Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

154 reviews

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Body horror, Death, Medical content, Child death, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

ceebee86's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is the love letter to Syria.

I read this for an AAPI month challenge and I'm so glad I powdered through--not because it was hard for me to be interested, but because the subject matter is quite intense. Yet at the same time it is so wistful and gorgeous. I was extremely stressed reading it, and I was praying so desperately for good things to happen. 

I read a lot of stories with romance but this is the first I've read in a long time where I really genuinely felt love between the two characters coming through the pages.

I thought it was beautiful the way the story is dotted with "what ifs". They were so melancholic and dreamy to read. And though this is about Syria, I do think the themes and stories of the plight of the refugee transcends time and history.

The twist near the end part of the book stunned me. It was set up artfully and I felt myself react quite strongly, as if I was there experiencing the same shock.

Gorgeous book, if you can stomach the content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Child abuse, Blood, War, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Genocide

Moderate: Eating disorder and Pregnancy

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Violence, Police brutality, Torture, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, Child death, Sexual violence, and War

skye_era_books's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

I don’t know that I have ever read a book more heart wrenching than this. My heart broke and put itself together again many times throughout this story. And the fact that this is the reality of many Syrians absolutely kills me. I beg that we someday see a Free Syria, Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo, and all those who are fighting for freedom. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Murder, Genocide, Child death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Death, Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Violence, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Torture, Islamophobia, Mental illness, and Misogyny

lesmotsdelivrants's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Ce livre m'a détruit.e et reconstruite en même temps. Je n'avais jamais lu de livre de ce type, qui raconte l'histoire de la Syrie et de la révolution, ce que les Syrien.ne.s vivent. Ça m'a bouleversé.e, c'est un livre à mettre entre toutes les mains parce qu'il fait prendre cknscience de ce qu'il se passe dans d'autres parties du monde et de ce que d'autres peuples endurent. 
La plume de Zoulfa Katouh est d'une douceur et d'une justesse parfaites, elle est touchante et marquante. 
L'histoire entre Kenan et Salama se tisse lentement mais sûrement, c'est la premiere romance halal que je lis et je l'ai trouvée tres émouvante. 
Tous les événements font l'effet d'un choc, le livre est empreint d'une tension qui ne noud lâche jamais vraiment et qui nous tient plongés dans l'histoire. 
J'ai adoré re-découvrir les couleurs avec Salama et Layla, pleurer et rire avec elles et m'imprégner de leur histoire <3
La personnification de l'esprit et de la peur de Salama donnait aussi une dimension supplémentaire à l'histoire, olus de relief, plus de teintes, plus d'émotions, plus de tout. 
Le focus particulier sur la dimension humaine du conflit, sur les familles, les martyrs, les blessures, la peur, tout ça projetait aussi l'histoire dans une autre dimension

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Gun violence, Grief, War, and Hate crime

Moderate: Vomit and Sexual assault

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:

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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

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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

eye_sabel's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

this book was so beautifully written, and i think it's a really important story to read. the depiction of grief and ptsd was so interesting to read, and i really liked the way the author shows the way these things have affected salama; she isn't a perfect victim, no one ever is. my only issue was

the twist with layla

but even though i personally didn't like it, i understand WHY it was added. overall, this was a really beautiful story, and given the current state of the world, it feels like a book everyone should read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual assault

koalala1031's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.5

AAAAAAAAAAA

Admittedly I saw some spoilers of the book but that didn't stop me from enjoying it so much

It's very well written and the Indonesian translation actually did it justice, and it was a page turner from start to finish. It gave me many mixed emotions in a good way. The dark moments were dark and tense, but the romantic moments between Salama and Kenan were so wholesome and whimsical and it makes me smile a lot while reading.

It's just a really good book, I highly recommend  🍋

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault

Minor: Mass/school shootings

bookswithlydscl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Minor: Sexual assault