Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by purplegrape
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 ⭐ Started: June 28, 2024. Ended: June 29, 2024.
In Memoriam follows two schoolboys who discover the tragedies of war too young. To them, their unspoken love is as uncertain as the end of the war. We experience pivotal battles in history through their eyes. Death looms around every corner, though as the war dredges on, being left alive seems less and less a better fate.
Alice Winn has long been one of my favorite authors (iykyk). I preordered her debut novel, but when it arrived, I didn't touch it for months. I didn't touch any book for months. As someone who fell out of love with reading (or, better put, pined from afar without making any moves), In Memoriam was an exceptionally easy read. I didn't want to put it down (though I had to to sleep 💔).
I cried maybe three times. The first part of the novel spoke the most to me. The novelty of war wore off, but the newspapers remained heartrending (up to the very last one). The first half of the novel is incomparable, so much so that for the later half, I rated it 4 stars in its entirety. I was more attached to the characters when the perspectives did not shift so suddenly (it would have been nice to have a timeline to follow, especially with the time skip(s), though I understand why there wasn't one).
I thought for certain this would be a 5 star read for me. Maybe if/when I reread without annotating it will grow on me. I think I was more invested when I believed there would be an unhappy ending.
As always, Winn's writing is clean and beautiful. It shines the most in her character interactions (the sheer spectrum of relationships she portrays is remarkable). I will have to revisit it when I find myself forgetting.
In Memoriam follows two schoolboys who discover the tragedies of war too young. To them, their unspoken love is as uncertain as the end of the war. We experience pivotal battles in history through their eyes. Death looms around every corner, though as the war dredges on, being left alive seems less and less a better fate.
Alice Winn has long been one of my favorite authors (iykyk). I preordered her debut novel, but when it arrived, I didn't touch it for months. I didn't touch any book for months. As someone who fell out of love with reading (or, better put, pined from afar without making any moves), In Memoriam was an exceptionally easy read. I didn't want to put it down (though I had to to sleep 💔).
I cried maybe three times. The first part of the novel spoke the most to me. The novelty of war wore off, but the newspapers remained heartrending (up to the very last one). The first half of the novel is incomparable, so much so that for the later half, I rated it 4 stars in its entirety. I was more attached to the characters when the perspectives did not shift so suddenly (it would have been nice to have a timeline to follow, especially with the time skip(s), though I understand why there wasn't one).
I thought for certain this would be a 5 star read for me. Maybe if/when I reread without annotating it will grow on me. I think I was more invested when I believed there would be an unhappy ending.
As always, Winn's writing is clean and beautiful. It shines the most in her character interactions (the sheer spectrum of relationships she portrays is remarkable). I will have to revisit it when I find myself forgetting.