Reviews tagging 'War'

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

260 reviews

plantonic_friendships's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

It was a hard read for a myriad of reasons. I typically listen to nonfiction. And while the first half may be based off of actual events, it still read as fiction. Truly a lot of minor details that mattered, so I had to reread about three times to truly get the events to sink in. Part of the reason I missed so much was because of the focus on minor details to really push home how "mundane" these days in these characters' lives were despite the atrocities happening/being committed.

The ending was jarring and truly devastating. Because, here is this woman trying to uncover and understand this tragedy only for the tragedy to continue onto her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Genocide, Murder, Islamophobia, War, and Misogyny

nanc_282's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual violence, and War

isobel_laura's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, War, Rape, and Gun violence

nazariah's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Murder, Colonisation, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, War, Torture, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia

lowercasepoet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Murder, War, and Genocide

emerentina's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, War, Rape, Violence, Colonisation, and Kidnapping

Minor: Genocide

neverlandpages4's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Police brutality, Murder, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Grief, Death, Violence, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, War, and Genocide

brandiereadsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Death, and Rape

rarasreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a deeply haunting tale told in two parts. The first part discusses the daily minutiae of an Israeli commander in the Negev region and the brutal war crime he and his soldiers commit against a young Bedouin girl in 1949. The second half portrays the present day perspective of an anxious Palestinian woman who searches for additional information  on this overlooked minor detail in Palestinian-Israeli history. 

I felt all the details throughout this novella were well written and held a great deal of significance, especially when listening on audio. The author did a remarkable job drawing parallels between Parts 1 and 2 and emphasizing certain motifs to reflect the overarching themes of cruelty, pain, oppression, and Israeli occupation. However, I found Part 1 - as graphic and harrowing as it was - a bit more impactful. Nevertheless, Part 2 underscores the ways trauma has manifested itself in the minds and bodies of Palestinians since the Nakba. The conclusion, albeit not a happy or hopeful one, further showcases just how real and bleak the experiences of many have been and continue to be.

It is difficult to say that I enjoyed this book given the dark subject matter. However, the discomfort of reading this pales in comparison to the everyday horrors the Palestinians are currently facing. Therefore, I highly recommend this story to all seeking to better understand the plight of the Palestinian community.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, and Murder

yasidiaz's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

This book is not my typical read. It was a hard read, especially at the beginning, due to the nature of the story. The prose was beautiful and I'm sure it would have been even better if I could read it in Arabic (sadly, I don't speak or read it) but similar to You Exist Too Much, I don't see myself reading this again. The plot and theme are too jarring for me to come back for it. Yet, I am glad to have read this book and learned more about and from Palestinian authors. 

If you want to support Palestinian authors, please read this book, but also keep in mind the trigger warnings and this might not be for everyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, and Genocide