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candaceross321's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
kshertz's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a heartbreaking story of three sisters told through the quietest one. The one who feels they don’t quite fit in. It was beautifully haunting and heartbreaking. The storytelling method was not one I was used to but still thought was very intentional and well done. I just wanted it to be longer and tell more of their adult lives
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, and Sexual assault
estam1's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Classism, Grief, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Islamophobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Both tender and heartbreaking, Asghar shares a story of three orphaned siblings processing their grief while taking care of one another as they grow up. When We Were Sisters is told from the perspective of the youngest sibling, Kausar, and while I enjoyed the story, I wish we could have gotten the perspectives of the older sisters as well, Aisha and Noreen. I also wish more could have been said about gender, which was just barely explored (though I think you could say that to be the case for a lot of other themes that appeared in this book).
Something outstanding about this book is the lyricism and creative approach to storytelling. Asghar’s writing style demonstrates that they put a considerable amount of thought into every word in order to create beautiful moments throughout the book. But, again, I wish some of the themes that were brought up (e.g., gender, religion, sibling relationships, etc.) were explored more in depth, even if it meant sacrificing some of the beautiful writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Bullying, Racism, Murder, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Islamophobia
katrinadalythompson's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
bookishbrenbren's review
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
Kausar and her two older sisters are orphaned, stuck with an uncle who neglects them and keeps them in a shabby apartment, expecting them to care for themselves, despite their young age. Kausar grows up with a lot of feelings of guilt, worships her sisters who are more than sisters, sometimes mothers, sometimes brothers, sometimes whatever they need to be for each other.
A beautiful, heartbreaking story that fans of Safia Elhillo, Akwaeke Emezi, Ocean Vuong, books in verse, or novels written by poets, generally speaking. I love everything about this book - it's easily one of the best I've read this year. I hope this book will find the people who need it.
I especially love the fresh style of writing this story is told in, incorporating occasional verse, interview-type dialogue, and other things my simple novel-model-reader mind cannot name. The writing itself is excellent, growing more mature as the character ages, for example. At times, the length of the chapters adjusts to the length of the thoughts of Kausar, sentences growing shorter and choppier with panic and dreamy and fuzzy with episodes of dissociation. I didn't really understand the ending, I don't know that it fit well with the main character's arc, but it didn't lessen my appreciation for the story at all.
I also love so much the way the author captured the unique love-adoration-worship that younger sisters have for their older sisters - and the ways sisters/siblings are so open and vulnerable to each other that they also tend to be the ones who can harm us the most, the deepest, the worst, the quickest, the easiest. It's a relationship/connection that deserves to get more attention in literature.
My only complaint is that the pacing did feel a bit off, with the beginning (30%) feeling achingly slow (especially because it's such heartbreaking content) and the rest of the book flying. Secondly, the book is very sad, it's dark. That's not a critique as, obviously, some stories must be dark to be told at all, but beware if you tend to hate books that are not (sad + happy ending) or (sad + hopeful), but are just honest and open and sad (still, it's brilliant writing - keep that in mind) you may not enjoy this one.
A beautiful, heartbreaking story that fans of Safia Elhillo, Akwaeke Emezi, Ocean Vuong, books in verse, or novels written by poets, generally speaking. I love everything about this book - it's easily one of the best I've read this year. I hope this book will find the people who need it.
I especially love the fresh style of writing this story is told in, incorporating occasional verse, interview-type dialogue, and other things my simple novel-model-reader mind cannot name. The writing itself is excellent, growing more mature as the character ages, for example. At times, the length of the chapters adjusts to the length of the thoughts of Kausar, sentences growing shorter and choppier with panic and dreamy and fuzzy with episodes of dissociation. I didn't really understand the ending, I don't know that it fit well with the main character's arc, but it didn't lessen my appreciation for the story at all.
I also love so much the way the author captured the unique love-adoration-worship that younger sisters have for their older sisters - and the ways sisters/siblings are so open and vulnerable to each other that they also tend to be the ones who can harm us the most, the deepest, the worst, the quickest, the easiest. It's a relationship/connection that deserves to get more attention in literature.
My only complaint is that the pacing did feel a bit off, with the beginning (30%) feeling achingly slow (especially because it's such heartbreaking content) and the rest of the book flying. Secondly, the book is very sad, it's dark. That's not a critique as, obviously, some stories must be dark to be told at all, but beware if you tend to hate books that are not (sad + happy ending) or (sad + hopeful), but are just honest and open and sad (still, it's brilliant writing - keep that in mind) you may not enjoy this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Death of parent, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Cursing, and Animal death
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