Scan barcode
queerveganbooks's review
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bigpaw's review
3.75
maybe it's just me but I'm seeing Farah as an unreliable narrator and that made it very interesting to untangle the cult and see what it truly was underneath how she described it. fucked up little book I liked it
liorallen's review
The translation was particularly obtuse (heh). But seriously, it felt kind of like the translator was using an especially obscure thesaurus.
Also, some themes were not for me. Intimations of pedophilia and anti-fat rhetoric, especially.
Also, some themes were not for me. Intimations of pedophilia and anti-fat rhetoric, especially.
gracef1221's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It has been really informative to hear a story that so openly discusses the character’s intersex identity. The book never shied away from details and harsh internal criticisms that the character experiences. And overall, what a compelling thought-provoking narrative. To introduce this problematic and manipulative cult through the eyes of a child that has know nothing else is a great way to show the indoctrination. Despite knowing myself that the cult and leader are extremely abusive and pedophilic, the POV it’s written in idealizes the situation. I found myself losing interest or getting bored somewhat often while reading, but still enjoyed it.
bookonium's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
emily1602's review
Not sure how I felt about this. A young girl grows up in a hedonistic, free love cult. The beginning is quite mean and the book kind of suffers because of it. The main girl/boy becomes disillusioned with the cult over the course of the story, but their disillusionment doesn't carry any feeling because they have been making such mean jokes about the cult the whole time. The book tells us they are disillusioned, but they never seemed to be under many illusions in the first place. It would be fine if they had some doubts or problems, but they were way too cynical from the start. I did like all the juxtaposition between grossness and beauty. I liked it in Midsommar and I liked it here.
emeel's review against another edition
3.0
hmmmm. en osaa ihan sanoo mitä aattelen tästä. tavallaan tykkäsin sukupuolen kyseenalastamisesta ja siitä mitä tarkottaa olla nainen tai mies. Ja tykkäsin kultista ja että ei se farahlle ollu kultti. Ei se ollu vaarallinen tai ikävä tai rajottava. Toisaalta ulkopuolisille se oli kultti, outo ja vieras ja pelottava.
Myös kivaa oli että lgbt on olemassa ja vahvasti esillä, mut toisaalta sitä ei käsitellä mitenkään elämää määrittävänä tekijänä. ensisijasesti ollaan ihmisiä.
Toisaalta arcady oli hyi ällö. ihan sama mitä farah aattelee mut ei oo ok panna 15 vuotiasta :// tai ainakaan mulle. myöskin alussa oli aika tylsää. kaikki noi mistä tykkäsin nii tuli vast vikassa neljänneksessä oikeestaa. ja emt muutenki eihän täs hirveesti mitään tapahtunu. emt ei ehkä erityisen mieleenpainuva tai tunteita herättävä lukukokemus.
pliis missä on kirjojen ikärajat ja varotukset :(( tää on E :(
Myös kivaa oli että lgbt on olemassa ja vahvasti esillä, mut toisaalta sitä ei käsitellä mitenkään elämää määrittävänä tekijänä. ensisijasesti ollaan ihmisiä.
Toisaalta arcady oli hyi ällö. ihan sama mitä farah aattelee mut ei oo ok panna 15 vuotiasta :// tai ainakaan mulle. myöskin alussa oli aika tylsää. kaikki noi mistä tykkäsin nii tuli vast vikassa neljänneksessä oikeestaa. ja emt muutenki eihän täs hirveesti mitään tapahtunu. emt ei ehkä erityisen mieleenpainuva tai tunteita herättävä lukukokemus.
pliis missä on kirjojen ikärajat ja varotukset :(( tää on E :(
anomiques's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship
lovefromkoko's review
3.0
.... Woooow. I have never read anything like this. It definitely started to lose me and I thought parts were too random but I will get into that later. First and foremost, right away I was absorbed into this mystical, positive, loving, beautiful environment. Whether it was just my misunderstanding of the description or an intentional way of writing, and a brilliant one at that, I thought this book was science fiction/fantasy. And maybe that's the point and speaks to the life that most of us lead and are entrapped in: one of constant connection, technology, lack of authenticity, etc. To imagine a world where community really is everything, where love is the ultimate guide and radical acceptance is integral seems so implausible that is must be make-believe! Whenever the narrator mentioned anything from "our world", phones, school, social media, it was like a reality check, a culture shock. I believe it is a huge testament to the author's poetic language and vision that I immediately and continuously became so immersed as I did. The more I read, the more I was pushed to think about. Is this community really possible and not just a haven I can dream about but never expect to come to fruition? Who is actually leading this kind of life? And the further I read, WAIT. Was Arcady actually a predator? Did he manipulate Farah and others at the confraternity? Would being exposed to all of these experiences as a child make for better or for worse? I started questioning everything. I thought back on the language Arcady used in the beginning chapters then just as easily recalled Farah's total consent and desire and beliefs. At the end of the day, this book seems to clearly want to start a conversation. Many of them. Whether good or bad (so binary, I know), I believe in this kind of living and its promises. And speaking of binary, or lack thereof - intersexuality! AH! I was SO happy to read about this. Getting into the head and body of this young person's metamorphosis felt wholly unique and enlightening. I haven't read anything with an intersex or nonbinary character as the narrator, or hardly at all, and even from this one book my mind is opened vastly. Along with this, seeing Arcady's response felt so warm and natural and only further supported my idea of this utopia hence alluding to the more fantasy elements this book possessed. Another topic I was equally happy to see addressed was polyamory! Again, this is something I rarely if ever come across in any media, and since learning much more about it in the last year and believing in it myself, I felt so comfortable with everyone's non-possessiveness.
Now that my praise is out of the way, there were definitely some things that made me go... what. Apart from my previously mentioned hesitations, this book became pretty inconsistent about halfway through. It followed a very fluid coming-of-age story then all of a sudden this fixation on an in-and-out migrant character immediately upturning the entire book into a new story on running away and a brief confrontation with little resolution. The entire migrant section felt so incredibly random and underdeveloped. Out of absolutely nowhere, Farah is enamored with this stranger then without any hint of this so far becomes passionately devoted to migrants and political activism. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that's where they stand and I appreciate the plot point but it was so out of leftfield and the debate with the community so quick that for Farah to suddenly go "UGH. I'm out! This crosses the line!" felt so out of character for our narrator and threw me off entirely. The last third of the book and particularly this migrant discussion did not feel organic to the material at all. The confraternity, polyamory, intersexuality... these felt natural. But the rest felt more like the author wanting to put their opinions in their novel only it was not a smooth transition and it lacked authenticity. It felt a bit preachy is what I'm getting at. And bruh... Maureen. I did not find a single redeeming quality in this annoying ass girl. SO negative and frustrating. Along with most other characters, she felt a little too thinly drawn. This only added to my confusion of why Farah is happy around these people and settles for their mediocrity or less.
Anyway, at the end of the day this book gave me a lot to think about and a lot to feel which is always my measure of a tremendous book.
Now that my praise is out of the way, there were definitely some things that made me go... what. Apart from my previously mentioned hesitations, this book became pretty inconsistent about halfway through. It followed a very fluid coming-of-age story then all of a sudden this fixation on an in-and-out migrant character immediately upturning the entire book into a new story on running away and a brief confrontation with little resolution. The entire migrant section felt so incredibly random and underdeveloped. Out of absolutely nowhere, Farah is enamored with this stranger then without any hint of this so far becomes passionately devoted to migrants and political activism. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that's where they stand and I appreciate the plot point but it was so out of leftfield and the debate with the community so quick that for Farah to suddenly go "UGH. I'm out! This crosses the line!" felt so out of character for our narrator and threw me off entirely. The last third of the book and particularly this migrant discussion did not feel organic to the material at all. The confraternity, polyamory, intersexuality... these felt natural. But the rest felt more like the author wanting to put their opinions in their novel only it was not a smooth transition and it lacked authenticity. It felt a bit preachy is what I'm getting at. And bruh... Maureen. I did not find a single redeeming quality in this annoying ass girl. SO negative and frustrating. Along with most other characters, she felt a little too thinly drawn. This only added to my confusion of why Farah is happy around these people and settles for their mediocrity or less.
Anyway, at the end of the day this book gave me a lot to think about and a lot to feel which is always my measure of a tremendous book.