Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

4 reviews

notsobinaryart's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Grief, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Car accident, War, Gaslighting, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcohol, Violence, Torture, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Genocide, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, and War

Additional content warning: heavy usage of Harry Potter references, especially Hogwarts Houses. Written in 2019, so before JK Rowling was out as a known TERF, but please know there are at least a dozen references to Harry Potter throughout the book

fromjuliereads's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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 was a good read! I tend to struggle a little more with YA books these days but this had so many fantastic moments and important elements to it that I read it fairly quickly. I admit that the familial relationships and friendships were my favourite parts over the main characters' romance. I liked them and they are a good fit, but the moments with Adam and his dad, or his friendship with Connor? The conversations with Zayneb and Aunty Nandy? Those moments were my favourites. Those were the parts that made me tear up. S.K. Ali writes fantastic familial relationships and friendships, and the moments that show them. 

Also I had no idea that S.K. Ali is Canadian until the acknowledgements, but what a welcome surprise! 

Warning: a LOT of HP references. I know this was written a little bit ago but it was too much for me...

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Medical content, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, and Grief

Death of grandmother - killed by drone strike Harry Potter references throughout

ohlovehandles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

2.75

The concept of the book is great, but I honestly took a long time to get through it. There were points where I loved the writing and enjoyed where it was going. Then other parts where it dragged on and made it difficult to enjoy. 

It's a beautiful love story and I'm glad that we're finally getting to a point where halal romance books could be a mainstream thing that a lot of Muslims could just walk in a bookstore and get. I still would've liked for more care to have gone into the structure and writing. 

Overall I think someone who's 13 would enjoy this a bit more and not necessarily be too critical on the writing. The thing is, it's a romance following characters who are 18+ and touching on a lot of dense and dark topics, it should have aimed to be written with the standard of readers within that age range and maturity in mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Cursing, Cultural appropriation, and Violence

Minor: Car accident

thebankofbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This beautiful book shone a light on MS, Islamophobia, and finding love in between.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Medical content, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Death, Gaslighting, and Grief