Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

17 reviews

holmahoney's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Colonisation, Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Genocide, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Cancer, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racism, Torture, and Physical abuse

mona_liest's review against another edition

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Check TWs!
First part of this book was hard to read but in the end I was glad that I did finish it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, and Confinement

Moderate: Blood, Torture, and Police brutality

Minor: Vomit, War, Alcohol, Antisemitism, and Racial slurs

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

havdic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Rape, Mental illness, Murder, Grief, Gun violence, War, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Genocide

hannahheislr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Cancer, Death, Infertility, Confinement, Abortion, Violence, Misogyny, Deportation, Rape, Murder, Islamophobia, Infidelity, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Genocide, Gun violence, Grief, Antisemitism, and Sexual violence

anettainkeri's review

dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Colonisation, War, and Police brutality

Minor: Abortion, Torture, and Racial slurs

ec_holland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

There were many times this book brought me to tears, but not because of the violence or sadness, but rather the hope and determination that empowered our MC.

In 2023, this story hits home in a way that pulls me out of despair and makes me want to fight for Gaza.

The connection of Baldwin was particularly poignant and the love in this story was earnest and felt near tangible.

I would love everyone to read this beautiful, haunting book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Islamophobia, Rape, War, Vomit, Violence, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Deportation, and Confinement

mnatalie_writes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

Everyone should read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, War, Islamophobia, Rape, and Police brutality

carmentxx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

i am speechless. this book is incredible. i have not read such a beautiful story, so heart wrenching, so heart aching, in such a long time. reading this story has broken my heart and has given me the hope to try and heal it again. free palestine. from the river to the sea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racism, Medical trauma, Murder, Genocide, Grief, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Colonisation, and Sexual content

samdalefox's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? No

4.0

This was on my to-read list for a while, and now felt the right time to read it (October-November 2023) as the genocide is underway. It feels like one more small (indirect) action of solidarity I can do, to understand the personal lives of Palestinians. The story follows protagonist, young Palestinian woman Nahr, and how her life unfolds being displaced, discriminated againist, exploited, and punished for pursuing resistance against Israel. It is a finctional story made up of various peoples' real-life experiences. As such, the story feels very realistic, which makes the violence even more horrible. 

This was a glorious and heart wrenching scream of Palestinian identity. Nahr is a woman of many names and many countries.  The narrative showcases the challenges faced by the Palestinian people while emphasizing their remarkable resilience, demonstrating their capacity to find hope and joy amidst heartbreak and injustice. It is an ordinary tale that showcases the extraordinary spirit of Palestinian people. Tough to get through (see content warnings), but a great way to get people to recognise Palestinians as wonderful, complex, oppressed people who need our solidarity and support.


Favourite quotes

"I find that reporters and writers that come here don't actually want to listen to me or hear my thoughts, except where I might validate what they already believe" .

"I had not known the extent of our subordination until I knew what it meant to be respected."

"When powerless, following world events only highlights your impotence"

 "I should have said it again, that her embroidery was more special than any desk job could be, that she was an artist, that western images of professional women don't have to apply to us, that concepts of respectability and modernity or manufactured".

"The ceaseless accumulation of injustice made me want to fight the world" 

"Can something expected still be surprising?" 

 "The belonging and acceptance I had found was an illusion." 

 "I colonised the colonisers' space of authority. I made myself free in chains and held that courtroom captive to my freedom." 

 "The state will always find a way to imprison those who are truly free. Who do not accept social, economic, or political chains." 

"You must accept them and accept them with love, for these innocent people have no other hope. They are in effect still trapped in a history which they do not understand and until they understand it, they cannot be released from it." - James Baldwin

 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Classism, Confinement, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Torture, War, Sexism, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

Minor: Antisemitism, Murder, Hate crime, Infertility, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, and Grief

The protagonist does sex work for a while, which carries the usual increased risk of harms listed above.