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storeytale's review against another edition
4.5
Moving and insightful, but emotionally hard to read at times.
bluelien's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
I loved this book a lot!! I appreciate Christy taking the time to show the mental impact of having come from a war zone and having gone through the fleeing experience as the trauma refugees go through is often overlooked. I also liked the artistic style, she ended a scene and started the next using the same verb in a different tense. Furthermore, I loved that it showed their sorrows but also their hopes and will to live because refugees are very strong people! It was a wonderful and emotional read
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Mental illness, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Murder and Sexual assault
victoriajaynes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
hannahsbookhaven's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75
vikidoki's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
5.0
this book just devastated me. honestly, i don’t even have the words to explain. i just wish i had to read for school because everybody should get this insight.
the writing was beautiful and flowed with a kind of rhythm which made the pages just glide through your fingers. it was such a contrast following nuri and afras journey which was long and slow and hard and reading it in such a fast pace. the time and place jumps just show that feelings of darkness never cease to exist. they are always there and somehow people bond over them to find a little happiness. this book was just powerful. to see how the events put a strain on their relationship, how this journey affects mental health and how hard it is to keep your head above the surface, faced with brutal choices and destiny.
it just opened my view so much and i don’t know what to do. nuri and afra will always stay in my heart. i have the feeling i will be thinking about them a lot these next months.
the writing was beautiful and flowed with a kind of rhythm which made the pages just glide through your fingers. it was such a contrast following nuri and afras journey which was long and slow and hard and reading it in such a fast pace. the time and place jumps just show that feelings of darkness never cease to exist. they are always there and somehow people bond over them to find a little happiness. this book was just powerful. to see how the events put a strain on their relationship, how this journey affects mental health and how hard it is to keep your head above the surface, faced with brutal choices and destiny.
it just opened my view so much and i don’t know what to do. nuri and afra will always stay in my heart. i have the feeling i will be thinking about them a lot these next months.
sentencesiloved's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
valandthegianttbr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
my god this was a tough but important read
through reflective & immersive storytelling, a refugee couple’s harrowing journey seeking asylum is unraveled. we follow nuri & afra from syria to turkey, greece, & the uk. though they are fictional characters, their story is a mosaic of the heartbreaking, real stories the author heard while volunteering with refugees. their journey is chronicled nonlinearly, much like the road to healing & safety often is
this is by no means an easy read. the sorrow, fear, & grief of the refugee experience is truly laid bare as nuri & afra suffer unimaginable losses, witness & endure horrific acts in order to survive, & attempt to survive under constant threat of danger. their experiences are shared with enough detail to bring readers right into their feelings of displacement & heartbreak, especially seeing how their ptsd manifests & drives them apart at a time when togetherness is vital to sustaining hope
the prose in this book is also stunning. it is raw, emotional, & poignant, & i really want to revisit this in print so i can annotate/dive in even further
of course, i connect this book to the plight of palestinians currently facing genocide & occupation. i was so frustrated with the lack of resources & abundance of systemic blockades nuri & afra faced time after time, so similar to how israeli, us, & global forces have told palestinians they must evacuate but taken away all avenues to do so. it is clearer than ever to me how our systems are built to deprive refugees of human decency & to make survival a luxury, rather than a basic right
overall, this book is a new staple on my list of must-read stories that highlight the human cost of war
through reflective & immersive storytelling, a refugee couple’s harrowing journey seeking asylum is unraveled. we follow nuri & afra from syria to turkey, greece, & the uk. though they are fictional characters, their story is a mosaic of the heartbreaking, real stories the author heard while volunteering with refugees. their journey is chronicled nonlinearly, much like the road to healing & safety often is
this is by no means an easy read. the sorrow, fear, & grief of the refugee experience is truly laid bare as nuri & afra suffer unimaginable losses, witness & endure horrific acts in order to survive, & attempt to survive under constant threat of danger. their experiences are shared with enough detail to bring readers right into their feelings of displacement & heartbreak, especially seeing how their ptsd manifests & drives them apart at a time when togetherness is vital to sustaining hope
the prose in this book is also stunning. it is raw, emotional, & poignant, & i really want to revisit this in print so i can annotate/dive in even further
of course, i connect this book to the plight of palestinians currently facing genocide & occupation. i was so frustrated with the lack of resources & abundance of systemic blockades nuri & afra faced time after time, so similar to how israeli, us, & global forces have told palestinians they must evacuate but taken away all avenues to do so. it is clearer than ever to me how our systems are built to deprive refugees of human decency & to make survival a luxury, rather than a basic right
overall, this book is a new staple on my list of must-read stories that highlight the human cost of war