Reviews with content warning for Cannibalism - City of Thieves

This is a well-written but graphically brutal WWII novel that tells the story of two young Russian men thrown together during the war. Their conversations often tend toward coarse discussions about sexuality which seem to offer them only slight distractions from the horrors they witness and experience. If you enjoy WWII fiction, this one definitely offers a unique plot and perspective, and may be one you want to read, if you can handle the brutality and coarseness of the telling.

Content Warnings

sarah_reading_party's review against another edition

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dark informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

probably would not have read this if not for book club. great setting in WWII russia. parts of this book were intense and tough to read. i admit i skimmed over a few parts that made me squeamish. very well written.

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amachonis's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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charmarie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

5.0

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junglezee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful informative tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I absolutely adored this book. I’ve always wanted to read something about the Siege of Leningrad, and this book is fabulous. It really hit the spot for me, I had an excellent time reading this and would recommend it to all!

It’s rather heavy and serious at times, but has excellent pacing with some really smooth oscillations between heavy, dark, and serious, and cute, warm, and funny. I’d love to read more by David Benioff and am stoked by this first glimpse into his authorship!

Content Warnings

m_a_j's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny tense medium-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? N/A

5.0

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