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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“I recognize several of them; some of my colleagues and acquaintances originate from there, from the villages of Lifta, al-Qastal, Ein Karem, al-Mallha, al-Jura, Abu Shusha, Siris, Innaba, Jimzu and Dair Tarif. But the majority of the names are unfamiliar to me, to the extent that they invoke a feeling of estrangement. Khirbat al-Ammour, Bir Main, al-Burj, Khirbat al-Buwayra, Beit Shanna, Salbit, al-Qubab, al-Kanisa, Kharrouba, Khirbat Zakariyya, Bariyya, Dair Abu Salama, Al-Naani, Jindas, Hadatha, Abu al-Fadl, Kisla, and many others. I look at the Israeli map again. A very large park called Canada Park now extends over the area where all these villages used to be.”
I had to sit with myself for a few minutes after this passage. It was so hard getting through this, especially the first 50 pages. Such an uncomfortable, infuriating read.
I had to sit with myself for a few minutes after this passage. It was so hard getting through this, especially the first 50 pages. Such an uncomfortable, infuriating read.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Sometimes it's inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific"
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is best described as haunting. The way it feels as a reader, your connection to the characters, and how the ending leaves you. I would like to add a caveat, that this style of book is not very up my alley, but I found the story compelling, and important, the prose interesting, and much more. I feel comfortable rating it a 4, but these kinds of books I rate way more on how it was written and the possible impact it will have on my life less on the remendability to others.
First off, this story is very important. I have rarely found a title that was so well penned for the story and what it was conveying. Our lives, and minutes are summations of tiny details, the way the keyboard feels on my fingers, if I am choosing to listen to music while reading or typing, where I am able to read, the choice that my parents had to encourage reading, and the choice I made to try to be myself. The minor details in this book became all consuming. The heat of a bite that initially gets brushed off, the delusion of a commander, the smell of gasoline, and the haunting nature of this book makes it compel especially as many of the minor details are called back at the end of the second part of this book. The choices of narrators, one being the commander obsessed with order and beginning to die from a bite, the other being a character who cannot not act and live semi-impulsively, make everything feel very unreal. None of the side characters feel real despite the first part being based on a real story, and rarely does the author convey anyone in an emotional and negative light despite the context of this book. The story, and tragedy while horrible are conveyed in a this is life manner, causing it to resonate when you know that shouldn't be life truly make me feel haunted. The changing of the prose with both of the POV's obsessed with order, but one being unable to look and react internally and the other being unable to get out of their head are reflected in the prose, and length of paragraphs. I don't know if I love this book, but I don't think I will ever forget it, or not think about it when I consider political and personal situations the relate to this story.
First off, this story is very important. I have rarely found a title that was so well penned for the story and what it was conveying. Our lives, and minutes are summations of tiny details, the way the keyboard feels on my fingers, if I am choosing to listen to music while reading or typing, where I am able to read, the choice that my parents had to encourage reading, and the choice I made to try to be myself. The minor details in this book became all consuming. The heat of a bite that initially gets brushed off, the delusion of a commander, the smell of gasoline, and the haunting nature of this book makes it compel especially as many of the minor details are called back at the end of the second part of this book. The choices of narrators, one being the commander obsessed with order and beginning to die from a bite, the other being a character who cannot not act and live semi-impulsively, make everything feel very unreal. None of the side characters feel real despite the first part being based on a real story, and rarely does the author convey anyone in an emotional and negative light despite the context of this book. The story, and tragedy while horrible are conveyed in a this is life manner, causing it to resonate when you know that shouldn't be life truly make me feel haunted. The changing of the prose with both of the POV's obsessed with order, but one being unable to look and react internally and the other being unable to get out of their head are reflected in the prose, and length of paragraphs. I don't know if I love this book, but I don't think I will ever forget it, or not think about it when I consider political and personal situations the relate to this story.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No