Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

3 reviews

brynalexa's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

A powerful journey. Perfectly paced and gripping. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Violence, War, Deportation, Drug use, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, and Hate crime

Minor: Infidelity, Infertility, Fatphobia, and Dementia

books_coffee_n_red_wine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

There is no better review than the one on the back of my edition “Reads like a riot act against oppression, misogyny, and shame” - Fatima Bhutto. A phenomenal book that will follow me forever. As an Irish person I am well aware of the Palestinian struggle but this book has allowed me to explore that struggle with a deep and profound focus on how life continues to struggle on despite all else especially in regards to women and how they live under such oppression. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Sexual violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Antisemitism, War, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Police brutality, and Misogyny

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, and Outing

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

This book was such an emotional rollercoaster and such a difficult read. But wow. It was so incredible, raw, graphic, hopeful. I found it to be incredibly difficult and sad to read at the beginning through so many of Nahr's experiences. As the story goes on, there is more and more hope. 

I think it was a hard read because you know even though this is fiction, there are people with stories like this, people like other characters in the book. 
Definitely recommend but check the trigger warnings. 

I will admit that it has a slower start and I struggled with the pacing and the plot at the beginning, just with it being such graphic and difficult experiences written for a long portion. But as the story evolved and broadened it made more sense why it started out that way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Outing

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Vomit