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maggiems's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
I desperately wanted to love this book a tree as a narrator is exactly the kind of stuff I want to see in the world. And well I found the human characters fascinating love their stories there ups and downs and relationship to their trauma. We can't being thrown back to that fucking tree who was the keeper of the metaphor.
Did you know that animals migrate? Did you know that "we trees" also have genetic trauma? Sure does make you think huh? All of this may not have annoyed me so much if I didn't hate the voice of the tree to an unreasonably degree. A mix between holier than thou and naive twit! The phrase "We Trees" started to grate me. Perhaps it was the switch between third and first person narration.
So what of the human characters. I am a sucker for a love story and multiple time lines and generational issues. We have one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot who embody historic conflict, a teenage daughter who stands for the new generation, and an aunt who stands for tradition. The novel is not very interested in the politics of why there was unrest in Cyprus, but its effects on individuals. Again this is essentially what the tree was there for, to take the longer view, to not care about why the humans came and gone, only that they did. In this way Shafak is going for a universality of conflict could be writing about any conflict.
This kind of links up with Ada's episode in school, leading to the #doyouhearmenow. All of the girls screaming are disaffected youths, the "losers of history" I wanted more of this. The trauma of being bullied online while also getting adoration and starting a trend that empowers people is interesting, but we have about 3 scenes with it and in the end it amounted to very little. She goes back to school and nothing more is said about it. I guess in the end it is true what she says; the losers do not get to write their story.
A feature I really did love about the book wasthe gay couple who ran the tavern. It was nice to recognize that while our mains were star crossed lovers in a dangerous situation, others were punished much worse for their love.
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did and that just always makes a book worse. What would have been a 3* if I didn't know anything about it, is brought down to 2.
Did you know that animals migrate? Did you know that "we trees" also have genetic trauma? Sure does make you think huh? All of this may not have annoyed me so much if I didn't hate the voice of the tree to an unreasonably degree. A mix between holier than thou and naive twit! The phrase "We Trees" started to grate me. Perhaps it was the switch between third and first person narration.
So what of the human characters. I am a sucker for a love story and multiple time lines and generational issues. We have one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot who embody historic conflict, a teenage daughter who stands for the new generation, and an aunt who stands for tradition. The novel is not very interested in the politics of why there was unrest in Cyprus, but its effects on individuals. Again this is essentially what the tree was there for, to take the longer view, to not care about why the humans came and gone, only that they did. In this way Shafak is going for a universality of conflict could be writing about any conflict.
This kind of links up with Ada's episode in school,
A feature I really did love about the book was
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did and that just always makes a book worse. What would have been a 3* if I didn't know anything about it, is brought down to 2.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Xenophobia
Minor: Self harm and Alcoholism
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