Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

44 reviews

fieldsandfeels's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Every word of this book was a challenge, and there were a lot of tears shed while reading. But it was a necessary and beautiful glimpse into the daily life and choices of people coming of age among war, revolution, and genocide. I was so immersed in Salama’s story and voice that I sometimes forgot it was made up…though I suppose that even though this particular story is fiction, the fear, the experiences, and the thoughts are very real to many people in Syria. But still, even among the violence, there is hope. Even when the mind breaks, the heart keeps beating. I loved this story, and I’m grateful it is being told.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, War, Grief, Death, Child death, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, and Violence

luckykosmos's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful slow-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 is a hard read, but when you get to it, it's deeply rewarding. It's about war and how it tears apart lives and pushes people to their limits, but it's about love and hope and finding beauty in the darkest corners. It's about how fear is ever present and how it keeps you alive, but how you can never submit to it. 

There's a tension from this book of knowing half of what's ahead, and not knowing if that's what's happening there. When it does, it isn't predictable; when it doesn't, the tension remains, because you're not out of the trenches yet. The author walks you through the horrors of living through war, how it doesn't really end, and you can't set it aside, but the love of the moment can be stronger. Katouh has just announced her second book, and I know I'll pick it up right away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Gun violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Mass/school shootings, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Rape

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

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

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

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

imperaitrice's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Genocide, Murder, Sexual harassment, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Genocide, War, Child death, Torture, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Confinement

hiraeth_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child death