Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Gaza Writes Back by Refaat Alareer

5 reviews

rustedtrains's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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mirandaleighhhh's review

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dark hopeful informative

5.0

This isn't a review as much as it is a scream into the ether to please read this. Each and every contributor is exceptionally brave and resilient (two things they shouldn't have to be), and I feel nauseous imagining what they have has to endure since this was published, if they have survived. RIP Refaat Alareer.

"Hope of their return was their only motive, their only sustainer" - House, Refaat Alareer
"That lonely drop was followed by a flood of uncountable tears that rushed fast to express their utter grief." - Once Upon a Dawn, Shahd Awadallah
"My shadow grew sadder and taller than me" - Scars, Aya Rabah
"I am carrying bags of dazzling stars. They are heavy but useless, because they are not hung in the vast sky" - Scars, Aya Rabah
"Because many people around the world think they have the right to speak on their behalf, Palestinians are suffering two opposing stereotypical images that are equally disturbing and doing the just cause injustice: the Palestinian as a helpless victim, a mere object of sympathy, or as a bloodthirsty savage. Palestinians are neither." - Hanan Habashi

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kirstinlwx's review

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

This is an anthology of short stories, written by young Gazans - people who are from there, and who may still live there. It is devastating, and funny and hopeful at times, and so beautiful. Incredible work by the authors and editor, including the short biographies at the end of the book. 
Grateful to KoboPlus to have this available as part of my subscription. 

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siandee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75


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bookishmillennial's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

This is a collection of essays, letters, and short stories from the youth (like teens and early 20s) of Gaza. There are over 20 contributors, and their stories range from nonfictional letters to loved ones who have passed, to (somewhat) fictional short stories, to anecdotes of living through violence. Topics cover loss, grief, run ins with soldiers, seeing their parents’ mental health decline, the moments their childhood innocence/naivety was disillusioned, grappling with land loss, and general life under occupation. There’s not only immense fear, despair, and anguish, but there is deep, rumbling anger. This book shows you the ripple effects of a land and its people who endure constant torture, terrorism, and war crimes because of Israeli occupation. These stories are incredibly powerful, and I am in awe of these young adults for sharing their stories. 

I read this via my Kobo Plus subscription & I highly recommend it. It is still relevant to the state of Gaza today, & will be until Palestine is freed from this inhumane occupation. 

cw: colonisation, death, grief, mental health struggles, trauma from state-sanctioned violence, constant fear & despair, occupation, apartheid

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