Following the story of d503 We tells of his transition from being part of group thinking towards individualism driven by his love for i330. As a story about revolution its very similar to both Anthem and 1984, however I find 1984 a more polished version with more depth, and Anthem tells the same story as effectively with half the pages. It's definitely worth reading if you're a fan of dystopia but I would say it's improved on by those it inspires.
 
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2nd Read
 
Having since read another 200 books or so I thought it about time to re-read this as I’d started to feel that my original rating of 3.5 felt low. I still agree with all my comments from my first review, but having read it again and a bit slower I felt there was definitely more depth in D503's character than I gave him credit for last time, but I still find parts of the plot a little tricky to follow due to a lack of description, so I won't go past 4. Still a great book though and should be read by anyone who enjoys dystopia. 

The 3 part system wherethe first 2 parts could be read in either order is really well done. The whole concept and majority of the plot seems quite unique and I found it really interesting. I'd highly recommend the book, part 3 has a couple of tropes but also has some really good twists and the ending was satisfying. You don't love the 2 main characters, they both have flaws, though maybe one more than the other. This is a good things though, it makes the characters more relatable and believablr,

especially when you discover in the 3rd part the first 2 parts are edited versions of the story written by their inexs to suit a live story narrative and hide the worst parts of both characters

A really good read; absorbing, and emotional. I've not seen the film or read the original newspaper articles but I will try to now. The 2 main characters you get to know very well and connect with them. It does read quite like a film, in the sense that there is a lot of dialogue and plot rather than descriptions. The brutality of the Khmer Rouge and

the suffering of Dith is eviceral. The final reunification of Sydney and Dith is extremely moving and the resolution of sydneys unjustified guilt is inspirational

. Its an extremely moving book and the fact it's largely true makes it even more intense - 4*

2nd Read

This stood up to a second read brilliantly and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time than the first. I've still not watched the film but I will probably read this a third time later. I've upped the rating to 4.5 as I can't find much at fault with the book. I really want to read more about Cambodia and visit the country now to see how far it's come since these terrible times.