War photographer Maali Almeida woke up dead, dismembered, and not knowing how he died. In a time when Sri Lanka is plagued by suicide bombs, death squads, and militias, the suspect list for Maali’s murder is long, especially when he has a secret stash of images that could upend the political system. Nonetheless, Maali only has seven moons to guide his friends and family to the photos and find his killer.

SEVEN MOONS is an unflinching examination of the political turmoil in Sri Lanka during the 90s. Karunatilaka points out the brutality of different factions tearing a country apart while revealing foreign influences, especially from western countries, and their hypocrisy in “peacekeeping.”

SEVEN MOONS is narrated in the second person, which can feel awkward initially. There are also a lot of details about Sri Lanka’s history and politics, which some have said are unnecessary. Still, I find the background information interesting and crucial for readers unfamiliar with Sri Lanka.

Even though it’s marketed as political satire, SEVEN MOONS is closer to a murder mystery imo, especially when compared to the two other shortlisted novels, GLORY (NoViolet Bulawayo) and THE TREES (Parcival Everett), where both adopt a more sarcastic tone. The pacing of SEVEN MOONS is impeccable, and I was hooked from the beginning. It has a more focused plot than GLORY and a more exciting twist compared to THE TREES.

SEVEN MOONS is not an easy read by any means, but an essential one to understand those haunted by political restlessness from colonizers to warlords. Congratulations again to Karunatilaka for this well-deserved prize!

Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the eARC