. The characters made real in my minds eye-a great juicy story. Thanks to the author.
2079735
The author has done a fine job creating a compelling story and character that have depth and sometimes pathos.
I look forward to other books by this author.
2776810
Wonderful writing, a compelling main character, and an intriguing plot that holds together perfectly.
2404503
The author has done an excellent job of telling a compelling story while creating characters that have depth. Great job and I hope to read more from this author.