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mscalls's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Genocide, Infidelity, Outing, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Eating disorder
candournat's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
I was also disappointed by the ending, I feel like we were introduced to some of the protagonists flings more than Anouk, and I don’t really feel that her mother’s homophobia was ever truly explored or given any sort of resolution. It was just implied that they had maybe? an OK relationship despite her mother hating that she was dating a woman. Maybe the resolve was supposed to be that her mother was just getting on with it but I just feel it could have been explored a bit more.
Despite this though, I did really enjoy the book and it did have a lot going for it — I loved the non linear narrative, and would recommend the book overall.
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Addiction
Moderate: Alcohol, Outing, Biphobia, War, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault
hanreadin's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Colonisation, Infidelity, Homophobia, Outing, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder and Drug abuse
nikki632's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Moderate: Biphobia, Eating disorder, War, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Outing
lexkoi's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Outing, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide, Misogyny, Death, War, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Drug abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
202claire's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia, Colonisation, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, and Religious bigotry
whatannikareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i enjoyed the short in-between chapters that took us into her palestinian heritage and childhood memories.
that being said, this book felt very fragmented, as if there were three different plot lines that weren't really woven together seamlessly. the writing is in first person, which made it feel a bit too simplistic--telling rather than showing. a bit past halfway, it just felt like the author was listing her relationships without going into enough depth for me to care. and the main character herself isn't really likable; she doesn't necessarily have to be, but it was hard for me to see the point in why she was dealing with the conflicts in her life. the ending just kind of ended, and didn't make me feel emotional or anything.
i think there were too many conflicts the author wanted to focus on--the strained relationship with her mother (which i wish we saw more of), her love addiction rehab journey, her toxic role in her relationships-- and i think the author would've benefitted from sticking to one or two conflicts and building a more linear plot around them.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Outing, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship