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Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'
Shatila Stories by Fatima Omar Ghazawi, Rayan Mohamad Sukkar, Samih Mahmoud, Safiya Badran, Hiba Mareb, Nibal Alalo, Safa Khaled Algharbawi, Omar Abdellatif Alndaf, Omar Khaled Ahmad
3 reviews
atuin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
I don't feel comfortable giving this book a star rating due to the nature of how it was written, however I will say all the writers did an amazing job. The stories all connect in an interesting way, and it paints a beautiful, if often tragic picture of life in a refugee camp.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Child death, Ableism, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
musingsbynitika's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: War and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, and Alcoholism
martha_is_reading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Shatila Stories was every bit as unique and memorable as I had hoped when my friend first sent it my way. Periene Press worked with nine refugees in the Shatila camp in Beirut to produce a set of interwoven short stories, and the result was a moving portrait of life in the camp. There were some triggering themes which I'll put in spoiler brackets below, but I thought they were tackled respectfully and were woven into the complex picture of life in a place that is not one's home, but has to become one's community out of necessity. The Shatila camp represents something that should be temporary for those displaced against their will, but it is also a seemingly permanent construction that has existed since the 1940s. Dangerously low-hanging electrical wires are coupled with housing and a community centre, it's a place of contradiction, and I thought that this book really brought that to life through achingly human stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism
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