“I organized a wedding in Afghanistan, I had the happy couple, the bride and groom. I don’t feel sorry for them – I lost my friend. Horrible stories fill the opening pages of Zinky Boys – giving something of a warning to the faint-hearted about the nature of the book. Svetlana Alexievich's diary constitutes the first – and last – chapter of the book, recalling her interaction with those involved in or connected to the Soviet war in Afghanistan. The book is full of testimonies from soldiers, mothers and civilian workers involved in the war. Zinky Boys lacks the regular structure of a book, each chapter unfolding without a clear flow, linked by phone calls between Alexievich and someone she called her "main character." There are no written comments, only story after story, which mostly jump between soldiers, mothers, doctors without structure. The book stands out for its unorthodox way of writing. Readers will be left in suspense, trying to figure out what comes next. The soldiers' stories were brutal. Horrible images taken...