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ceecee9093's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, Islamophobia, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Car accident, Cursing, and Suicide attempt
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Though short, this book packs an emotional punch that you won't soon recover from. It felt like reading Shadi's diary; there are other characters and though they're complex, no one gets as much development as Shadi. We see things only from her perspective, and grow and grieve with her.
There's not a ton of stuff happening plot-wise, and don't go into this expecting a neat resolution with everything tied in a bow. This one definitely has more of an open-ended ending—but I thought it was a nice reflection on real life, where nothing is ever resolved easily, especially grief and complex family relationships. It's also well-written, so if you like things more on the literary side, but with a touch of that young adult feel, you'll probably like this.
Thank you to Libro.fm, Harper Audio, and the author for my ALC.
There's not a ton of stuff happening plot-wise, and don't go into this expecting a neat resolution with everything tied in a bow. This one definitely has more of an open-ended ending—but I thought it was a nice reflection on real life, where nothing is ever resolved easily, especially grief and complex family relationships. It's also well-written, so if you like things more on the literary side, but with a touch of that young adult feel, you'll probably like this.
Thank you to Libro.fm, Harper Audio, and the author for my ALC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical content
bwaymadeline's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
beautiful and introspective
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Child death
Minor: Car accident and Drug use
gem114's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
An Emotion of Great Delight follows Shadi, a Muslim teen in a post-9/11 America, through a particularly challenging period of her life. Not only does she have to deal with her community's Islamophobia, but her family has been wrecked by grief over her brother's recent death. Her parents' health is fragile, her relationship with her sister is strained, and her friendships, if you can call them that, are a mess. While there are some glimmers of hope, be warned that this is a SAD book.
Glows: Mafi's prose is truly poetic. There were multiple times while reading that I had to pause and just appreciate the beauty of how something was phrased. I also really liked Shadi as a main character, and I think her story is a compelling one.
Grows: I thought the alternating timeline was hard to follow. I also don't think other characters were developed enough. Overall, the book felt a bit disjointed. Perhaps this was intentional given the focus on how stress and grief were affecting Shadi's mental and physical health, but, in my opinion, it made for a less immersive reading experience. A bit too abstract for my tastes, but your mileage may vary!
Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Glows: Mafi's prose is truly poetic. There were multiple times while reading that I had to pause and just appreciate the beauty of how something was phrased. I also really liked Shadi as a main character, and I think her story is a compelling one.
Grows: I thought the alternating timeline was hard to follow. I also don't think other characters were developed enough. Overall, the book felt a bit disjointed. Perhaps this was intentional given the focus on how stress and grief were affecting Shadi's mental and physical health, but, in my opinion, it made for a less immersive reading experience. A bit too abstract for my tastes, but your mileage may vary!
Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Islamophobia, Mental illness, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual content
stevielynne's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Death, Grief, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood
loveat1stwrite's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
**I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
An Emotion of Great Delight follows Shadi, a high school student who wears hijab, during 2002 and 2003. The alternating timelines slowly reveal changes in her world, her family, and herself that is an eye-opening must read. After 9/11 and a drunk driving incident, Shadi's life is turned upside down. Strangers alienate her from her own American roots, her best friend is abandoning her, and Shadi is withdrawing from her family and classes—all culminating in situations and choices that were heart-breaking to read. While there is no denying that this is an overwhelmingly sad book, the take away is one of healing and growth. Tahereh Mafi has crafted a beautifully touching realistic fiction piece about finding hope and love through trauma.
An Emotion of Great Delight follows Shadi, a high school student who wears hijab, during 2002 and 2003. The alternating timelines slowly reveal changes in her world, her family, and herself that is an eye-opening must read. After 9/11 and a drunk driving incident, Shadi's life is turned upside down. Strangers alienate her from her own American roots, her best friend is abandoning her, and Shadi is withdrawing from her family and classes—all culminating in situations and choices that were heart-breaking to read. While there is no denying that this is an overwhelmingly sad book, the take away is one of healing and growth. Tahereh Mafi has crafted a beautifully touching realistic fiction piece about finding hope and love through trauma.
Content Warnings
Minor: Car accident, Islamophobia, Mental illness, and Self harm
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