The Sympathizer

Fantastic prose and cast-iron character building. I had to take large breaks from reading this for reasons unrelated to the book, and the characters came back to me like bulls on a rampage when I came back to this novel. I don't have to tell you that this is razor-sharp political commentary, but I can tell you that it draws blood without trying. Nguyen's novel is so historically rich, so politically apt, and so deliciously reflective. 
The last act was blinding, much like the main character's experience and I loved/hated every second. Wow!
One flaw is I felt it dragged in the beginning.