This was THE most explicit example of “telling versus showing” I have ever read, and it made this short novel feel extremely long.

I must commend the author on relating a portion of history I was not familiar with, showcasing the struggles of the Mā’ohi after the French colonize and steal their land and use it as a base for nuclear testing. It’s a very clear picture of the damage colonization has brought to Indigenous lives, destroying not only their land but the very identity of their people.

But the journey to get there was…dull. The epilogue was honestly the most enlightening and relates what I believe the author was trying to communicate more effectively. 

Because FUCK this “love story” I hated every minute of it. A colonizing ass French woman (who’s HELPING with the nuclear project???) falls in love with the man leading the Mā’ohi resistance??

And she does nothing but sob at the end of their relationship as she hands over the instructions on how the missiles work???

ABSOLUTELY NOT.