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haisaikaren's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Rape, and Murder
mirandaleighhhh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
I've read essay compilations from students in Gaza; I've read academic text about the changing definitions of antisemitism, about occupation and surveillance, about the ongoing genocide that began in 1948 - all of it gut-wrenching, needless, and horrifying. But in so few pages, this struck a chord in me that I will not soon forget.
The first part was difficult to read - I found myself shaking and sick to my stomach. The second part is equally as difficult to read but for different reasons. There is nothing that I can say better than this text did - it should be required reading in place of Albert Camus' The Stranger.
The cancellation of the literary prize for this book in Germany for expressing, "antisemitic attitudes" (utter bullshit) is deplorable and disgusting. The violence against the Palestinian people and the erasure of their experiences and very existence must end.
The first part was difficult to read - I found myself shaking and sick to my stomach. The second part is equally as difficult to read but for different reasons. There is nothing that I can say better than this text did - it should be required reading in place of Albert Camus' The Stranger.
The cancellation of the literary prize for this book in Germany for expressing, "antisemitic attitudes" (utter bullshit) is deplorable and disgusting. The violence against the Palestinian people and the erasure of their experiences and very existence must end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
brynalexa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The first part was extremely emotional to read. It’s very hard to put yourself into a camp of bigoted colonizers for 50 pages. The second part was two parts lovely and one part dread. It came together in the end. Very moving.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Rape, Colonisation, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Racism, Kidnapping, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Genocide
diar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Physical abuse
teaselkie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder, War, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Gun violence
Minor: Animal cruelty
caprivoyant's review against another edition
It feels like someone broke their heart open and put it on paper to write this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Murder, and Rape
noella19's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A masterpiece.
Poetic.
That ending broke me. Not sure what I expected but still I didn’t want that.
Poetic.
That ending broke me. Not sure what I expected but still I didn’t want that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, War, Rape, Xenophobia, and Torture
mangoh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and War
Moderate: Death
bernardo7894's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Violence
roaming_enn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
4.0
This book was written in two parts: third person from the POV of the Israeli officer that ends up raping a Palestinian girl in 1949, a year after the Nakba; and first person from the POV of a young Palestinian woman who learns about the girl's rape and murder in 1949 some fifty years or so later.
Every character is unnamed. The first part is from the POV of the Israeli soldier because nobody has ever learned about the girl's experience from her herself. The unnamed soldier is on patrol in the desert with his squad (I'm sure I'm not using these terms correctly). He receives an animal bite one night, and the bite swells up until he is in a lot of pain and barely able to move. This humanizes him and I felt sorry for him for a bit...until I read the rape scene. So of course I was glad he was in pain and I wished pain upon him for the rest of his days.
The second part is from the POV of the Palestinian young woman in present-day West Bank. She is transfixed by the story of the girl's fate because of one minor detail: the fact that it happened exactly 25 years before her birth. So she sets out on a perilous journey to find out more about this girl. Borders are a big part of her narrative; she feels compelled to cross borders when she sees them, and she can't always tell when she's gone too far. And this fact may prove fatal to her, especially given how dangerous it is to be Palestinian in a world ruled by Israel.
This was a poignant story, parallel lives, one moving from beyond the grave to affect the other's.
Every character is unnamed. The first part is from the POV of the Israeli soldier because nobody has ever learned about the girl's experience from her herself. The unnamed soldier is on patrol in the desert with his squad (I'm sure I'm not using these terms correctly). He receives an animal bite one night, and the bite swells up until he is in a lot of pain and barely able to move. This humanizes him and I felt sorry for him for a bit...until I read the rape scene. So of course I was glad he was in pain and I wished pain upon him for the rest of his days.
The second part is from the POV of the Palestinian young woman in present-day West Bank. She is transfixed by the story of the girl's fate because of one minor detail: the fact that it happened exactly 25 years before her birth. So she sets out on a perilous journey to find out more about this girl. Borders are a big part of her narrative; she feels compelled to cross borders when she sees them, and she can't always tell when she's gone too far. And this fact may prove fatal to her, especially given how dangerous it is to be Palestinian in a world ruled by Israel.
This was a poignant story, parallel lives, one moving from beyond the grave to affect the other's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Murder