Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

139 reviews

behindherpages's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

phenomenal. i truly have no words:

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, War, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Medical content, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Islamophobia

ashleereadsbooks692's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Blood, War, Mental illness, Child death, Cursing, Rape, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence

libbyyjo's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Islamophobia, Rape, Torture, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, and War

kdepuy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Child death, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual violence

marissaumble's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Emotional abuse, War, Child death, Genocide, Mental illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Death of parent

historyoftape's review

dark emotional hopeful 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

I think this book will sit with me for a long time. From Salama, to Layla, to Kenan, Yusuf, Lama, even Khawf-all of them people, beautifully fleshed out, all of them brilliant stars agains the harsh reality that this book portrays. My heart goes out not only to them, but to the whole of Syria. To the men, women & children for whom this is not merely a story, but an echo of their own life. 

As long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die. This book has planted a seedling in my heart, and I am willing to see it grow.

-------------------------------

Now that it's been a few days, I'm ready to go into more detail on why I liked this so much. The characters all had strengths and flaws, grew and developed. There was no sugarcoating of what it means to live in a war zone.

the romance was cute & not annoying. The hallucinations were well written and believable.The twist with Layla was completely believable,but also I did not see it coming at all.

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Murder, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, War, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Vomit, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Mental illness

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Pregnancy and Trafficking

This book is about the reality of living in a war zone. There is no sugarcoating what that means, and does to people. But that's why I think reading it is so important.

koto_kansai's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This book, especially reading it now in early 2024, truly hit me emotionally. Beautiful, heart wrenching story bringing to light the atrocities faced by the Syrian people under dictatorship - atrocities we're seeing populations in many countries across the globe face. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Child death, and Sexual harassment

bejf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Violence, War, Torture, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment

itsemuuu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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

Heartbreaking, beautiful, and full of hope. Seriously, this book has so much hope for the future despite all the horrors it describes, it's very moving.
The pacing is slow at the beginning, but accelerates the closer you get to the end. Lots of striking imagery and little moments which make the characters and their relationships feel more real and human rather than just props for bad things to happen to. Salama and Layla's relationship was particularly sweet.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Torture, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

hylian_narwhal's review against another edition

challenging hopeful tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Mental illness