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theblushbookworm'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
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
rachelfayreads'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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and War
samepaige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Suicidal thoughts
nerp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Domestic abuse and Violence
alychee'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
i love this book, it made me feel things deep down in my bones : sadness, hope and so much anger. i was so angry. at her husband, at her mother, at her father. yara is amazing and so strong and so real and i know that if i ever end up in her situation (in shaa Allah i never will) i'll be thinking of her resilience.
read this book.
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Colonisation
author2223'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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Islamophobia
Minor: Genocide and War
meimeililylil's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
This novel paints a heartbreaking picture of generational trauma. The story drags for most of the book, I’m talking barely any action, but it seems that the author did this intentionally to really make the reader experience the hopelessness emotional landscape of Yara’s life. Part of me just wanted her to resolve the conflicts and create some action early on! But the other part of me was in awe at Etaf Rum’s ability to bring such a hard to verbalize reality to life on the pages.
It might seem less exciting than if she applied for the trip behind her husband’s back or had an affair or divorced him right away, and yes I would love to see Yara live those stories in detail, but that wasn’t the point of this novel.
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Racism and Suicidal thoughts
notthatcosta's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
As a Cypriot, stories about the Nakba and reverence for olive trees and our ancestral land hit me hard and add gravitas to the ways in which Yara's heritage informs her struggles and create conflicts within her head.
The journal entries are challenging to read, and Yara's lack of self belief make it hard to root for her at points because of the extent to which she is suffering from generational trauma and PTSD, but ultimately the sense of liberation and self-discovery feels really earned and grounded with the book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War
tenderbench's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
casira'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
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation