Reviews

3.5
i started out really loving this book!! i will say once our main character left the ledge, i feel things kind of got a little disorganized. i dont know how to describe it, but once she starts a relationship with Matías (that she knows is SUCH a bad idea) i feel like the way her life is written out is much less organized and fluid than the beginning. i understand that she is learning through her poor choices through the list of hookups and relationships in the midwest but it just wasnt as enticing as the first half. the beginning of the book was so beautifully written and i feel like it got lost during the midwest section of this story. near the end it got better, definitely not as strong as the beginning. i adored the ending as i feel that it summed the complicated feelings our main character was going through especially with her relationship with her mom. it feels as if our protagonist is finally learning what it feels like to shake off her old habits and start to accept love with her budding healthier romantic relationship. i loved the glimpses of our main character's family and glimpses of the israeli occupation in palestine and how that affected her through living in America and seeing glimpses of what was occurring in her country. i do wish we saw a little bit more of that, especially since her identity and displacement in both countries is highlighted a few times throughout the book! i also wish we got to see more of her relationship with her brother karim which was barely there! although this book wasnt perfect, i enjoyed it and i adored our narrator. arafat is an incredible writer and i cant wait to read more from her!

mynameisprerna's review against another edition

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4.5

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. It felt erratic, and like I didn't understand what was happening half the time. But I quickly realized that this was intentional, and it was meant to feel a bit unsettled. Once I let go of trying to have precise understanding, I was able to understand the chaotic story of a chaotic person.
I appreciated the ways this story wove in how being Palestinian had impacted their life, their relationship with family, sexuality, and more. It didn't feel forced, but it offered texture that made this story more compelling and worth reading.

snoopyguy's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

booksteastories's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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