Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

140 reviews

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

this book was beautifully written; i highlighted so many passages. the story was beautiful as well, it told the reality for so many, and is a really important piece of modern literature as to the syrian war and the struggles of those who leave their homelands, everything they know, after countless unimaginable loss, living in inhumane conditions, seeing monstrous acts, living under the constant threat of death and worse, and then risking their lives and spending all they have, being taken advantage of for the chance of a safer life, only to often arrive in countries where they are seen as a nuisance.
this book is so important and everyone should read it!
aside from the real-world connotations, the fictional story was beautiful

i fell in love with salama and kenan and their loved ones. when we found out that layla wasn’t real: i have not been that shocked by a twist in i don’t know how long, i had not seen it coming at all and it was genuinely heart-wrenching. i appreciated that the ending was “happy” but it didn’t shy away from the long lasting effects of the everything they had been through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Mental illness, Genocide, Child death, War, Islamophobia, Blood, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Torture

rosinawrites7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

Clear motivations of characters made the plot satisfying. Descriptive memories really filled out the main characters. For my writing I wanna remember:

link between Layla’s painting and the sea scene at the end was cool. And can I use Khawl’s character for My Friend Anxiety?

 

Twist with Layla was great and never saw it coming

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Body horror, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Medical content, Death, Police brutality, Mental illness, Gore, Genocide, Death of parent, Confinement, Child death, and Blood

amberinpieces's review against another edition

challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Genocide, Blood, Child death, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Bullying, Body horror, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

eas2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Medical content, Mental illness, Death, Violence, and Medical trauma

Minor: Sexual assault

stindex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Rape, Torture, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Blood, Child death, Genocide, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Death, Emotional abuse, War, Violence, and Trafficking

cmbohn's review against another edition

emotional informative sad slow-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

2.0

Most depressing book I've read in a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual assault

chelsea0694's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, War, Body horror, Grief, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Child death, Mass/school shootings, and Death

fazington's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Sexism, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Violence, and War

lightltup'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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love and hate the author for the emotional turmoil she put me through with this book. I was in a constant state of stress until the very last page and I love her for it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Death, Child death, War, Violence, Police brutality, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape

msimba's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Genocide, War, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Death