Reviews with content warning for War - Minor Detail

Reviews tagging 'War'

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

263 reviews

brandiereadsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.5

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rarasreads's review against another edition

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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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yasidiaz's review against another edition

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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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meemawcat's review against another edition

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dark sad tense

4.75

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theangrystackrat's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

An incident from the past comes to reflect the future. A young woman is raped and killed by Israeli soldiers in the summer of 1949. The news of the story reaches a young Arab woman who is desperate to know more but her journey will cost her.

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dias's review against another edition

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dark sad 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? N/A

3.25

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bibookworm's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

5/5 Stars ⭐️. Minor Detail is a haunting story told in two parts. The first half is about the assault and murder of a Palestinian girl in 1949. The second half of the book is about a young Palestinian woman years later occupied Palestine researching the death that happened in 1949. This book is short and undeniably haunting. This book is a window into the horrors that Palestinian women and girls face under occupation from Isnotreal colonizers.

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meesh150's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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koiolee's review against another edition

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I couldn't stomach the graphic details of

the child rape scene in chapter 1.

As any morally good person would, I felt nauseous listening to the details being read to me. If this were a book form, i would skip the graphic details or close the book, but i can't when it's an audiobook. I have a pretty strong stomach but i couldn't continue.

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