Reviews tagging 'Death'

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

120 reviews

cloudycity_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Racism, War, Death, and Murder

katreena's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Violence, Cursing, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Rape, Torture, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Vomit, Death, Emotional abuse, War, and Genocide

hearth_hobbit's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This story gave a good description on living as a Palestinian in occupied Palestine. The simple act of taking interest in local history and wanting to learn more is almost comically inaccessible, let alone trying to do anything else. The symbolism of the story would be really interesting to dissect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Colonisation, Violence, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, and Rape

justagirlwithbooks's review

4.0

"The borders imposed between things here are many. One must pay attention to them, and navigate them, which ultimately protects everyone from perilous consequences."

This book gave me a glimpse about Palestinians living under the occupation. It is a harrowing book that is narrated in an interesting and unique way in terms of the perspectives that this book followed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Death

kjboldon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, War, Racism, Genocide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Racial slurs

bjdarby's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Islamophobia, Murder, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, and War

bookish_bailee's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

5.0

One of the most emotionally difficult reads for me recently. 
Incredibly impactful with elegant, beautiful writing that steadily builds to an inevitably horrific conclusion. The meandering pace, cyclical descriptions, and detached narrative language create an unsettling, powerful lasting image unlike anything I’ve ever read. 
Absolutely deserving of every accolade and I highly recommend it. Please review the list of content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexism, Violence, War, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault

janae's review against another edition

4.0

In all honesty I found this very confusing, possibly because I’m not great at understanding literary fiction. But something about how illuminating it is - showing is the harsh reality of life for two women decades apart, that’s what prompts me to give it a four. For craft alone it can’t be lower. This narrator is INCREDIBLE. Definitely looking into more books with her narration. I found the first part to be very upsetting. The dehumanization of the woman. Then we get to know the second woman and come to care for her. Augh. Emotionally wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence

aprilyvonne's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

*possible spoilers, which were also mentioned in the book summary. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Minor Detail” by Adania Shibli was an incredible novella highlighting the past and present history of life under occupation in 
Palestine. Even though the story is short, it packs a lot within the context of violence, fear, and the mundane of daily life no matter the year or setting. 

The novella is first set a year after the Nakba in 1949, while the Israeli soldiers capture, rape, and eventually kill a young girl burying her in the sand. The minor details written about the main commander’s adjustment to the climate, the heat and dealing with a festering spider bite is both simplistic and repetitive. Yet, this style was also captivating in a strange sense. The vicious cycle of sexual violence almost the soldiers seemed to increase with the intensity of the infected soldier, and was disturbing. Maybe this was a political commentary upon the occupation itself by Shibli. 

The second part takes place many years later, and follows a young Palestinian woman from Ramallah. She becomes obsessed with finding out more information about this tragic story - a minor detail- from the past, which eerily fell on her birthday 25 years earlier. But, what unfolds next is the attempt to gain said information while living under a different set of rules. A small glimpse of life under the occupation is shared. Yet, the curiosity to discover new truths despite the ongoing erasure is still very dangerous.

Both parts of the novella overlap with unique minor details and motifs such as the barking dog, sand, and an individual’s focus with minute concerns. Overall, the narrative highlights the importance of telling stories no matter their seemingly trivial nature when the greater picture pulls it altogether. This book did just. Considering the painful reality today, remember that existence is resistance. Keep reading and lifting up Palestinian voices. 🍉

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Genocide, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Sexual violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, and Sexual assault

ka_cam's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A meditative yet sharp short novel showing and telling the impacts of ongoing nakba and occupation on individual lives and psyches as well as the ability to process, understand, and fight back against oppression. Difficult content well employed in the narrative, violence and descriptions of violence walked the line between gratuitous/dehumanizing and so gentle as to erase the dehumanizing nature of violence. Would recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, War, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and Rape

Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, and Grief