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sabalekhan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
kristenjiannotti's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
3.5
Very interesting story and concept. We're following Firuzeh and her family as they escape from Afghanistan and will do anything to keep from going back. Suffering heartache, strife, poverty, and loss, the family goes through it all. I find the genres that the book has been placed in troubling - as the only 'fantasy' aspect is that Firuzeh speaks with her dead friend . That was it.. so anybody seeking this out for it's fantasy aspects or anybody staying away from this because of it's fantasy notation are both missing out. Mislabeled at best. However, I really enjoyed the family story - even with it's vague ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse
moriahleigh's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Deportation
bookishcori's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Deportation
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and War
victoria_tsonos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
joti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A beautifully written and cleverly crafted work. I wanted to keep reading despite the often heavy subject matter.
bhavanabee's review against another edition
5.0
stunning, evocative and beautifully written
this was an absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking book that the writer took so much care and intention with-- it felt well researched and dignified in its portrayal of the characters and their situation. the author portrays the perspective of a child so well, and the fantastical/magical realism elements woven throughout add so much to our understanding of the characters and their plight. I appreciate very much that this is a very political book that criticizes governments and the bureaucracy around granting asylum and visas and through the stories of these characters, shares the very real human cost of this political indifference and callousness
i also thought joy and childlike wonder and mischief peppered the pages so well among the sadness-- as a writer in the book is advised, she wrote about joy as well and it was beautiful to read about the teens sneaking off to the cinema and the family attending a barbecue, and getting those slices of life even with the suffering they are experiencing
this was an absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking book that the writer took so much care and intention with-- it felt well researched and dignified in its portrayal of the characters and their situation. the author portrays the perspective of a child so well, and the fantastical/magical realism elements woven throughout add so much to our understanding of the characters and their plight. I appreciate very much that this is a very political book that criticizes governments and the bureaucracy around granting asylum and visas and through the stories of these characters, shares the very real human cost of this political indifference and callousness
i also thought joy and childlike wonder and mischief peppered the pages so well among the sadness-- as a writer in the book is advised, she wrote about joy as well and it was beautiful to read about the teens sneaking off to the cinema and the family attending a barbecue, and getting those slices of life even with the suffering they are experiencing
arrakistowesteros's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-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? N/A
5.0
I'm not usually a fan of books that don't use punctuation for dialogue, but in this book the dialogue turns into a surreal, almost poetic prose that lets you get swept away. The author's voices for each point of view shine with how distinctly they compare to Firuzeh's. I found myself hanging on every word, sometimes re-reading sentences just to absorb how much information she packs into so few words. I'm not quite sure it fits into sci fi/fantasy, but it's still a must read for any genre.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Xenophobia
susanjanette's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0