Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan

4 reviews

vegronica's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I think a lot of what I love about this is Leila Buck's narration in the audiobook. I wouldn't re-read it but I was hooked the whole time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Blood, Violence, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Homophobia, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, Abortion, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Dementia

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: War and Islamophobia

amberinpieces's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Hate crime

Moderate: Classism, Dementia, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, Violence, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, and Grief

Minor: War, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Racial slurs, Car accident, Abortion, Blood, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Toxic relationship

samisal's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book floored me. It is such a brilliantly crafted, clever story and it captures you from the start. I read this book faster than I remember reading anything in years. Hala Alyan captures Arab family dynamics in so many perfect personal details but nothing about this story feels predictable and the secrets this family contains are delicately arranged throughout the story. It is an emotional but loving read that really breaks these characters and relationships down in a beautiful way. I particularly loved the reflections in Mazna's chapters, the love and care that Alyan gives to a complicated woman experiencing so many of the damaging dynamics of Arab-American motherhood and womanhood. I love the narratives this book allows our community to explore, I love the writing, which is so clever and funny and sad, and I love this book from cover to cover. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, Homophobia, and Hate crime

Moderate: Abortion, War, and Drug use

Minor: Death of parent and Body shaming

thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you're a fan of character-driven family dramas, you will love this book!

The story follows the Nasr family, when Idris, the father, decides to sell their family home in Beirut. This decision brings everyone to gather in Beirut for the summer. We get the perspectives of the three children, each living their own independent lives, as they come to terms with what being back in Beirut with family means. And then we flash back to their mom's life when she was young growing up in Syria, and what led to her marrying Idris and how they eventually ended up in California raising a family. I thought the book started slow, and the past timeline was when the story really grabbed me. I found Mazna a really intriguing character, and I loved that we get different perspectives, so what you initially think about one character changes in the next section. All these characters are complex and compelling--I didn't like all of them but I found myself rooting for them and this family anyways.

There's not a ton of plot, but this is the kind of story where secrets drive the story—everyone has secrets and fails at communication, which of course causes drama and heartbreak. I was frustrated at times and just wanted to stick the Nasr family in one room together and force them to be honest with each other.

The writing was excellent and really captivated me. And I loved the setting—we get California, Brooklyn, Austin, Beirut, and Damascus. There's also a lot to learn about the Lebanese Civil War, and this book will make you want to learn even more about it. If you're tired of the World War II historical fiction books, you should definitely give this one a shot!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual assault