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artemy_se's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I'm feeling really sad about my opinion on this book because I sincerely wished I loved it as much as everybody else, but unfortunately I don't.
What I like about this book is how easy it was to visualize the setting especially in the first half of the storyline, the plot was kinda surprising at times and... That's it I guess.
Other than that, the book is easy to read even though the writing style is not made for me and I had a hard time enjoying the story because of it. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, and I felt like I was wasting my time while reading this book. The romance was very underwhelming to me.
So I think it's pretty generous of me to give a two star based on my experience of the story. I don't know if it's because I'm not a romantic or this book is really boring and the love story forgettable but I hope that I'll be able to find a contemporary romance that is way better.
What I like about this book is how easy it was to visualize the setting especially in the first half of the storyline, the plot was kinda surprising at times and... That's it I guess.
Other than that, the book is easy to read even though the writing style is not made for me and I had a hard time enjoying the story because of it. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, and I felt like I was wasting my time while reading this book. The romance was very underwhelming to me.
So I think it's pretty generous of me to give a two star based on my experience of the story. I don't know if it's because I'm not a romantic or this book is really boring and the love story forgettable but I hope that I'll be able to find a contemporary romance that is way better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Adult/minor relationship
simchareads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is a beautifully written historical romance! The story centers on two Persian teenagers from families with different socioeconomic and political ambitions, set in the backdrop of a politically volatile Iran in 1953.
I love the tropes of forbidden & impossible love, so this story was right up my alley! The Iranian government upheaval during the 1950’s (The struggles between an ancient monarchy transitioning to democracy, foreign governments trying to disrupt their democracy for personal trade interests, communism trying to regain power in the country, etc) were lighter aspects of the plot line, but still feel powerful in our modern era.
There were a few convenient vices to bridge storylines that were a bit “meh” for me. My main complaint is I feltBahman’s mom was a bit unfairly villainized, especially in the epilogue, when Mr. Fahkri was so involved in generational trauma & I would argue he had more power in the dynamic to end it.
I love the tropes of forbidden & impossible love, so this story was right up my alley! The Iranian government upheaval during the 1950’s (The struggles between an ancient monarchy transitioning to democracy, foreign governments trying to disrupt their democracy for personal trade interests, communism trying to regain power in the country, etc) were lighter aspects of the plot line, but still feel powerful in our modern era.
There were a few convenient vices to bridge storylines that were a bit “meh” for me. My main complaint is I felt
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Violence, Rape, War, Abortion, and Death
jordan21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book had a an addictive, twisty plot with equal tones of romance and politics. Every character is well written and developed, and the subtle shift of narrator perspective contributed well to the telling of the story. The significance of The Stationary Shop evolves gradually as the book progresses and revealed more depth in the very last pages than I was expecting.
I didn’t hear enough praise about this book when it was originally released, but I’m so glad I picked it up!
I didn’t hear enough praise about this book when it was originally released, but I’m so glad I picked it up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Rape
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
this absolutely wrecked me. i cried in public reading this.
it was so enlightening on the tribulations many Iranian people faced during that time. i felt my heart break when the characters faced grief and loss, which is hard for an author to achieve.
i would recommend this 1000%, please just check trigger warnings!!!
it was so enlightening on the tribulations many Iranian people faced during that time. i felt my heart break when the characters faced grief and loss, which is hard for an author to achieve.
i would recommend this 1000%, please just check trigger warnings!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, War, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt
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