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qqjj's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation
liesthemoontells's review
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
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
4.5
I read this book for a book club. It is not something I would normally have read, and I'm very glad I did.
Not a lot happens in this novel. Instead, it follows a small group of people, creating art and pushing back against the injustices and everyday indignities inflicted upon them by a colonising force.
While doom and oppression are constantly looming in the background of this book, it is somehow a gentle read as the main character Sonia is extremely reflective, spending as much time analysing the small behaviours of the people around her as she does the wider political situation she has entered into.
I love that the book ends where many authors would have begun it, just as the calamity occurs. Instead, refreshingly, Isabella Hammad gives her reader space to bask in the small, day to day intricacies of her characters and their lives, instead of forcing us to witness them in extreme stress.
Not a lot happens in this novel. Instead, it follows a small group of people, creating art and pushing back against the injustices and everyday indignities inflicted upon them by a colonising force.
While doom and oppression are constantly looming in the background of this book, it is somehow a gentle read as the main character Sonia is extremely reflective, spending as much time analysing the small behaviours of the people around her as she does the wider political situation she has entered into.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide and Miscarriage
jenmcreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Xenophobia, Abortion, and War
Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Sexism, Torture, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War