Scan barcode
sydneybedell's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Violence, War, Death of parent, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism
gendavis's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Suicide, Grief, War, and Violence
littlewishling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, War, and Racism
archytas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
All of which makes it sound more like a book about ideas than it is: this is a book strongly anchored by strong characters. Especially the gentle, mournful Kostas, the indomitable Defne and their passionate, frustrated daughter Ada. Minor characters impress quickly - Meryam, the extraverted aunt whose loudness and physical affection belie her own vulnerability and unsureness; Yiorgas and Yusef are seen largely through the eyes of those they shelter. They are perhaps the most symbolic of entities, and it is notable that their generosity comes from their own decisions to live precariously in order to live well.
I knew nothing going into this book, except that a couple of friends I really trust loved both this book and Shafik's work in general. I know little of Cyprus or the Turkish invasion and massacres that this text centres around. The book was accessible for the ignorant and left me keen to know more. At the end, it is clear that Shafik has been influenced by many of the same natural science books I have been reading lately, which certainly partly explained why I loved so much the twinned themes of human/nature and human/human interactions. I've added pretty much everything else she's written to my tbr now.
Moderate: Violence, Genocide, War, and Suicide
atipsygiraffe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: War and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Homophobia
rieviolet's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Also, the final revelation left me a bit perplexed, I was not expecting it and I think that it added an ulterior element of magical realism that felt a bit like too much.
Still, the writing style was really good, maybe just at times it felt a bit overdone, that is overly sentimental for my taste or going a bit overboard with the metaphors.
Overall it was a nice reading experience, that taught me a lot about the natural world and about a time and place that I knew nothing about.
Also, please give me an entire book on Yiorgos and Yusuf's backstory (*crying in extreme sadness*).
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Gun violence, Death, War, Abortion, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Sexism, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Child death, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Infidelity, Cancer, Torture, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Minor: Violence, Racism, War, and Homophobia
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Island of Missing Trees is a beautifully written, mournful little love story. While I don’t think it was perfect, I liked it very much and would recommend it.
For you if: You like an unconventional (read: kind of magical) narrator.
FULL REVIEW:
The Island of Missing Trees was my last read from the 2022 Women’s Prize shortlist, and my second by Elif Shafak. While I don’t think it was perfect, I liked it very much and would definitely recommend it.
The story takes place on two timelines. In the late 2010s, a teenage girl named Ada and her father (Kostas) are still grieving the death of Ada’s mother (Defne), and her Defne’s sister comes to visit them in London. Throughout, we also flash back to trace Kostas and Defne’s relationship over time. They lived in Cyprus during a period of civil war, he being Greek and Christian and she being Turkish and Muslim, and had to hide their relationship. The story is narrated by a fig tree that grew in the tavern where they would meet, and which Kostas brought with them to London.
This is a quietly sad love story; but it’s also about generational memory/trauma, and family, and freedom, and home; and also about the beauty and wonder of the natural world around us, trees and animals alike. It took me a little bit to fully settle into the story, but once I did, I really, really enjoyed it. I was most drawn to the chapters set in flashback. It’s also written in very short chapters, which always helps propel a story through time.
I had mixed feelings about our tree narrator. On the one hand, she could tip a little bit cheesy, and I found some of her interludes about the natural world extemporaneous — think, like, Bewilderment (or maybe The Overstory would be a better comparison, but I haven’t read that one yet so can’t say for sure). That said, it’s her voice that gives this novel the storytelling vibe that I came to ultimately love.
If you’re curious about this one, especially the tree narrator telling us a mournful love story, definitely give this one a shot.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, War, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Abortion and Homophobia
laara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: War and Violence
leabhar_love's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: War, Murder, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Violence, Hate crime, Animal death, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide