Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

57 reviews

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

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

aasiy4h's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

i dont really know what to say. this book touched me deeply and made me cry and made me smile and made me angry. in light of everything going on in the world right now and especially the genocide in gaza, this book tore me to pieces and made me frustrated at the world and at the heartless people out there. it also made me very grateful to be one of those people looking at a clear sky and not wondering if this breath might be my last. i may not be syrian or palestinian but i am muslim so i break and i cry for all my brothers and sisters that are victims of war and genocide and oppression. i realise thst this book is fiction but in so many ways it resembles real life and thats what makes it so heartfelt. if youre muslim and youre looking for a book that really represents islam in the best way, this book is definitely worth the read. if you want to cry, read this. if you want to open up your mind and your heart, read this. zoulfa katouh really delivered a soul shattering novel while keeping it young adult, which is hard to do in my opinion. i fell in love with the characters and with their kindness and their pain. there are a few small minor plotholes or just things that dont add up but theyre nothing major and it doesnt affect the reading experience. 
i cant wait for katouhs next novel. 
a teary 5/5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Murder, Child death, and Death

spicyspookypotato's review against another edition

inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, War, Sexual harassment, Blood, Rape, Mental illness, Genocide, Violence, Death, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

vanessaslibrary's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

4.0

This book was powerful & heartbreaking, but really, really inspiring. This is a love story set in the middle of the Syrian revolution and just wow. Longer than usual review ahead.

Zoulfa mentioned in her authors note that she went out of her way to make characters that broke stereotypes and she did a great job. It was interesting to read not just about struggles, but about their hopes and dreams. The perspective difference the characters had between revolution and war was also kinda jarring to read about. Imagine feeling so much love and belief in your country and its people that it’s even a question whether or not you flee, that’s a different kind of strength entirely. The points being made about the rest of the world moving on obliviously were sad because it just makes me wonder what else is going on that isn’t making it to mainstream media. All we can do is keep bringing more attention to those issues we do know about like in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo.

This book was so sad and really makes you grateful to live a life where you aren’t worrying about meeting basic needs. This was the rare book where I read the authors note in full and if you read I encourage you to do so too. Life is so scary but honestly the hope people find in the midst of so much hurt is inspiring. I can’t think of a bad thing about this book tbh. The only reason this book got a 4 was because it was a slow start, however, the topic is heavy (make sure to check out CW) so I’m chalking that up to the adjustment.

I highly encourage everyone to check out this book (make sure to doublecheck CW) and then tell a friend to tell a friend.

My favorite quote from the book was the one it ended with: “As long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die” 🍋 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Child death, Medical content, War, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Murder

elizabethgreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

This is a heart breaking yet beautiful story.  You get to watch the characters make tough decisions as a result of living in Syria during a revolution.  The deception of greif was hard to read and masterfully done.  For a story that is so heartbreaking it was also filled with so much hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, War, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Death of parent

sarah_speaks's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Torture and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy and Rape

arieslofi's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

i really wanted to love this but the writing was juvenile and abrupt, with many short chapters and short sentences that don't allow yourself to be fully immersed in the story; the characters felt one dimensional (notably the side characters, but also salama and kenan); the plot twist fell flat and made me laugh from how just downright dumb it was; khawf made no sense at the end (you have ptsd induced psychosis, your hallucinations don't magically disappear); the romance aspect did absolutely nothing for me and felt extremely rushed (mentioning that they were supposed to get married felt such a cheap trick to excuse this); the studio ghibli references, the repetition of "a might life" as well as green eyes, smelling like lemons, and the pace being horrid proves that the editor failed at their most basic job.
there were parts i enjoyed and overall it is a story that should be told, but it is just not the book for me, ya hater and all.
also, as a the book thief lover, this book is nothing like it in any way, shape or form apart from the fact it takes place in the middle of a genocide. you expect me to believe that this ya written juvenile shit is even comparable to one of the most beautiful pieces of written fiction? fuck off.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Blood, Medical content, Mental illness, Child death, and War