Reviews

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

abbyvonk's review against another edition

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5.0

If you are looking for a book that will make you smile, gasp, laugh, rethink your life, and cry your heart out for at least 5 minutes, this is the book. One of my all time favorites and I want to get the entirety of it tattooed on my body.

kylierodney's review

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emotional sad

3.25

belle2022's review against another edition

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4.0

“May you always be happy and May your days be filled with beautiful words.”

What a gorgeous and bittersweet love story. God it was just devastating. And the more I think about it the more I love it. So full of loss, regret, grief and written in such a melancholy way. I adored Roya. Everything she felt, I felt. And then Bahman

brin3543's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.25

A moving story about love and loss. Set in Tehran and the United Stares, this novel cuts back and forth from present day and the 1950s.  My heart broke for the main character 

emmay's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective 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? N/A

4.0

mya_jt's review against another edition

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emotional 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

This book is so inspiring. Eg. I am inspired to write things because the storytelling here was so evocative. I am even inspired to love harder because of the emotions this book drew from me. I have been crying in chem class for three days straight as I’ve been reading this.
why i have been crying: “He didn’t whistle anymore.” “The seasons were indifferent to Marigold. Someone had mangled the script, taken the pages and burned them in a fire, destroyed all semblance of meaning and order. Someone had wrought this wrong. Happy spring!” Pages 222-223. “Roya listened to these two competent, articulate adults. She could see that Batman had changed the world, after all.” The last two pages!!
It has wrecked me. I love it. (I only wish we knew Badri better. And the other parents too, but by the end I still think we particularly lacked an understanding of Badri.) What a gorgeous story though, of a life and its connections and twists and destiny. I loved it. 

oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition

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Was equally moved and frustrated by this book; I'm not usually a fan of life altering miscommunication that could be easily be remedied if people just grew a backbone. I get that people in real life behave irrationally, things are misconstrued and it's easy to say if someone had just done X Y Z they wouldn't be in this mess... but that doesn't stop me from thinking it either lol. I wanted to bash Roya and Bahman's heads together but then if they questioned their circumstances we wouldn't have the book.

No nonsense Zari was a favourite, as were the descriptions of cooking. It's a story that tugs at the heartstrings: cue me quietly crying as I read it in a cafe at 9am, trying to look casual. Poor steadfast Walter got a bit of a raw deal. Part of me would have liked to see a little late in life spark of passion between him and Roya, an acknowledgement that yes, her life had been derailed by the loss of that first love, but there's still warmth and value to her life spent with Walter.

mad_s11's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

adt's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

shelbytescap's review against another edition

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

2.75