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brekaboujie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I found this a bit slow and tricky to get into but it was a very interesting and well written book. I knew absolutely nothing about the setting which made the whole thing super interesting and new to me, and made it all extra emotional too as it was quite unexpected. The perspectives were interesting, and I thought the different sections of time we followed were paced well and kept me engaged. It didn't swap around too much, so I didn't get that annoying feeling where you just want someone to get on with it so you can get back to the other perspective.
The tree was.... an interesting choice. I didn't not like it, but every so often the narrator voice the author used for the tree got a bit annoying. But it gave an interesting additional insight which we couldn't have had with the stylistic choice of writing 3rd person from specific peoples perspectives. So it worked in that sense.
Overall nicely written, really interesting context, great character writing and did make me tear up a few times, I got quite invested in everyone. Quite a different vibe for me, but I liked it!
The tree was.... an interesting choice. I didn't not like it, but every so often the narrator voice the author used for the tree got a bit annoying. But it gave an interesting additional insight which we couldn't have had with the stylistic choice of writing 3rd person from specific peoples perspectives. So it worked in that sense.
Overall nicely written, really interesting context, great character writing and did make me tear up a few times, I got quite invested in everyone. Quite a different vibe for me, but I liked it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, War, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide and Alcoholism
helenabianca's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Hate crime, and War
kaanda's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
So descriptive that I can clearly see the tavern and every character in it. A very beautiful and painful story with seamless flow. Loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Abortion, Addiction, War, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Animal death, Suicide, and Racism
Minor: Classism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Colonisation, and Gun violence
mr_cain's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
I love the fig tree as a narrator!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Alcohol, Grief, Animal death, Child death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Hate crime, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Homophobia, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism and Torture
sas_lk's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Elif Shafak's writing is gorgeous, I underlined a lot of beautiful quotes. However, I just think this book was not necessarily for me, Ada frustrated me so much. She frustrated me so much that I ended up having barely any interest in the rest of the story and characters.
I think I will try atleast one more book from Shafak because I do think she is talented. This one simply wasn't for me I think.
I think I will try atleast one more book from Shafak because I do think she is talented. This one simply wasn't for me I think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, War, Violence, and Hate crime
Minor: Suicide and Homophobia
dubious_little_creature's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Violence, and War
reading_srsly's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
* Nature
* Heritage
* Forbidden Love
* Grief
* War
The Island of Missing Trees follows two generations of Kazantzakis, with the fig tree that lived through it all to fill in the missing gaps. The story spans several decades, covering everything from the forbidden young love between Kostas and Defne, to the modern struggles of a girl who feels like she doesn’t quite fit in, to the harsh and often violent realities of a culturally divided island.
The book is written in an unconventional style, with different timelines and alternate perspectives revealing the past along with the current timeline. There’s a touch of magic in this story primarily through the narration by the fig tree, but it remained firmly in the realm of magical realism. This complexity did make the impact of the stories difficult to track at times, and to me, despite starting the novel off in her perspective, Ada’s storyline never really came together in a satisfying way.
What stands out the most is the prose. The author has a captivating way of writing, and fully immersive and distinct environments that are a character unto themselves, and add to the weight and symbolism of the book. While the story was more of a slow reveal of a family’s heritage where the intrigue comes from learning how things played out, there were definitely a few unexpected twists. Heritage and understanding your past was also a huge theme, and the story was rich with insights into the history of Cyprus and what it means to grieve and feel like an outcast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: War
nadie's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.25
It took me a bit to get into the book, but I ended up really enjoying it. I learned a lot about Cyprus, trees and nature. It’s a beautiful but heartbreaking story.
My favourite characters were Y+Y, would’ve loved to read more about them. ❤️🌳
My favourite characters were Y+Y, would’ve loved to read more about them. ❤️🌳
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
pamc_1996's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Child death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide and Suicidal thoughts
leic01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Homophobia, Death, and Violence
Minor: Torture, Abortion, and Abandonment