Years ago, I was told that if I wanted to read up on the Colombian armed conflict I absolutely had to read Evelio Rosero's books. In Los Ejercitos, you very much feel how much violence becomes a reality of people’s everyday lives. At first, I had a hard time identifying with Ismael, but the more the story progressed and the more time I spent seeing the story play out through his eyes, I began to feel truly invested in him as a character.

The book and its ending were unsurprisingly depressing, and yet, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. It’s a great depiction of how the armed conflict takes over the lives of those living outside of the major cities that often get talked about the most. The fact that more than a few times the characters mention they don’t even know if it’s the paramilitaries or the guerillas who are taking over the town, and that they don’t really care to know/that it doesn’t make a difference, speaks volumes to the impact of the violence people continually experience in conflicts such as these.