I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Our War by Craig DiLouie Published by Orbit on August 20 2019
Genres: Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 400
Format: Finished hardcover
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A powerful and realistic portrayal of a near future civil war, Our War is a harrowing, emotional and ultimately uplifting story about the nature of war.
“After we win this war, we can put away the guns for good.”
Last year I was blown away by Craig DiLouie’s One of Us, a grim, alternate history about a group of marginalized people trying to live and survive in a place where racial injustices are commonplace. And so going into Our War, I had an idea of what I was in for. What I didn’t expect was how moving and exhilarating this book would be, and Our War has definitely earned its place on my Best of 2019 list (yet to be written, of course). This time DiLouie tackles a near-future America where political events have led to civil war, a frightening and all too believable scenario, considering what the United States is dealing with today.
The story takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana and is told through alternating voices. When Congress tried to impeach the President, but he refused to leave office, civil war erupted in the United States, turning the country into a battleground where the American dream no longer exists. A year later, Hannah is ten and living in a refugee camp with her mother—after her father was killed at a gas station and her brother ran off—when her mother is brutally shot down while waiting in line for water. Hannah is taken in by a Leftist militia group called the Free Women, where she’s taught how to be a runner and later how to shoot a gun.
Meanwhile, Hannah’s fifteen-year-old brother Alex has ended up on the other side of the fight. He’s joined a different militia group called Liberty Tree where he’s under the watchful eye of an Afghanistan vet named Mitch. Liberty Tree thinks they’re protecting Americans by overthrowing the government, and it isn’t long before Alex is knee-deep in the fighting himself, learning how to shoot rifles and survive reconnaissance missions to the front line.
Gabrielle Justine is a Canadian UNICEF worker from Quebec who jumps at the opportunity to help American children who are caught up in the war. Once she arrives in the United States, she’s paired up with an American journalist named Aubrey who shows her the ropes, like how to get from place to place in war-torn Indiana. When Aubrey hears a rumor that some of the militia groups are using child soldiers to fight, she knows she’s got a great story on her hands, one that could not only make her career as a journalist, but help the children of war as well. With Gabrielle’s help, Aubrey sets out to interview the children and expose the truth of what’s really going on.
DiLouie doesn’t waste any time dumping the reader straight into the horrors of war. Hannah’s mother is killed by a sniper on page five, quite suddenly and without warning, I might add, and that is not the last death in this story by a long shot. Yes, many parts of Our War were tough to read, but it’s the characters and their relationships that got me through those tough sections. And it’s hard to pick a favorite character! Hannah’s story is the most tragic, probably because she’s the youngest character. Watching her go from a trusting, almost carefree girl to a war-hardened fighter was heartbreaking. The only thing she wants in life is to belong somewhere, to have a home where she feels safe. When she’s adopted by the Free Women, she thinks she’s found her home, and the women prove over and over that they not only care about Hannah and want to protect her, but they care about each other.
I also loved Aubrey’s and Gabrielle’s stories. As a reporter, Aubrey’s job is to tell the truth about the war, even if that truth is an ugly one, but she struggles because not only is she a woman, but she’s a woman of color. Aubrey is smart and tenacious and caring, and I absolutely loved her! Gabrielle is the one completely altruistic character, determined to save the children who are the real victims of war. But she’s confronted with reality early on, and her romantic visions of providing aid to children are shattered when she realizes she must deal with bureaucratic roadblocks, not to mention flying bullets. Gabrielle and Aubrey ultimately don’t spend much time together, but their relationship was wonderful and is made even more so by an event that happens at the end of the story.
DiLouie’s pacing is perfect, and it was very hard to put this book aside when I was forced to. The tension is palpable, the characters leap off the page, and I was terrified for each and every one of them. He also includes some flashbacks that explain what happened to Hannah’s family and how she and her mother ended up in a refugee camp. I loved the way various characters are unexpectedly connected to one another, and these connections made the story even better. I don’t want to give anything away, but I guess it’s just one more reason to pick up Our War, so you can see for yourself what I’m talking about!
DiLouie’s deceptively simple prose is the perfect vehicle for his story. There are terrible atrocities going on, and his almost deadpan delivery of the facts adds a journalistic quality to the story and makes it all feel very real. But despite these horrors, this is a human story about normal people who are caught up in something much bigger and more complex than they ever expected. These people, despite losing nearly everything and everyone they love, have not lost hope, and it’s the story’s hopeful message that makes it so special. Our War has some terribly sad moments, but it ends with that ray of hope I mentioned, the idea that people can come together and change things for the better. The author mentions in his Acknowledgments that he’s written “a novel about love and hate,” and that’s exactly what this is.
Our War is a very special book, and I hope it finds the audience it deserves. Readers who are looking for an emotional and complex story need look no further. This dystopian hits close to home, especially if you live in the United States, but its cautionary—but hopeful—message will resonate no matter what country you’re from.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
This sounds incredible and scary. I will definitely be on the look out. Great review!
Thanks Nadine! It’s worth tracking down:-)
I am torn- on the one hand, your summary really makes me want to read this book, it sounds amazing. On the other, you mentioned a few times it’s really sad and I don’t know if I’m in the right mental space to take that on right now. Amazing review- adding it to my TBR anyway.
Well, definitely if you have some triggers regarding sad and depressing events, you might want to wait on this. It is war, after all. Although I loved the hopeful message at the end, so for me it was worth it.
Hopeful endings are good!
Fantastic review Tammy. I definitely want to read this. It’s on the list.
Lynn
Thanks Lynn, it was pretty amazing, I think you’d love it.
I’ve been curious about this one since I saw you feature it on CWW a long time ago. I think this is one I will definitely see if my library will order. I might not get to it until early 2020 because let’s get real, there are too many books out there. But I definitely want to make time for this one after reading such a glowing review!
Isn’t is weird that we’re already pushing books out to 2020? I mean, there are just so many good ones, right?
Wonderful review. I’d put this on my best of 2019 list too. I was so impressed and moved by the characters, especially Hannah. Definitely planning to read One of Us sometime soon.
One of Us is even tougher to read, but I loved it as well.
Really like One of Us… and then your review: This book is definitely on my list.
Thanks Paul, I think you’ll really enjoy this:-)
I LOVED “One of Us”! I’ll have to try to find the time to fit this one in! 🙂
DJ (@MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape) recently posted…Guest Post: Writing Tip: Generating Ideas for a Themed Anthology by Joshua Palmatier
You will LOVE this DJ! I loved it even more than One of Us:-)
I had no doubt you would love this, and that comes across very clearly from your words 🙂
This is the kind of story that stays with you even after you’ve closed the book, the mark of a very compelling one, indeed…
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Review: BLOOD OF AN EXILE (The Dragons of Terra #1), by Brian Naslund
Agreed, I am still thinking about it:-)
Wow, Tammy, this sounds incredibly powerful and timely. I am definitely adding it to my list. Fantastic review!
Thanks Jennifer, it’s so powerful and great characterizations as well.
Wow, this sounds incredible! I hadn’t heard of it before but I’m so glad I read your review. Otherwise I think I would have missed out on a great book.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra recently posted…Discussion: My Recipe for Writing Book Reviews
Definitely add it to your pile:-)
Glad to hear you enjoyed this so much! I was curious about this one, but I figured I should read the author’s previous book that I have for review before getting distracted by new shinies! 😀
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Audiobook Review: Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
This one is better, in my opinion, although I loved his last book too, but it’s bleaker.
I agree the DiLouie’s prose matched the story perfectly–it really added a layer of realism that made this book even more intense. So glad you enjoyed it–and wonderful review!
Jordan Rose recently posted…Top 5 Tuesday: Funny Characters
Thanks Jordan! I hope more people jump on board and read it:-)
Awesome review as always, Tammy! I definitely need to try something by this author out now! 😀
Lashaan Balasingam recently posted…Burmese Moons by Sophie Ansel
Thanks Lashaan! He’s amazing, I hope you get the chance to check him out some day.
Wow! How had I missed this? Definitely adding this to my tbr. 🙂
I haven’t seen a lot of reviews for it, but I hope more people read it.
I would love to read this. It sounds thrilling and terrifying at the same time. And I’m curious how it all ends.
Laura Thomas recently posted…Excerpt and Giveaway ~ One Queen Of An Ending by Zachary Ryan
Yes, thrilling and terrifying is a good way to describe it:-)
Sounds like a powerful read. Just added it to my goodreads TBR list. Not sure when I’ll read it. I think I need to be in the right state of mind to get through this sort of story, but these sorts can be very worth reading, just the same. Thanks for the great review, Tammy.
You do have to be in the right mood for this, some parts are pretty brutal, but overall I was surprised by how hopeful it is. Thanks Todd!
Wow, he’s really hitting it out of the park with these types of stories! I keep meaning to read his first one, this one sounds amazing too!
Well, the American dream doesn’t exist any more because of the greed of the rich and their supporters. — I guess the ray of hope in this novel is what makes it a fantasy.
This sounds interesting and a little too close to home. Many would argue that the American dream doesn’t exist now and I wouldn’t disagree with them. Thanks for a great review.
Man this sounds promising. And it takes place in Indy, which is kinda rare for Indy to be represented, especially in sci-fi/post-apocalyptic books.