Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

38 reviews

doublel11's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

1.25

I wanted to like this book. I love Iran and the Persian language and culture. But this book, it started out pretty boring and the love story wasn't convincing. Why did they love each other? I'm still not sure. Are we just supposed to accept that they were 17 and fell in love at the drop of a hat? 

Once we finally got to the big reveals at the end, I was quite disappointed. It all amounted to being the evil mother-in-law trope, which is a misogynistic writing choice in my opinion. I already knew that's what had happened, but the way Kamali made Badri so hysterical and evil was over the top. 

Kamali didn't't need to remind the reader after more than 5 mentions that Nowruz is the Persian new year and first day of Spring. If the reader doesn't remember after 2 or 3 mentions, that's on them. 

Last rant, you don't have 2 stillbirths and then lose a baby at 8 months pregnant. That is also a still birth. That's 3 stillbirths. Writing like that is idiotic and why dumbass Republicans think it's possible to just have a late-term abortion for personal reasons. You have to deliver a baby that late in the term, no way around it. 

On a positive note, this book made me miss Farsi and now I want to get back into reading the language and watching films, etc.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Gun violence

hmwoodward's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

This beautifully written and beautifully read book (listened to the audiobook on this one) follows two young people who fell hopelessly in love

and lost each other along the way

in Iran amidst political instability in the 1950s. You primarily follow the story through the eyes of the female main character, Roya, via 3rd person. She's a smart girl who loves books, learning about American culture, and who is on the fringe of politics thanks to her father and her love interest. You get to watch her and her family grow from her teen years through her senior years, seeing how her past follows her, no matter how far away from it she really is. 

I read this one per a bookstagramer recommendation, even though historical fiction is not my jam - especially after how long and sad the last one I read was. But, the book was great and I would definitely recommend it - just keep the content warnings in mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Child death, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Pregnancy, War, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Moderate: Death of parent, Infertility, Gun violence, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Stalking

erinkellyreads's review

adventurous challenging emotional 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

 Easily, this is in the running for best book of the year for me, if not best book of the last few years. The writing is stunning, the characters are complicated and nuanced, and the story is heartfelt and heartbreaking. If this isn't on your TBR, it should be. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Islamophobia, Abortion, Murder, and Gun violence

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, and Pregnancy

kailiyahknight's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Violence, Abortion, Gaslighting, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Gore, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, War, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

decie's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Murder, Grief, and Gun violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Sexism

ecandrews0's review against another edition

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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Gun violence, Child death, Mental illness, Classism, Death, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Abortion, Vomit, Cancer, and Fire/Fire injury

kmarie341's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child death, Abortion, Mental illness, and Gun violence

seforana's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Classism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Abortion, Gun violence, Death, Violence, and Infertility

annreadsabook's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

I wouldn’t normally call myself a romance reader—I don’t know why, but I often struggle to get into them. So when I heard about The Stationery Shop, a book that considers young love against the backdrop of political unrest in 1950s Iran, I was excited to dive in.

I appreciated the ways in which Kamali depicted the trials and triumphs of daily life unfolding all while one’s country descends into sociopolitical chaos—falling in love can be complicated and weird and messy even in the best of circumstances, but what happens when you throw in political violence and unrest? And I think there’s a lot to be said here about the roles that parents play in the lives of their children—there’s the question of what we owe our parents, and what our parents owe us. 

I did feel that the writing style left a bit to be desired—I would’ve loved to see a bit more of Roya beyond her desires to be with Bahman, and conversely I felt by the end of the book I knew next to nothing about Bahman himself—beyond his desires to “change the world,” who really is he and what does Roya actually find compelling about him? And perhaps this is one of the reasons I was a bit perplexed as to how Roya and Bahman, who fell into a whirlwind romance at only 17, continued to pine for each other over the course of 6 decades, well after both of them married others and had children of their own.

Nevertheless, I found myself hoping that Roya and Bahman would somehow find their way back to each other.

Anyway, I think this is might be a solid book for people who don’t generally vibe with most traditional romance books but are looking for something with romance involved--and for those who enjoy historical fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage

Minor: Suicide attempt

ddnreads's review

emotional reflective 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

5.0

*inhale*

AAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH

HUFT

😡🥺😫😫😫😫😭😭

"Did we make it?"
*insert smile through the pain meme*

The Stationary Shop is a romance laced with historical fiction set in Iran. Told through non-linear timeline, it revolved around the political condition at that time, young once-in-a-lifetime lovers, and difficult condition of one's family. 

The story traced back the tangled love background history of a mother who affect the young lovers' path to the future. 

I have my suspicion, but how it turned out still enraged me :((( I hate miscommunication trope.  And I think they deserve better. At least the closure gave it justice 🥺

If you're into historical fiction romance with complicated family dynamic, the love of a mother and the lost of children, pick this book up and suffer with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Child death, Mental illness, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence