Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

120 reviews

rachelfayreads's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Infertility, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Deportation, Confinement, Colonisation, Abortion, and Antisemitism

malin_banalin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Spännande och rörande. Det händer så mycket i boken, känns som en hel livstid man får gå igenom och det är det ju typ också! Frihet och förtryck. Tycker om titeln (som framgår i boken är från en text av James Baldwin) och det poetiska i Abulhawas sätt att skriva. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Torture

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

lindsaylhunter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Soulful. A bit clunky in places and I'm still not sure the main character is as likeable as others seem to think. Though, given the current climate, I can see why this book has garnered the acclaim it has.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide and Death

Moderate: Rape and Sexism

Minor: Torture

fernz's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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’m going to be thinking about this book for a long time. Heart wrenching yet there are so many moments of beauty, love and hope. The resilience of the Palestinian spirit is clear. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, and Rape

mia_difelice's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

nahr, a Palestinian woman, has been kept for years in solitary confinement in a high-tech Israeli prison called the Cube. she tells her story from prison. 

 

born in Kuwait to Palestinian refugees, nahr's life takes her from the mansions of Kuwaiti businessmen, to the bustling streets of Amman, to her mother's hometown in Palestine. there, she falls in love not only with the love of her life, but with Palestine itself. 

 

this is an unflinching, unapologetic book that brings understanding to perspectives we don't hear, almost at all, in united states. on top of that, it is beautifully written in a simple, gripping voice--nahr's voice. her conversational tone obscures some of her surroundings but also brings out the poetry and her character more strongly. 

 

against the loveless world details the big and small violences of occupation, as well as big and small strategies for resistance. it's also a love story; a terribly bittersweet one that will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Death, Sexual assault, and Colonisation

Minor: Torture

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

merc22's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

will wait to post after book club but moral of the story…a must read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Violence, War, Abortion, Torture, and Rape

jeslis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Notes:
- Very intense but a masterpiece.
- Abulhawa slowly but powerfully builds such a vivid and touching setting and cast of characters throughout this book. I felt incredibly connected to the world as a whole and the sociopolitical context was set up without being difficult to follow.
- Loved being able to follow one character's story with her family/friends and to see how the world around them leaves its impact on their lives. How they adapt and persevere in spite of it.
- Made me appreciate just how important storytelling is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Torture

Minor: Homophobia

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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 was so beautifully written. It was historical fiction that also felt so relevant to today. It helped me understand more about the Palestinian history and experience. Nahr's story is so raw and heartbreaking and her strength and resistance was moving. The author uses such powerful imagery and explores the complexities of people in creating characters with so much depth. Most of the time, making them neither good, nor bad, simple human. I will probably be thinking about this book for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Abortion, Colonisation, Torture, Xenophobia, Racism, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Excrement, War, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Cancer