Reviews tagging 'Violence'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

258 reviews

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

2.5

While I appreciate the author's intention, the book felt very surface level and even distasteful at times. The inclusion of gruesome details that by her own admission didn't even happen in the timeframe of the book felt like she was incongruously leaning on the shock factor that she criticizes from news outlets. It is not a bad book, just immature in its writing and lacks awareness overall. Would've been greatly improved with research and interviews with other refugees, since currently it seems to be dealing only with the author's perception of what the conflict is/was and how it has affected her co-nationals based on secondary sources.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

jules6469's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The story of hope, faith, and love in this book makes it worth reading, hard as it may be. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, Child death, Violence, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Mental illness, War, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Police brutality, Medical content, and Torture

Minor: Rape

isleofwoman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault

werdnamich's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Child death, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual assault

blueghost's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Death

zatulasma's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Child death, Vomit, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Sexual harassment

cleverruhs'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Blood, Medical trauma, Death, Child death, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Violence, Rape, and Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder, Medical content, and Pregnancy

gtmommy05's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical trauma, Death, War, Blood, Genocide, Violence, and Murder

adearajean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

This book is good but very sad. It was repetitive and a little too devastating. 

I understand why the book was so dark but at a certain point it made it hard to continue reading. Even in the end when they are about to get out, there's more tragedy. I felt like the boat sinking was unnecessary and I wish the author had more memories or scenes that weren't set at the hospital. There's a lot of this child or victim is dying a horrible death. We don't need to see that same scene multiple times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: Grief

dafni's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

“Everywhere. Since the beginning of time, I have awoken in people's hearts. I've been given many names in countless languages. In yours, I'm Khawf. In English, Fear. In German, Angst. Humans have listened to my whispers, heeded my counsel, and tasted my power. I'm everywhere.”

I am in awe of the strength it took to write this book, delve into these stories and revisit Syria’s oppressive political regime (alongside the consequences on innocent people). This book was an emotional rollercoaster - it will make you smile and cry; it will make you feel angry, hopeless, afraid, nauseous; it will make you admire people’s resilience and hope; and I truly hope it will make you understand that nobody wants to be a refugee. Nobody wants to leave their country, their home, their community. Nobody wants to be uprooted and separated from their loved ones in foreign and unfamiliar countries, where difference is not welcome or celebrated.

As Warsan Shire wrote in her poem “Home”:

you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land

Through Salama’s storytelling we experience (from afar) the horrific things people go through EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. In Palestine. In Congo. In Sudan. In Syria. In Yemen. In so many other places that have been through civil war in the past. But Zoulfa’s writing reminds us that love, romance and colours during war exist; humanity exists through simple acts, caregiving and sharing with one another, even in the most inhumane circumstances. Zoulfa achieved to see her protagonists with their love and family stories, passions, values, beliefs. People are not numbers, and I hope this book will continue to educate and inspire.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child death, Violence, and War