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kamckim's review against another edition
3.0
A quick read by a Palestinian author about growing up in Palestine, Code Name: Butterfly by Ahlam Bsharat, fluttered across my desk yesterday. I had been eagerly awaiting this one for two reasons. The first, it was written by a non-diasporic Palestinian, and two, it is a young adult novel written both in Arabic and English. It's very hard to find young adult lit in Arabic. There isn't much out there. I had high hopes for this one since it is on the IBBY Honour List. Bsharat gives the reader a glimpse into the world of teenage girls, in general. Their peer relationships, their sibling and family relationships, their naughtiness. These things are universal. What is not universal, however, is that every character in the book knows someone who has been killed, jailed or humiliated by the rule of another country's law. In Palestine, it's not unusual for a new husband to die and the bride then wed to a younger brother. It's not unusual for your crush to be killed by a soldier. It's not unusual to visit your grandparents who live on the outskirts of town in a tent village. Most distressing is the book's motif. The protagonist, who we only know as butterfly, is never allowed to give voice to the questions she has about growing up under conflict and oppression. She puts her questions in a metaphorical box and then seems to fly above them in the final chapter, which is poetic narrative. Butterfly has a fragile freedom, light and colorful, but governed by wind and gravity, forces beyond her control.
msescobar's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gabyk_lib's review against another edition
5.0
What does it mean to grow up as an ordinary girl in Palestine? Boys, fashion, make up, body changes and school but also questions of difficult choices that are made when you live under an oppressive regime with little chance of a way out. Short but beautifully and sometimes poetically written but also gives you a real insight into life in Palestine.
selm's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
3.25
lizwhite25's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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