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decie's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Ableism
theeuphoriczat's review
4.0
Why is this book not more popular? I cannot stop talking about this book.
Best to go into it without knowing too much because the story itself is study of not just one character but a community living in a refugee camp.
Some quotes from this book to give you a taste of the writing;
"Life is for living even if you are far away from home"
"It was bewildering to her that a woman's passage into adulthood wasn't through her intellect, her character, but through her vagina"
"A woman is too complex for a man ... That's why we reduce her to simple matters"
"There is no virginity, I told him. No one is a virgin only once. With every new lover, we turn virgin again. Because it is not a hole you make love to but a body, a mind and a heart. And I did the same. I remember when I parted his buttocks, how he protested, God bless his soul. You don't fuck me. We fuck each other, I said to him" okay I might have given you guys a bit too much but you get what I mean. Everything is stated as plainly as possible with no innuendos to trivialize the severity of relationships.
I think more surprising to me was when I found out that this book was written by a man. I did not check the gender of the author before I read the book (I try not to, I let the work just speak for itself). The story, the characters were written with so much awareness that you can tell that whoever wrote this must have experienced this themselves. So when I found out it was a man who wrote such a humanised girl growing and developing her identity in a refugee camp, I needed to know more about Sulaiman. He also spent some part of his life in a refugee camp and you can tell with the rawness and reality he brings into this book and its characters.
I got a copy of this book from the library but I need one for my shelves so that I can share it with everyone I know. It does have some triggers for genital mutilation, sexual assault, slut shaming and more.
Best to go into it without knowing too much because the story itself is study of not just one character but a community living in a refugee camp.
Some quotes from this book to give you a taste of the writing;
"Life is for living even if you are far away from home"
"It was bewildering to her that a woman's passage into adulthood wasn't through her intellect, her character, but through her vagina"
"A woman is too complex for a man ... That's why we reduce her to simple matters"
"There is no virginity, I told him. No one is a virgin only once. With every new lover, we turn virgin again. Because it is not a hole you make love to but a body, a mind and a heart. And I did the same. I remember when I parted his buttocks, how he protested, God bless his soul. You don't fuck me. We fuck each other, I said to him" okay I might have given you guys a bit too much but you get what I mean. Everything is stated as plainly as possible with no innuendos to trivialize the severity of relationships.
I think more surprising to me was when I found out that this book was written by a man. I did not check the gender of the author before I read the book (I try not to, I let the work just speak for itself). The story, the characters were written with so much awareness that you can tell that whoever wrote this must have experienced this themselves. So when I found out it was a man who wrote such a humanised girl growing and developing her identity in a refugee camp, I needed to know more about Sulaiman. He also spent some part of his life in a refugee camp and you can tell with the rawness and reality he brings into this book and its characters.
I got a copy of this book from the library but I need one for my shelves so that I can share it with everyone I know. It does have some triggers for genital mutilation, sexual assault, slut shaming and more.
ciara288's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
- 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? Yes
4.0
addydeejreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ledoriano's review against another edition
5.0
This novel is as beautiful as painful to read through.
The closeness to the intimate life of the characters living in the refugee camp while sex, gender and the role of women for the freedom of their homeland are always present, gives a sensation of terrible proximity to difficult truths of what happens in this small universes.
The closeness to the intimate life of the characters living in the refugee camp while sex, gender and the role of women for the freedom of their homeland are always present, gives a sensation of terrible proximity to difficult truths of what happens in this small universes.
charliebnl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
entamewitchlulu's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
angela_iseli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Rape, Sexual harassment, War, and Misogyny
ruthie_wk's review against another edition
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0